Cooking Biscuits

This post has nothing to do with cooking or biscuits, but it needed a title and for some reason, homemade biscuits with lots of butter and honey came to mind.  The title may be unrelated, but cravings are.  In this case I'm not sure how they are related except that our desires always stem from our cravings -- whether it be happiness, wealth or biscuits.

Often, with the increasing influence of each new generation, we see that the meanings of some words are changed.  The word "bad" comes to mind in that it is often used to mean "the best."  A previous generation used "the bomb" to mean something good.  I thought bombs were used to kill, maim and destroy.  What do I know.

National Socialism defined the political party of Hitler.  Socialism was viewed differently than Bolshevism which was the Russian form of Communism which was derived from the Marx version of Socialism.  Bolshevism and Capitalism were considered the enemies of Socialism by the Nazis who believed that the Jews were behind both of those opposing systems of government/economy.  It is that belief that ultimately drove the behavior of the Nazis to their "Final Solution" to the "Jewish" problem.  It was a movement cloaked in euphemisms and rhetoric that was designed to coerce any who were not "true believers" to accept the party line.  Propaganda was a primary tool of such coercion, and it used words in ways that meant one thing to "the party" and something different to those not privy.

 I believe we see similar tactics in this country today.  I leave it to you to choose (a form of the word choice which also has been twisted) who you wish to accuse of such behavior.  It likely depends on which end of the political spectrum you stand as to how you might respond to that choice.  For those in the middle it appears to be choosing between the lesser of two evils.  The answer is still evil.

The Carolina Horse Nettle (Solanum carolinense) is one of my least favorite weeds.  It is invasive, perennial and toxic.  It is difficult to kill even with most herbicides.  It was once listed in the United States National Formulary (a medical guide for treating various ailments and conditions).  But keep in mind, we also used to use leeches to treat ailments.

I think the Carolina Horse Nettle is an appropriate illustration for this brief blog because it can be attractive when in bloom but watch out for the prickly stickers that can penetrate even good leather gloves.  It may even look like the solution to our ailments but is actually quite toxic.

 Tangled

The woods of Northeast Texas are often a tangled mess of trees and vines.  Many of the vines are not particularly friendly such as Poison Ivy or Greenbriar.  Often, however, the most prolific vines are Honeysuckle.

Sometimes the vines wind around young trees to the point of killing them due to strangulation.  They tightly surround the tender bark and as the tree grows, the vines cut into the bark and cut off the flow of sap to higher points in the young trees.  Eventually the trees succumb.

We like the biodiversity of plants growing on our small piece of Texas, but some have been allowed to get out of control.  It seems a never-ending chore to tame them into spaces that make better sense for managing the land.  It also allows less aggressive species to flourish since we are unlikely to use nature's tool of fire to burn the dense undergrowth.  There are far too many houses within range.

I am not a fan of using chemical means for control, so much of our effort is simply mechanical.  It is more labor intensive, but the result is flourishing plant, insect and animal life.  One small example is the Tiger Swallowtails of which I posted a few days ago.  We see many of them daily.  Yesterday we saw our first Monarch butterfly of the year.

The benefits of our efforts will be realized over coming years but occasionally the reward is immediate.  The photo below is of Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens).  The flowers attract Hummingbirds, Bees and Butterflies.  The fruit is favored by many bird species.  Traditional medicinal uses include for asthma (dried and smoked), for bee stings (chewed and applied to the sting) and for sore throats and coughs (a tea).  I just think it is a nice splash of color against the greens and browns of the forest.

 

Chasing a White Rabbit

I was walking in the woods the other day and came across something I had never seen before; it was down in the hollow base of a large tree.  Looking into the cavity, there appeared to be a round, white, puffy ball lodged in a hole.  My first thought was that some animal, such as a white rabbit, had become lodged in there and was stuck.  Of course, my eyesight isn't quite what it once was, so I just wasn't certain what it was that was down in that hole.  It almost looked like a ball of snow, but we hadn't had any, so I knew it couldn't be that.

I took the logical approach and poked it with a stick.  That didn't tell me much, so I then proceeded to dig it out with the stick.  It was stuck and didn't come out easily and in fact, came out in pieces.  I wish I had thought to take an image of it before I tore it up.  It was very cold and a bit squishy to the touch. 

I, of course, had to research a bit to find out what this cold, squishy ball of rubbery stuff might be so I searched first on iNaturalist.  There, I found it to be a Lion's Mane Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus.  It is edible and has medicinal properties.  Some of the benefits are related to immune function, anxiety and depression, cognitive health, heart health, cancer, diabetes, digestive health, wound healing and nervous system recovery.  Seems like an important mushroom with which to become acquainted!

You never know what you will find if you just get out and explore a bit.

Cardinals and Medicine Men

A couple of days ago I posted about the trash we find in the woods.  The very same day we came across the old tire, we also came across this beautiful Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis).  It was growing near a slough where the water stands throughout the year.

The Cardinal Flower requires Hummingbirds for propagation due to the depth of the flowers.  It is poisonous and teas were made of the roots and the leaves by various Indian tribes for use as cures.  Gardeners often plant it to attract Hummingbirds and because of the showy blooms.

I just like to see the bright splash of color against the green and brown backdrop. 

Cardinal Flowers are an indicator species for wetlands and are usually found in the wild near water.  The piperidine alkaloids found in the plants are similar to nicotine.  A close relative of the Cardinal Flower is Lobelia inflata or, Indian Tobacco. 

I have often thought that if I had been an American Indian back before European settlement, I would likely have been the Medicine Man of the tribe.  It is intriguing to me how they were able to identify and utilize the naturally occurring substances in plants and animals to effect cures or, at least treatments, for various diseases.  Many researchers today find that those cures have scientific validity and likely were at least somewhat effective beyond the placebo effect.

The one part of being a "Medicine Man" that would bother me is the association with Shamanism.  I believe man has a spiritual aspect, but I also believe attempts to enter into communion with that world through the use of mind-altering drugs is dangerous.  Simply making that statement sends shivers through me because mankind has a history of believing they can handle any danger and even mentioning the possibility of the reality of entering that world through drugs is like a dare to some.  I don't want someone to read this and attempt it.

Hmmm...I'm not sure what to think about those last couple of paragraphs.  It is thought that the Cardinal Flower received its name because of the similarity to the robes worn by Catholic Cardinals.  That's two different connections to the Spiritual World in one pretty flower....