Flakes I had promised to bring home a genuine Stanley, Idaho icicle earlier this year. On the way home from snow shoeing with a friend in Stanley we had to stop in Haley, because the flakes were out of this world…. I don't know if that size flake is normal up there, but at 6 mm in diameter they were some of the biggest flakes I had ever seen (Not including people) and deserved me crawling around on hands and knees in hopes of a decent photograph as evidence...

Rose hips Dec 13th, finally we are about to get some snow, maybe… I thought I would take the opportunity to stroll in the dry grass by one of the irrigation ditches before it gets slick as snot. Fortunately there are plenty of rose bushes to soften the fall. It's hard to believe, but even around this time of year nature's bounty still provides us with a fresh and perfect source of vitamin C...

Earlier this summer I had the privilege to hike up to one of the caves behind Teapot Dome. Really just a small hike, much like climbing up to the famous "Hollywood" sign in Los Angeles. Another thing these two places have in common is the "graffiti" which adorn the walls of these sites...

Rattlesnakes or Gopher snake We used to live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and no matter where you thought you might get away from people on a afternoon hike you would find eager climbers taking their dogs up into the red rocks. Of course I'm selfish; when I go out "there" I don't want to hear cackles of people blathering on their cell phones...

Gopher snake They are excellent at keeping the area mouse population at bay. So if one lives near your house consider yourself lucky. Gopher snakes differ from rattlesnakes for one by the fact that they are constrictors. And visually: Note the color pattern of their scales (as compared to a rattlesnake), their skulls are narrower, their pupils are round...

Bryophytes. A little history; although we don't think of lichens, mosses and liverworts as foods, through out history people around the world have managed to discover how bryophytes can be utilized. Sphagnum Moss has proven over time to lend its anti fungal properties to uses in bedding, plant propagation, first aid wound dressing, in prospecting, to mention a few...

As it's getting cooler the picking of herbs is less of a focus of my outings than the preparation there of. I had prepared a mixture of herbs for a friend. The tea mixture contains mostly parsley and some rose petals, rosemary, and lemon peel. To keep the bag out of the heat I had placed it into the glove compartment of our car. ...

About three weeks ago we headed for Bennett Mountain to gather some choke cherries. We found a nice cluster of trees and shrubs, so we got our little baskets and buckets and headed for the bounty...Of course we knew we were not the only hungry beings in the area but that moment of picking berries to our hearts content temporarily blinded us to that possibility...

Many people know this plant as a nice addition in a landscaped yard and for ornamental purposes: Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus Florida) While the berries of this plant are edible, they are not palatable. They look very beautiful to me though. It can grow up to 40 ft tall, the bark is brown and rough. The leaves are opposite, ovate and pointed and darker green above than beneath. As you can see from the picture, the white cluster of berries are a tell tale focal point in recognizing this plant...

This Video disc from the 80's (I believe) didn't have much of a chance. Too bad its title was "Troubleshooting" Who could blame the the shooter? I found this near Canyon Creek about five years ago and regard it as a treasure in my collection.

The leaves (as well as the bark and the blossoms) of the elder have been regarded by herbalists for their healing properties. You will find the leaves as ingredients in traditional ointments to aid the body to recover from a trauma to the skin. By Harold Ward: "This familiar small tree, twelve to twenty feet high, has young branches...

Gregory Tilford writes in his book "Edible and medicinal plants of the West" that:"…Recent studies have confirmed that the (elder) berries possess antiviral properties that may be useful against influenza." (p.54)

Food When we first arrived in Mountain Home (we were headed for Utah and ultimately New Mexico) little did we know what adventures awaited us in a town established far from a reasonable source of water. As I was wondering and considering the issue I got interested in dowsing and assumed to be able to find a knowledgeable individual who would like to share the subtle skill of dowsing in these parts. ...