Forefathers, The Men From Whom My Ways Began, To My Father, Grandfather, Forefathers All.

Tuesday, 13 April 2010

Forefathers

Here they went with smock and crook,

Toiled in the sun, lolled in the shade,

Here they mudded out the brook,

And here their hatchet cleared the glade:

Harvest-supper woke their wit,

Huntsman's moon their wooings lit.

From this church they led their brides,

From this church themselves were led

Shoulder-high; on these waysides

Sat to take their beer and bread.

Names are gone--what men they were

These their cottages declare.

Names are vanished, save the few

In the old brown Bible scrawled;

These were men of pith and thew,

Whom the city never called;

Scarce could read or hold a quill,

Built the barn; the forge, the mill.

On the green they watched their sons

Playing till too dark to see,

As their fathers watched them once,

As my father once watched me;

While bat and beetle flew

On the warm air webbed with dew.

Unrecorded, unrenowned,

Men from whom my ways begin,

Here I know you by your ground,

But I know you not within--

All is mist, and there survives

Not a moment of your lives.

Like the bee that now is blown

Honey-heavy on my hand,

From the toppling tansy-throne

In the green tempestuous land,--

I'm in clover now, nor know

Who made honey long ago.

’TIS Sweet, O God, to Steal Away,

’TIS sweet, O God, to steal away,    Before the morning sun is high, Upon some frosty winter’s day,     When not a cloud is on the sky, And all the world is white below,

Knee-deep with freshly-fallen snow,— To steal into the silent woods    Before the trees are quite awake, And watch them in their snowy hoods    A rough-and-ready toilet make,

When in the little breezes creep And rouse them gently from their sleep. ’Tis sweet, O God, to kneel among    The snow-bent trees, and lift the mind Above the boughs where birds have sung

Above the pathways of the wind,   Into the very heart of space,— To where the angels see Thy face. And while my spirit mounts in prayer,    So keen becomes its mystic sight,

That through the sunshine in the air     I see a new and heavenly light, And all the bowed woods seem to be Acknowledging the Trinity

Pot-pourri Tea-Made from northern wild plants; it will keep you alive, if you should get lost in the bush

Pot-pourri Tea- A colourful tea made from northern wild plants is not only a very pleasant tea but more importantly, it will keep you alive, if you should get lost in the bush. Choose any or all of Fire weed leaves, rose hips and seeds, rose petals, strawberry leaves, raspberry leaves, blue violets, bear berry leaves, or sage.

            1. Gather together plants of your choice.

            2. To make tea, pour boiling water over and steep for 15 minutes.

            3. Can also be dried crushed and stored.

Plant Edibility Tests

Plant Edibility Tests

Warning

The critical factor in using plants for food is to avoid accidental poisoning. Eat only those plants you can positively identify and you know are safe to eat.
If at all possible, absolutely identify plants before using them as food. Poison hemlock has killed people who mistook it for it's relatives, wild carrots and wild parsnips. Mushrooms and other fungus can also be deadly. Do not eat mushrooms in a survival situation--there is NOroom for experimentation.
In disaster/survival situations, you  will often find yourself in a situation for which you could not plan, In this instance you may not have had the chance to learn the plant life of the region in which you must survive. In this case you can use the UNIVERSAL EDIBILITY TEST to determine which plants you can eat and those to avoid. It is important to be able to recognize both cultivated and wild edible plants in a disaster/survival situation.

Remember the following, when collecting wild plants for food.

·   Limit diet to plants positively identifiable or seen eaten by rabbits, rodents, beaver, squirrels or bears; other animals are not reliable.

·   Birds are not reliable.

·   Place small amount inside lower lip, taste for soapy, bitter, acid, burning taste for five minutes.

·   Increase dose every 6-10 hours. If no ill effect in 24 hours it is probably safe, but one should continue to use caution.

·   Avoid: Those with milky sap, (toxic) black spurs on grain (diseased) or that look sickly. Cook if in doubt.

·   Be cautious of plants with red in any part.

· Spit out SEEDS of ALL fruits-MAY BE POISONOUS

• Plants growing near homes, occupied buildings; or along roadsides ;may have been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides; or they may be contaminated from exhaust emissions-- avoid if possible. Wash them thoroughly.
• Plants growing in contaminated water; or in water containing Giardia lamblia, E-coli and are contaminated themselves .Boil or disinfect them BEFORE cutting, peeling, or tasting.
• Some plants develop extremely dangerous fungal toxins In order to lessen the chance of accidental poisoning, do not eat any fruit that may be starting to spoil; or is showing signs of mildew or fungus.
• Plants of the same species may differ: in their toxic or sub-toxic compounds content, because of genetic or environmental factors. One example of this is the foliage of the COMMON CHOKECHERRY.  Some chokecherry plants have high concentrations of deadly cyanide compounds, while others have low  concentrations or none. Horses and other livestock have died from eating wilted wild chokecherry leaves..
• Avoid any weed, leaves or seeds  with an almond like scent. a characteristic of the cyanide compounds.
•  Some people (especial those that may have an ulcer) are more  susceptible to gastric distress (from eating vegetation) than others If you know you are sensitive in this way, avoid unknown wild plants, unless absolutely necessary.
• Some very edible wild plants, such as acorns, and water lily rhizomes, are bitter. These substances, usually from tannin compounds tend to make them unpalatable. Boiling them in several changes of water will usually remove the bitter properties.
• Many valuable wild plants have high concentrations of oxalate compounds, also known as oxalic acid. Oxalate produce a  sharp burning sensation in your moth and throat and damage the kidneys. Baking, roasting ,or drying usually destroys the oxalate crystals. The corm (it is not a bulb)of  the jack-in the pulpit is known as "Indian turnip" but you can eat it only after removing these crystals by slow roasting or by drying.

©Al (Alex Alexander)D Girvan 1995