wild plants galore!

Wild carrots.  Notice the fine hairs on the leafy stems.  If no hairs watch out and don't eat! (These were tasty but a little tough raw. )

Now that spring is in full motion everything is up out of the ground and turned to green. I have been toying with the idea of creating a weed garden. Not really a weed garden but a wild plant garden which just happens to be made primarily of what we know as weeds.  Each time I cut my yard the thought passes through my mind that I am cutting up my food storage! I have dandelions, plantain, wild garlic, onion, wild leeks and even a bit of grass growing in my yard, all of which are edible. I am not in the habit of eating these foods regularly but know that they are edible and useful in other ways. I have acorns year round that can be made into flour or meal and then also have some transplanted wild raspberries and grapes. Of the storebought plants I can eat the flowers of the daylily, the hens and chicks plants, mulberry leaves and berries, fruit of the peach and plum trees and some rose petals. It just surprizes me how much food really exists that is normally never on my food list! The weed garden might be interesting for the fact that I could see how a little care and no cutting might make a difference on the quality of the plant. What do you think? Leave the weeds to the mower or start my garden?

Indian bow update!!!

Being too impatient to wait and try my bow when I had made a primitive arrow, I decided to try out the bow using one of my store-bought arrows. I noticed really quickly how much the arrow set to the side and at a wide trajectory compared to modern bows where the arrow sits on a rest and has a trajectory in line with the bow. The arrow made it's target and sunk in which was a great relief and very exciting to me. This means that I have a method for making a viable hunting tool should the need ever arise. After a few more arrows I had to call it quits because of other commitments, but not because the bow was lacking! I didn't expect a lot from my first handmade bow and am looking forward to making more of these in the future. It takes me back to being a child stringing up bendy sticks and pretending I was an indian. The process is rather therapeutic!

The indian short bow!

The camp-out went well (besides waking up sick at 5 AM.) I made a debris hut out of some red pine that had been cut from a windfall. I slept warm and felt pretty good about the shelter. The next morning after starting to feel a bit better (about10am) I started to teach the indian short bow. They are the typical bow you would see on the plains and can be very short or up to to the typical length of a modern recurve. We split the Ash staves into halves and some into quarters then made the bows from the outer rings (bark-side). We had some sharpened mower blades instead of drawknives but then the camp Ranger brought us two drawknives which made our work much more effective. We shaved the staves down until they started resembling bows and then sanded them after checking how they flexed over our knees. WE made bowstrings by twisting twenty feet of four strands of thin string until it kinked, then doubled this over, twisted some more, waxed the length of it , twisted some more, double it over and waxed it more. By the time we were done we had a reasonably thick string about the length of the bow and that would stay twisted on account of the wax and doubling over. (imitating Sinew) I strung two bows and was pleasantly surprised when they didn't snap under the pressure. Woooohoooo!!! This was quite an accomplishment and felt wonderful to draw them back and feel like they might actually work for casting arrows! I was excited that we had actually made primitive bows using only hand tools and some string on a spool, and a candle. I have yet to cast and arrow with them. The first one we strung was made by a boy who has gone on to carve it down. This has caused a weakening and fracturing of a limb that will no longer make it strong enough to fire. This will be a lesson for him and a story for me to share when teaching how to make them again.
They say the best way to learn is to teach and that is the case for me. My bow looks like a reflex but that was the natural feature of the bow stave. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Spring is here!

I have been very busy lately but even so I can't help but to notice the Blue-jays screeching, the robins calling and the chickadees singing. We have had some starry nights and as I come in from a late "day at the office" I can sometimes look up and find my favorite constellations. The bulbous flowers are all coming up and the earth is starting to wake up again. I am excited to be alive! I feel really excited about this year and the upcoming warm seasons. I am planning many attempts at learning new skills and have already begun making some blanks from Ash trees which I will try and make a primitive bow from. These trees were cut near my college as apart of a construction project and left to waste, which allowed me the opportunity to try making bows without me cutting live trees! I'll try and post of my progress.

As always, keep up on my new skill and creative posts at http://www.survivalnut.com

Take a moment and bring your nose to the earth and notice what memories stir as you breath in the rich smells of spring soil!

www.survivalnut.com!!!

Hello again! I last posted about a new site that will be survival skill based. It is officially accessible although the content within it is still being added. I am trying to add a little as time permits, and anticipate being able to add almost daily starting in mid-march. It will be amazing to see it evolve and I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions on how to make it better or to simply take joy in learning something new about the outdoors! Check it out!

www.survivalnut.com

P.S. Great job to Kaleb the website administrator!

Busy life!

Hello All! Anyone out there still? I can't expect much traffic considering I haven't posted in so long. I have been doing my best to finish school, work, be home, fufill callings and church positions and still work and play on the side. The good news is that I have been working on some content for an up and coming website dedicated to wilderness survival and primitive living! yeah! It means lots of advice and skills demos for all to have access to, and will soon be the most informative website on primitive survival. This is a joint venture between my brother-in-law Kaleb (survival-wiz and web-wiz) and myself (survival-wiz). Keep an eye out and let me know if you have any suggestions on what might be useful! Get outside and enjoy the season!

John McPherson

I have long dreamed of going into the wilderness with nothing and seeing what kind of life could be made and the progression of necessary skills that would be made evident in such a situation. I have recently come across a book written by John McPherson and his wife. The whole premise is going into the woods naked and making a life for yourself. The couple have not just written a book on the theory but the actual doing of skills with how-to information and pictures along the way. Whether it's taking 3 days to chop down a cottonwood tree with stone tools they made to be able to make a dug-out canoe, or the wife showing how to gut and part out a deer using a sharp sliver made by flint-knapping. I am really impressed that these authors actually have experience in what they relate. I rented this book from the library and the only negative thing I have to say about it is that it was stolen! Someone entered our cars while parked in our driveway and stole lots of things and the book was among them! The book is called "Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills: Naked into the Wilderness" A necessary read for true primitive skills practitioners! Good luck!

Camp-out!

On Friday and Saturday I was able to go camping with the youth of my church. The temperature was in the mid thirties and we had a light drizzle every so often. I didn't attempt to practice any outdoor skills using primitive techniques, because I was in charge of the whole event and knew going into this that time would not be on my side. I was the first to the site and had to shovel some paths and start the fire as well as set up a tent for me to stay in. The boys stayed in a large canvas military tent which was on the site ready to go. Before anyone arrived I was able to get away and take a walk across the frozen lake and I explored along the lakes perimeter. I found an old attempt at a log cabin. Nature brings all things back to her and the cabin was already starting to return to the earth that the cabin logs had grown from. It is always interesting to contemplate who had been there and had desired to dwell and how time and nature had other plans.
I had a great time with my brother who came out, and we snowboarded and sledded with the youth among the trees on a large hill overlooking the campsite. I noticed the hill behind where we would start our runs and could see the snow and leaves all torn up from deer. I saw a few turkey tracks and plenty of squirrels who had taken advantage of the above freezing days to gather and forage. I was glad simply to be outdoors and to be able to contemplate my life. I go back to school tomorrow and in doing so will find limited opportunity to be outdoors, which is understandable but saddens me. The good news is that nature will always receive us when we do return home.

needing to reconnect

Life has been absolutely wonderful and yet such a blur these past few months. I have accomplished much and have no real regrets but feel a little detached from the forests and marshes, lakes and streams, fields and thickets, that I call home. I have been either busily working towards my goals or a homebody. I suppose that is natural when you have such a wonderful family such as I and have determined to get a degree and other such demanding ventures. My wedding anniversary was Dec. 20th and after four years of marriage I still ask myself why she ever let me into her life. We always joke about how I tricked her into marrying me and how "if she'd only known..." :) Well I absolutely love her and feel more in love each day and on ever-deepening levels. I am not going to try an communicate that love here and now (It's easier just to tell her) but suffice it to say I am deeply thankful for her and my family.
It seems all I do is drive these days. I notice a lot of things around me and learn about the movements of nature but it is different when you are on the other side of the glass actually breathing in the scents and listening to the sounds of nature.
Driving today I realized I have not been out in my fur suit since early march. That may not make sense or be a big deal to those who haven't seen or heard of my full body fur suit, but being in my suit means I plan on being out for awhile in the cold and plan on really learning while either sitting or stalking deer or other animals I see. The fur suit is practical. It keeps me warm. It provides a quiet material that doesn't make any noise as I brush past a trees or climb through briars... basically I am just saying how much I miss being a part of the landscape and feeling the snow settle and accumulate on me as I watch nature move around me. I hope to be able to dedicate a day for me to feel that again. Does anyone else feel that need to connect with nature like that? It's almost like all time stops and you become counted again as a brother animal of the forest instead of an alien just passing through.

Deer tracks.

I finally finished another semester at school! Now I find myself able to do things that I wish to do instead of what i have to do.
I decided to go up to my mother-in-law's cottage on thursday to take some of her belongings and to tear out some of the bathroom and closets that need remodeling. I was excited about the drive because of the beautiful country you drive through and because of the time it gives to think and ponder about things. The snow was hanging on the trees and making everything look just like a "winter wonderland". When I got to the cottage I was delighted to get out of the van and see fresh deer tracks all over her yard! The property line has some fruit trees and they were eating up what was left on the trees and what has been late to fall on the ground. I am JUST SO EXCITED ABOUT HER PLACE! On my lunch break I walked about a 100 yards and sat on the edge of a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan! the scene was gorgeous and had rays of sunshine penetrating the clouds making a painting-worthy scene. The water was everything from deep blues to emerald greens because of the different sandbars and how the light was hitting the lake. The deer tracks in the yard came from the bluff area and I am speculating that they bed down in some fur trees a little ways down on the bluff. I did see five bedding areas that had melted the snow in little 2-3 foot wide ovals and they were only about 75 yards from the house in some heavy brush and thicket. The area across the street from her is an Audoban Society Preserve and so it is well taken care of and has many animals and birds especially. It is such a magical place and I am excited for others to come up and enjoy the place and the great company ( my Mother-in-law ) it will offer!

Trompin' through the woods

Yesterday was just above freezing here and the wind had died down to where being outside was bearable. I decided top stop at the nature preserve on my way home and see what kind of deer traffic was present. Snow tracking is very easy and makes determining how long ago a deer passed quite simple. I have to admit it has been awhile since i ran the deer trails and found my lungs were pretty out of shape! I found what I call deer Highways and then some smaller runs that led me through some marsh and out to the rivers edge. I am pretty sure the deer actually bed down on an island that is just a swim away because for all my wandering i only found one recent bed and have seen a pretty big group of them coming out of the marsh from that direction. I think i will take my boat soon and check out the island.
One of the best things about my TROMP was that at one point I was able to simply stop and listen for a bit. The quiet and peace that is out there is something I have missed. Especially when it snows the sounds are absorbed by the new white insulation and it seems that sometimes the only sound you can hear is your own heartbeat and the noise that is commonplace in your mind. I miss spending sufficient amounts of time to allow for even those noises to disappear into the surroundings.

The road less travelled

Today while walking in the snow to my car I was noticing the well worn paths of my peers and how they had all seemed to choose a similar path and made what reminded me of a well worn deer trail. It makes sense to follow a trail as it saves energy by following a broken-in path as well as keeps your shoes from getting snow in them. I decided to waste some calories and change things up by trudging off through the untouched snow and winding through some trees. As I walked I couldn't help but notice that there were foot prints and tracks already marking the path I was choosing. Even though they had become almost unrecognizable because of the new snowfall or the blowing winds. I could see that even in my attempt to be original and spontaneous I had accidently happened upon another's path and the thought occurred to me that just as I am walking and treading on this earth now, there have been people before me and there will come those after me. We are all connected, the only thing that is different is that I am the present, they are the past and those who walk in my paths after me are the future. When those of the future pass the same way I just tread I will become part of the past and therefore I am already part of the past in a way... Does that make sense to anyone else? We are all connected...

Bundle up!

The weather forecast is calling for snow by the end of the week. We have had some wet and cold days as well as some moderately warm days in the past few weeks. I am not one for the cold but I do enjoy the snow. Funny how that can be! What I love is the way that snow absorbs sound and as it softly settles over a landscape it seems all time slows down with it.
I am not for the cold typically because I just find it takes so much more energy to perform typical tasks and for the many memories of being unprepared and freezing in the past. My first winter camp-out was a disaster and even though I can say I ended up having a great time it proved to be very uncomfortable! I feel with years between me and my first snow-filled winter camp-out I can somewhat unabashedly tell you I forgot gloves and ended up wetting the bed (Sleeping bag)!
Not a very comfortable or safe scenario to find yourself in! I have to laugh now at the pitiful situation as I remember how severely cold I got and how my clothes were frozen stiff! I was too embarrassed to ask for help and ended up shivering and shaking through the night and luckily found socks on my hands to be a somewhat viable replacement for gloves! I am amazed I ever went back to winter camping but can usually attribute a difficult or uncomfortable situation with teaching me the most about preparedness and the art of improvisation! I am much better prepared now (Fur suit and all) and have come to look forward to the snow even if that means it has to be cold.

The Important Things. (My yard care thoughts)

I love seeing all the colors and sights of fall! I have to stop and wonder what some of the smells of fall are associated with. Yesterday I smelled a sour smell from a sugar maple's leaves decomposing. Where only a week ago you could only smell the crushed acorns on the road, now the world has changed and the senses tell me a different story. I have been pondering a lot of things and I am not sure if that is because of some of the recent events in my life or merely the change that autumn brings and the innate desire to prepare for the upcoming winter.

I am very inspired by the leaves and the changes in scenery. I guess the whole circle of life is simply manifest more fully right now. I have been busy with some important things and as my poor neighbors can attest I have neglected to keep up on the leaves and winterize my yard and do other (in my opinion) less important things. After all, the leaves keep falling and if I don't fertilize my yard it will still come up green in the spring. (albeit because of dandelions where others insist there should be grass!)

I am starting to learn the value of certain things we do and the priorities we place on things, actions, or habits. I am finding that not keeping up on the yard for example will not be something I regret at the end of my life whereas missing my children's growth or remembering great times are the things that will mean the most. Yes I do feel we should have a house of order and I am not advocating a sloppy or rundown property but I am not convinced I need to spend much time on areas where the fruit does not merit the cost and energy put into it's growing. Basically I am just commenting on the purpose of life and what kind of fruit we will have to show for it and what will be of value and what will have proved to be pointless. As for my yard... it'll be here long after I am gone whether I rake today or not for another week!

Service Projects Galore!

In the past week I have had more opportunity to serve than I might normally have in a month! When I lived up north it seemed every weekend was spent helping someone by stacking wood, doing yard work, clearing land or working on roof. I learned a lot of valuable lessons and skills but most of all learned how good it felt to help another and how good you sleep after a real hard days work. This week I have been able to help move someone, deliver a bowl of soup, landscape and seed a yard, dig out a stump an old man was working on, and load and deliver firewood to a friend. (ALL FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE!)
To be honest I have been distant from work in the blister and sweat sense. I have also allowed myself to be "TOO BUSY" to help in the past and have missed many great opportunities. My point in blogging about my experiences is to simply express that I have felt like more of a brother and more of a friend to those around me in the last week than I have in the last year. Through service we can find relationships, peace and perspective that is otherwise out of our reach.
In offering this I am in no way reveling in my accomplishments in the service arena, in fact I am feeling pretty humbled and low for letting this part of my life almost slip away by my own neglect and lack of priority. What saddens me is that I am sure last week and the week before that and so on, have all had just as many or more opportunities to serve but I have not either opened my eyes to the need or I have let my personal agenda take precedence.
I challenge everyone to look around them and take the opportunity to do something solely for someone else's benefit and likely you will also rekindle one of the sweetest parts of your life. For those who already serve so well, my hats off to you! I hope I can one day be like you.

I am still alive!

I have been so very busy lately! To catch everyone up, I have been studying like a mad man and been involved as a YM president of my local church's youth group. I also decided to compete in a Business pitch competition and somehow won 1st place out of 27 competitors! I have been reluctant to post news about my winning on this site because the nature of the Business pitch was an invention for cleaning. It will be made of plastic and is very useful but also for convenience more than anything, which doesn't really fly with my vision for this site and for me as a caretaker of this world. I can just imagine the invention ending up in a land fill someday and it makes me cringe. I am looking for ways to make the scraper and scrubber out of used or recycled materials to hopefully offset the impact it could have by its eventual discardment. As I get the Patent figured out I can post images and explain more but in the meantime realize I still exist and don't forget to get yourself out and enjoy the beautiful fall colors and sensations!

Wildwood Survival Posting!

I have been posted on the Wildwood Survival website! It is by far the most informative site on primitive skills I have found. Best of all the information is free! I posted a primitive Vision/Eyewear skill. Look it up at www.wildwoodsurvival.com under the "More" link and then look for the Vision Section. (My favorite links to the right will get you there)
I am excited about this and it is an honor for me to have a submission accepted!

Good old Calvin!

I recently saw a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon that reads; "I say, if your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you seriously ought to re-examine your life." It shows Clavin completely dirty and yet smiling at his days accomplishment. Hope we can all get our knees dirty daily.

Update on LAKE MICHIGAN SAND tracks.

These are Fox tracks in sand found at a wildlife site online. They are similar to the suspected Fox tracks I saw at Lake Michigan and they stagger much the same in both pictures. Cat tracks tend to be more consistent as they go at a slower pace and a small dog wolud probably have accompanied a "Master" which i saw no evidence of. I am not sure but I would guess a Red Fox went by that morning within and hour or two of me getting there!

Inquisitive Minds

I have been impressed lately by the way ancient art was a way of studying nature and the human experience. I am sure the need to record and capture our lives experiences has been handed down since the time of Adam. Lately I have been able to learn more about Leonardo Da Vinci and other historical artists who have made art a way to study the world around them. Some might say they used the world around them to inspire art but I am impressed that they were inquisitive and art offered an avenue to explore more thoroughly the questions they had. Da Vinci has many drawn "Studies" of various natural things. If you would like to see some amazing drawings of the world around us I suggest a web search starting with Da Vinci. His Pictures of flowers and plants put most of our modern field guide drawings to shame. Check it out. I guess my point in all this is to challenge everyone to look at something with the intention to learn something new, and to try to capture it in some form for later study and use whether that be to draw or even using digital cameras. It'll probably surprise you what you can learn and how it'll spur you on to new discoveries!