experiments in latin and layaway

i have been walking the land. it's a new kind of reading and writing; the consonants and vowels looped out with footfalls, the signifiers and the signified bending under rushing water or leaning into the planar mountain wind. language is a suitable animal to study, especially this new dialect of tangled places whose depth and expanse have been underfoot my whole life and i've never made it a point to work on map reading.

iron canyon. toll canyon. three mile canyon. willow draw. dutch draw.

part of this of course is an offering to some close friends as a plea for peace and quiet.

.

i brace myself and open the back door of the Volvo, and they race out in obligatory fury at top speed and disappear into a confusion of chokecherry, mountain mahogany and mud.

it is well worth it. something i am discovering about a daily ritual of disconnecting myself from inside habits is that my mind empties completely and i am immediately in tune with my body. i buzz. the sub-alpine understory buzzes. in some ways it is an experience of deep vulnerability to try to insert yourself into a land unmanaged and unplanned, because you undertake to assimilate into chaos. but for me that chaos is becoming cathartic because it slams me with full force into quiet and i realize how potentially murky my insides may be at present.

it is of course possible that they are literally murky from filling it with things like this

(that, if you are wondering what an antidote for inner purity might be, is a sandwich from a luncheonette counter in New York City. it has three fried eggs and six pieces of bacon swaddling a clutch of french fries and adhered to a crusty torpedo shaped roll by an inordinate amount of gluey, saffron colored american cheese. yes it's real. yes it was mine.)


and frankly, i champion such feats of gastronomy in the underbelly of urban places. you do disservice to yourself and to local cuisine by passing up such a thing as The Curious George in favor of egg whites and cantaloupe. but certainly you wouldn't need to go high up into the mountains and climb down into a ravine to hear your body plea for something powerful and green to cut through the nutritious havoc you've wreaked on your body. i just happened to be in a ravine at the time.

you may recall there was an expedition earlier in search of urtica dioica. it was a lovely gesture to forage and very fruitful. with the bounty from the woods and some from my mother's herb garden i undertook to concoct this

which is a tangle of medicinal herbs especially for lady-insides. in addition to the nettles there is sage and raspberry leaf. once rinsed the above greenery was dried, pulsed in a food processor until uniform and covered with vodka.  now, wrapped in a tea towel in the closet is the suspicious jar of this

which, after shaking daily and keeping out of the sun, will be strained into another jar (blue glass this time, to further filter out the UV rays which will neutralize the medicinal compound and fur the top over with mold) and dosed out in a small silver spoon before the morning coffee.

tinctures are a marvelous kind of alchemy: drawing tonic and plant essences from organic mash and the questionable liquid leftovers from a friend's weekend. they can be taken straight or, for the more faint of heart, hidden in a glass of cloudy apple juice or at the bottom of a strong cup of black tea.

but today's walk wasn't about nettles. today's walk was an immersion program into the range plants of the Wasatch mountains. a desert's biodome is so vastly diverse in terms of its inhabitants that it is a formidable undertaking to attempt to learn the local lexicon. this year especially we are confronted with plants that we rarely see in bloom or plants that only bloom when the water table is high enough. we have whole carpets of blue bells fragrant and top heavy in the drainages and the wild sweet pea has clambered up so rapidly that the quaking aspen saplings are draped in festoons of scarlet and cream.

part of what is so interesting in looking at plants from a botanist's perspective is that there is an entire sub category of language that has been developed to praise and describe it. it is not often a person is entitled to such peppery splashes in their vocabulary as corymb (a flat topped racene in which outer flowers open first), decumbent (the base of the plant resting on the ground with upper part rising), or glabrous (smooth, without hair.)

monocotyledon. panicle. saprophyte. apomixis. pappus. cyme.

i happily went out, sunhat fitted over loose braids, to hunt for names and secrets in Toll canyon, decked modestly in a single sunflower and wielding Japanese pruning shears and a snack.

i am struck, constantly, by the absolute calm born aloft on the leaves of trees and flowers. as we were rained on by a driving, diagonal rain last evening most of the sunflowers that led down into the ravine were tousled, bedraggled and stooped. but they swayed among to their regal, unblemished neighbors, some bearing the paper punched latticework of snails on their leaves, or the sticky honeydew of aphids with grace and a complete lack of self consciousness. in fact, the ugliness of disorder and imperfection was everywhere; willow branches snapped and frayed at their jointery, moose scat in a bed of columbine. even the purity of fecundity seemed a farce when i crouched among a loose leaf fluttering of yellow butterflies,  only to find them sipping daintily from the middle of the path, on a slurry of manure. there were the fine arms of mountain anemone uncurling demurely from the moist belly of a dead wood chuck. for a moment, everything slanted sharply and all my idealizations about the wisdom of the woods rolled and bumped up amongst each other in defeat. it was, again, that underscoring of wild things. John McPhee had mentioned, you remember, in his essay about virgin forests that untidiness, was the cornerstone of a primeval forest; it's lack of pristine wholeness and order in all things is what contributed to its vitality.

anyway. the tired bones of the animals and i, back with a plastic vessel filled with creek run-off and luminous clippings, spent the rest of the afternoon foraging in electronic plant catalogs to learn what the call our bounty.. at least, i foraged the catalogs. the dog bones heaped up into sandy tufts along the cool stonework of the kitchen floor and offered up their end of a quiet sleepy bargain.

there was
Horsetail (equistetum arvense) which contains an abundance of silica and thus can be used as an abrasive for cleaning and polishing
Quaking Aspen (populus tremuloides) which contains salicin, a compound very similar to aspirin
Meadow Rue (thalictrum fendleri)
Thimbleberry (rubus parviflorus) edible, delicious! Like large, sweeter raspberries
Catnip (Nepeta Cataria)

Northern Bedstraw (g. boreale) which can be used to slow bleeding, aid in childbirth, reduce fever and stimulate the appetite

Yarrow (compositae/asteraceae) when, taken as a tea, is used to relieve ear- and head- and toothaches, to reduce swelling, as a remedy for colds, and as a topical antihistamine.

Aster (compositae/asteraceae)
Larkspur (delphinium)

Mountain Bluebells (mertensia ciliatra) which are edible- both leaves and flowers, and the plant is a galactogogue (meaning, it is a substance that promotes lactation in nursing mothers)

Baneberry (ranunculaceae)
Western Wood Anemone (anemone quinquefolia)
Columbine (aquilegia)
Leafy Jacob's Ladder (polemonium foliosissiumum) 
Common Sunflower (helianthus annuus)
Mule Ears (wyethia)


**Most local Universities have extension programs that overview local micro-climates, plant and animal habitats, plant names and identification materials. The above information was sourced from Utah State University's Environmental Studies department which has a host of electronic resources, links and other interesting information:

**plant idenificaiton at:  http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/HG_506.pdf
**plant catalog at: http://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/

old growth

it is true that if there were enough time and daylight, a person could become acquainted with all the secrets of the natural world.

in this little natural world, just a scrape above the 40th parallel, where virgin forests have long since given way to new growth pines and aspen groves still wet behind the ears, the hunger of the developing world has not allowed for much wildness to remain.

i have been reading John McPhee's "In Virgin Forest", an essay that describes the remaining, bristling places seen from aerial photographs where virgin forests still stand in our country. it is daunting to see maps that reflect how the presence of these places has dwindled since it was colonized.

(clockwise from upper left, the images reflect the placement and size of old growth forests from 1620, 1920,currently, and 1950 respectively.)

And I long to see them, these places where there has been a currency of stillness and utter acceptance of fate.

Of a particular forest, preserved by Rutger's University, McPhee notes:

  "A few years ago, gypsy moths tore off the canopy and sunlight sprayed the floor.The understory thickened, as shrubs and saplings responded with a flush of growth. "The canopy is now closing over again," Stiles said [the director of the preserve.] "This summer there will be a lot of death." In 1950 a hurricane left huge gaps in the canopy. "Once every three hundred years you can expect a hurricane that will knock down damn near everything," Stiles went on. "There's a real patchwork of nature in an old forest, in the way it is always undergoing replacement." He stopped to admire a small white ash standing alone beneath open sky. "That's going to take the canopy," he said. ""It's going to to go all the way. It's been released. It will fill the gap." 

Succinctly; the value of these forests, those standing for thousands of years, lies in their utter untidiness, their lack of order or cleanliness. What makes these deep and uneven places so important is that they are furred over with decay, chaos, death, accident, trauma and defeat. But in the wake of all of that is gloriously fertile soil, and its consequence is untamed fecundity. 

"...a toppled hull fruited with orange-and-cream fungus, which devour the wood, metabolize it, cause it literally to disappear. In virgin forest, the classic symbol of virginity is a fallen uprooted trunk decaying in a bed of herbs..." 

So despite my own rigidity and height, toppled by winds beyond my control I am undertaking this phenomenon of primeval forest as a meditiaton on how to proceed.

: :

More especially, I am interested in foraging- not only conceptually (unpacking, repacking my thoughts, assembling a piecework of plans,) but literally, in the disturbed and cool soils of the mountainous tangle which is my home. 

So. 

Nettles! Urtica Dioica. A plant that generally causes discomfort to those calves bared in woodland travel. This is due their stinging hairs, actually hollow hypodermic needles, filled with a topical poison. Upon being broken, say by a wildlife enthusiast, the hairs break and their chemical compound is literally injected into the skin. (This is different than exposure to other poisonous plants, for example poison ivy, whose irritant is present on the entire surface of the plant in the form of poisonous oils.) But not to worry! The juice in the stem of the nettle plant contains a compound which neutralizes the irritant, so if you are unlucky enough to get stung, snipping off the central stem and applying the juice to the area of contact will promptly relieve the sting. 

Nettles have been touted as a  upremely nourishing and powerful form of herbal medicine. The resume is extensive and impressive:
-nettles are high in vitamins and minerals including: sulphur, silicon, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, vitamins A, C and D and iron (which make it especially good for pregnant and menstruating women.)
-in that category, nettle is a useful treatment for anaemia especially if it caused by heavy menstrual periods.
-its combination of phenols and vitamin compounds alleviate PMS symptoms including breast tenderness and bloating
-nettles are a diuretic and help detoxify the kidneys, liver, circulatory and respiratory systems
-this makes them an excellent and powerful medicine against hayfever and seasonal allergies
-nettles, when taken daily, can help lessen the severity and frequency of asthma attacks
-additionally, nettles detoxify joint fluid and are beneficial when taken for arthritis, bursitis or tendonitis
-nettles are also an effective remedy for thinning hair due to malnourishment, excess of synthetic hormones or antibiotics, etc. benefits can be derived by taking the herb internally or using the tea as a rinse for hair.

**(be sensible when reading this. i am, of course, not a certified practitioner of herbal medicine. documentation of nettles is widespread and positive  but research thoroughly before undertaking treatment with nettles or other herbs. nettles can also cause uncommon histamine reaction in some individuals so consult a physician if you are prone to allergies.)


As luck would have it, Park City's reluctance to let go of the evening frosts has started us out pretty late in nettle harvest. Referring to wild plant guides in the region I set off with some four-legged friends, a pair of japanese plant shears, some heavy leather gloves and a rucksack to collect the bounty of the back hills. 

Nettles are easy to identify and aren't easily confused with other poisonous plants that grow in their area. If you are foraging for nettles you can use the following characteristics as a guide:

Nettles grow in shady soil, well-drained and often close to creeks or streams. They are usually ready to harvest by late May in temperate climates or in late June, as Utah would have it. 
-The plant grows 2 - 4' tall, but is best picked when the plant is young/small as they become tough and bitter as they age. If using fresh nettles to make tea, snip off only the 'tips' of the plant, that is the paler green, topmost shoot where the new leaves are forming. Lower, older parts of the plant will cause fresh-nettle tea to taste bitter and astringent.
-They are characterized by their rather stout, hollow ribbed, opaque stems.
-They have dark green, oval leaves growing opposite to on another
-The leaves are papery in texture and have deep, coarse teeth
-The leaves come to points at the tips and are heartshaped at the base
-Easily recognizable by prominence of small, hair-like needles on the stalks and undersides of their leaves


As I mentioned, nettles do not mimic other poisonous plants as means of defense. They do, however, grow among other, benign, plants with similar characteristics. A common imposter is Clearweed (pilea pumila) which is a non-poisonous but also non-edible (not particularly tasty or nutritious) plant. Clearweed can be discerned from nettles in three main ways: The first is that they have a conspicuous set of 'side-veins'. This means that the leaf, instead of being bisected vertically by one central vein, is divided into fourths vertically with one main and two lesser central veins. The second is that the stem of a clearweed plant is transparent. Lastly, a clearweed plant will not be covered in stinging hairs. 


A second imposter is the common Catnip (nepeta cataria), a plant which shares its preference for shady soils with proximity to water. catnip is a delicious herb that can be brewed with nettle for an herbal tisane but is of course a different plant entirely. Like clearweed, catnip will not be covered in stinging hair. A catnip plant will also be a lighter shady of green, with duller, softer teeth, and will release a lemony minty fragrance when rubbed between the fingers. It is also considerably thicker and more 'downy' to the touch than a nettle plant.

The (somewhat blurry) photograph above shows three plants that grew with one another on my foraging walk. On the left is a plant that grew low to the ground, with toothed edges, papery leaves and fine hairs on its underside. It is a wild strawberry plant, however, not a nettle. Upon inspecting the plant, the strawberry was dotted with small white flowers (nettle flowers hang in long clusters from the leaf bracts), and its leaves always presented in groups of three. Easy to cross it off the list.


The central plant is a nettle plant, with opposite leaves that are easy to recognize, many stinging hairs, and coarse, deep-set teeth.


The right hand plant is a catnip plant. This picture gives a good comparison between the difference in teeth on the plants. While a catnip plant presents with opposite leaves, its teeth are duller and softer and it has a velvety sheen when seen in the sun.


Below is a picture of a nettle plant with its stinging hairs evident:

Compare that to a catnip plant which has an absence of hairs:

Easy yeah? 

So we took to the trail and collected a rucksack of nettles, with a minimal amount of a stinging and a liberal application of stem-juice to get us through.

And then...

Nettles stings are combatted in one of two ways. The first is by starving the hairs of moisture thus causing the needles to shrivel. This is accomplished by drying the plant either in the sun or hung to dry inside. The second way is to neutralize the poison by immersing the plant in boiling water. This, of course, is accomplished by taking the nettle as a tea, or by steaming/blanching the greens as you spinach or kale.


Nettle tea with fresh leaves can be made by chopping the greens coarsely and covering them with boiling water. Nettle tea with fresh leaves must be boiled for at least 10 minutes to remove the stings. Otherwise, well...you'd be in bad shape.


Nettle tea with dried leave can be made by covering one to two teaspoons of dry nettles with boiling water. Dried nettles need only be steeped for 5 minutes. The hairs have dried posing no threat of ingesting the poison, but adequate medicinal benefits are only derived if the dry leaves are soaked for a minimum of five minutes. Of course, stronger tea is indicative that more of the plant compounds are present but it is, at this point, only a matter of taste. Lemon is often a good partner in nettle tea as its acids are also a diuretic and it is a stimulant of the kidney and liver but, it is interesting, the stark difference in pH when added to the dark green tea will cause it to turn bright pink! (But who doesn't love that?)

 Additionally, as dried nettles will lose their strength over time, and because fresh nettles are not always available a tincture can be made. This distills the compounds in the plant which are soluble in alcohol and preserves more of their potency.

A tincture can be made with fresh or dry nettles. As with tea, more fresh material will be needed than dried as the plant reduces in volume considerably when dried. Cover the plant material with vodka or brandy at a ratio of two parts nettle for fresh and one part nettle for dried with 1 part alcohol. Let the mixture steep for two weeks, agitating daily. Make sure to store this mixture out of the sun as UV rays will weaken the plant compounds. After two weeks, strain the tincture into a dark colored bottle and store out of sunlight. The general recommended dose is 2ml 3 times a day for adults. (Again, please don't self medicate with nettles purely with information gleaned from this blog. There are many many sources for information on nettles. Look for websites promoted by certified practitioners of herbal medicine or by companies who provide herbal medicine commercially, and/or consult with your naturopath or physician.)

What bounty exists underfoot in all the natural places we travel? I am interested in what sorts of instinctive abilities we, as humans,  retained from our eons of hunting and gathering. The dogs seem to graze confidently, avoiding nettle and poison ivy but dining instead on dock weed, timothy, and shoots of wild onion. In what small pebbles of our smallest bones is the wisdom stored that enables us to take only as much as we need to be sated from a world blanketed with only ravishing appetites? It is humbling, certainly, to sip tea on the porch this morning and to nurse the velvety, flourishing patch of crimson itching on my forearm knowing that nettle can take the initiative to live with purpose. I will keep my eyes to the growing places, low and in shadow, dusty and in disarray, and hope that I can be so lucky, soon.

down (south) time

 

it has taken some getting used to - this idea that, despite a complete dissolution of plans, buoyancy can still be achieved. or, if not achieved exactly, can still occur when you least expect it. maybe especially so.

given that winter here is indecisive, manic, dogmatic and absolutely enraging, it is always somewhat of a surprise when it passes. although now it's still not clear if that's what It has decided on. where, in the East, water sprung readily from dry ditches to float detritus into a gay clog of gutters, here it is still frozen and resolutely clenched at the mountain saddles. the snowpack that lounges at the peaks of the Oquirrhs, the Henrys, the La Sals, all of it still accounts for our annual sum of snowfall- not counting the bulk that has already run and flooded the basements of the valley towns. a veritable crushing of stillmoving snow.

but we were gifted a surge in temperature, a warm smell- that prickling green waft that lifts your collar and fills your nose. without turning,  we could feel the lilacs stir into heady bloom and dip low into the grass. so we figured the best thing to do was to head to directly into desert country to see what sort of remote places we could take off our clothes and generally get back to feeling like real animals.

to our utter surprise there was water in the most unexpected places. (like, for examples, in the low draws of parched caps of earth whose linear scrawling indicated water had not passed for easily a year since the first snows.)

 

which is not to say there wasn't dust. it poured, it followed all movement. it filled seams and small places, and it had faces of its own.

 

 

but it was restorative. the desert has a way of belittling all the tangles of everyday life and smoothing them into a sandblown mass. manageable, if not slightly blurred. it was, as i sat there and felt a great red pulse in the ground , important to remember that, given enough distance, most things can be seen in their entirety and are thus navigable. it also helps to be surrounded by kindness and love and fur and bone. but profundity and a good dose of bone shaking heat is almost always a cure-all.