Gearing Up!

It has been a long time since I have done a proper post … too long. My journey is, as always, busily filled with living life while trying to fit it learning and growing as a part of the natural world. Rest assured, I am still treading this MooseBoots trail. In fact, I have both an exciting announcement and a request for assistance.

Big Little Sister is now an adult and a world traveler. She recently completed one of the things on her list of 100 things (her bucket list) by traveling to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This was her first trip overseas and she completed it alone. We have encouraged her to live out her dreams now, while she is young, and then get tied into life.

One of the other things on her list is to through hike (hike end to end non-stop) the Appalachian Trail. Big Little Sister has been purchasing her gear over the last year or so … carefully researching each piece of equipment needed and buying it with an eye toward having to carry it for the full AT. As a trial run, she plans to hike the 100 Mile Wilderness later this summer.

As a concerned parent, I told her that I did not wish her to try this alone. I asked her to find a partner for the trip. I also told her that if she couldn't find one that I would hike it with her. To which she responded, “We go in August.”

Photo by BobWalker

I can not tell you how excited I am to have this opportunity to spend time in nature with my daughter!

We have been passively planning this for the last few months. I convinced my boss to allow me to roll over (against published company policy) 2 weeks of vacation time to spend on the trail. I have begun reading everything I can about gear, about the trail, about anything related.

Of course, the harsh reality is that I now have less than 2 months to gear up. Even more harsh, I do not have the finances to be able to purchase the extensive list of gear needed for the two week outing. So, I need your help.

Here are some ways you could help:

• Click on this link, Expedition Kit Contest, and enter, which will give me bonus entries into the contest. If you win, I might ask you to borrow your gear.
• Round up any gear that you might have around. I would love to take it off of your hands, even just for a couple of weeks.
• If you, or someone you knows, works for (or owns) a company that makes this type of equipment and would like to sponsor the trip, please let me know. I will take seconds that are otherwise unsalable.
• While I would prefer one of the previous options, you could make a donation using the button on the sidebar. I will use the money to fund the trip, but would really rather you let me use your gear.
• Share this post with all of your friends and family! Post a link on all of your social media sites, too.

I will post a complete listing of the gear I plan to carry along with the current equipment weight. If an item does not have a weight listed, it is because I do not yet have one to use. While I am not seeking brand new, cutting edge technology, please bear in mind that I will need to carry the full equipment list and 20 pounds (10 kilograms) of food for 100 miles.

One might ask what all of my learning has been for, if I plan to take all of this gear. I intend to forage foods along the way. I also intend to try to do this as primitively as possible, but I want to be prepared in case my skills are not up to the challenge, Yes, it is a better safe than sorry argument.

Big Little Sister will be carrying a camera to capture the sights. I will be carrying a journal to write my observations. I would post real-time posts, but I understand that cell service is very sketchy in that part of the country. So, you will have to wait for photos and thoughts. Who knows, it might even turn into a book.

I think my MooseBoots journey is going to take an enormous turn this summer!

I am so grateful for the chance to do this with my daughter, for your support in this, and for the Universe's continued guidance in all things.

Smashing My Way Out Of A Funk

Life gets busy.  For those of us craving a simple life, sometimes things get crazy and full of ... well ... life.  We are coming out of our busy time of year, but somehow things are not getting any slower.  Dance season is over and yet the momentum of all of the things we do throws us forward beyond the point where we would like to stop and take a breath.

I guess it takes a show of will to put the breaks on and force life into a more manageable pace.  I have started to put my feet down to the earth in hopes of bleeding off a little speed.  I have decided to try and do little things each night.  I am trying to accept the fact that they may be eensy-weensy things.

A year or so ago, I put aside a piece of oak that had a branch coming out of the side.  I was thinking that it might make a good dipper or ladle.  As the piece dried, however, it cracked in such a way that it would not hold water.  As a result, it sat ... and sat ... and sat.  Until one day, I decided that I could make a primitive hammer out of it.  I would cut off the smaller branch, drill a hole in the main branch, and attach the small branch as a handle.  Then ... it sat ... and sat ... and sat.  Sorry, I didn't think to take a picture of the piece until after I cut it.

This spring, I finally took the plunge and made the hammer.  I followed the plan, using only hand tools ... a bow saw, an old hand-crank drill, and lots of elbow grease.  To attach the handle, I carve the end of the small branch to fit the hole snugly, inserted it, and filled the gaps with wood glue mixed with the sawdust from the cutting and drilling.  I was satisfied with the result and let it sit for a week or so to dry completely.

Tonight, wanting to make a holder for a bee feeder, I decided to use the hammer.  First, I cut a piece of birch from a log.  Then, I used the hammer and a gouge to carve out a bowl.  I did not get to finish, but the idea is to carve a bottomless bowl that a quart sized wide mouth canning jar can sit in upside down.  The jar has a lid with tiny holes in it and is filled with sugar water.  I want the lid off of the ground (plastic lid, birch bark bowl, or some such) so that the bees can reach the liquid by crawling under the whole rig.  Of course, now I am not sure if I want to keep the bowl as a bowl (before I break through the bottom) or continue with the plan.  I will have to wait until tomorrow, or the next time I work on it to decide.  Of course, if the bowl cracks as it dries, the choice will be made.

It feels good to start moving again, in the direction I want to travel rather than that required by the trappings of modern life.  I simply wish to spend more time on my MooseBoots path and less of the distractions of modern society ... someday, perhaps.  In the meantime, I wish you all joy, beauty, and love on the path you wander.

8th Annual Knap In

I have just been informed (thank you, Mike H) that the 8th Annual Knap In, at the University of Southern Maine Gorham campus, is March 16th.  This is a great event with a lot of incredible displays and demos.  If you live close by, you should definitely try to stop in.  Here is a link, 8th Annual Knap In.

It Was A Good Day!

The last week, or so, has been busy.  The girls' dance competition season has started adding to the list of things to do.  For instance, knowing that the competition next weekend will basically eliminate sap boiling.  Ordinarily, my MooseBoots journey tends to slow a bit during these crazy busy times, but today, we found ourselves in an uncommon lull in the frantic pace of life.

With an abundance of free time, a relatively small amount of sap to boil, and a very satisfying boil rate, I took my time getting the fire started.  First, I wandered into the woods to gather wood for the fire.  I greeted the woodpecker who was chirping at me, while I looked for fresh tracks in the snow.  I only walked a short way in because the fresh layer of snow is deep enough to wear me out when carrying my normal loads of wood.  I have finally figured out how to gather the wood in a reasonable sized bundle that I can actually carry back.  So, I made two trips.  I was amazed by the amount of wood that I could gather in this one spot that was not more than 10' (3 meters) across.  I didn't even gather all that was there, just enough for the short burn.

When I returned, I decided to try my hand at the bow drill to start the fire.  I haven't really practiced much with it, and not at all in the last 6 months.  I built the fire under the pans ... the wood was slightly damp from the recent rain after the snow.  Everything went fairly well until I broke the notch in the hearth ... no coal.  At that point, I gave up and used a match.  Note To Self:  play with the bow drill more often!

The burn only lasted about 3 hours to boil the 20 gallons of sap down to about 1 gallon (3.8 liters).  While I was tending the whole thing, an old friend stopped by with some barrels.  Wendy wants to plant more containers this year, in addition to all of the existing garden beds and buckets.  It was very kind, and unexpected, of him to deliver them.  It was nice to get to spend a few minutes chatting with him. 

When the pans got low enough, we brought the sap into the house to finish.  Less than an hour later, we had another beautiful 1.75 quarts (2 liters) of dark amber syrup to add to our stores.

After cleaning up, I went back to check on the Blue Oyster Mushrooms.  Earlier this week, I noticed that they are fruiting.  Today, they were much bigger.  By this time next week, I think I will have harvested the first harvest from the bag.

You may have noticed the cardboard box under the bag in the picture.  I put it there to catch any spore that may fall.  First, I don't want to "seed" the carpet.  Second, I am hoping to catch the spore to start a new batch.  Wendy and I have discussed the idea of innoculating some of the hardwood stumps around the neighborhood.  I don't know if it will work, but like everything we do, we are playing with ideas and techniques, experimenting to see if we can learn what works and what doesn't.  Worse case, we don't succeed and we lose a bit of time.  Best case, we sprout more Blue Oyster Mushrooms than we can possibly eat and we share with all of the neighbors.  Oh, by the way, the two pictures were taken a mere 3 days apart.

I am grateful for days like this ... for the beauty around me, for the abundance the Earth offers, and for the opportunity to share this, my MooseBoots path, with my amazing family and wonderful friends.  May your day be filled with beauty, happiness, joy, and the wisdom to recognize it even in their smallest forms.

Rabbit Mittens ... Not Moose Boots

This time of year, I don't spend as much time outside.  It has not been cold, not even seasonably, which is very unsettling for me.  This time of year, for indigenous cultures, was spent crafting ... making and repairing equipment and clothing.  I have started a few projects, worked on a few projects that had been started before, and thought of several other things that I'd like to do.

Wendy and I started raising rabbits for meat years ago.  Of course, not wanting to waste anything, I also started to learn, using Back To Basics, to tan the hides.  I have saved the hides for years.  I find they are easy to work and the finished product is lovely.  I have even shown other how during our skill share last summer, which also resulted in writing a short e-book about tanning rabbit hides.  Of course, I have just stored them in the closet.  Over the years, I have talked about making different things with them.  I finally decided to act on the impulse.  Over the last week, I made a pair of rabbit hide mittens for myself.  I was really easy and very satisfying for the need to craft something useful for myself.

There a many tutorials around cyberspace on making mittens.  Most lean toward chopper mittens.  Regardless of the benefit, for my first pair, I decided to go with the seemingly simpler method of tracing my hands, adding an inch or so, cutting out the patterns, and sewing the things together.  My sewing is nothing too fancy and is limited primarily to whip-stitching, which it just what I needed.

Wendy and each of the girls has staked some kind of claim on them.  I will need to put them away somewhere until it is time to use them.  Before I start using them, though, I need to waterproof them.  It turns out that we have, from our Army days 15 years ago or so, some Sno-Seal, a beeswax based sealant.  I will probably apply this tonight to be ready for using the mittens, if the weather ever dictates the need.

Making these mittens satisfied a need to learn and create.  I am so grateful for the gift that was given so many years ago.  I also appreciate the length of time, and the cosmic coincidences and events, that have gotten me to this point on my MooseBoots path.  Each little step, or lesson, is amazingly rewarding in so many ways.

UPDATE:  Here is a picture after waterproofing.  They didn't change much.

Small Steps Forward

This weekend, Wendy and I had a bunch of stuff to do around the house.  Of course, as you know, I've been busy and lamenting the slow down of travel on my MooseBoots path.  The biggest thing on the list was to burn all of the scrap wood in the backyard (insurance guys don't like that kind of stuff).  I thought about trying to light the fire with a bow drill, but we were on a tight schedule because the girls needed to be picked up within 2.5 hours.  In spite of the "need to get it done quickly", I chose to add in a bit of practice.

I have, much to Wendy's dismay, a lot of "bits of nature" laying around the house ... milkweed stalks, birch blanks for spoons and bowls, Jerusalem artichoke stalks, grass ropes, etc.  Among my "treasures" is a bunch of birch polypore that I had picked to make medicinal tea.  I have tried it, but still have a bunch laying around.  I broke a piece off of a large chunk and lit it with a match.  Of course, polypore does not really burn with a flame ... it smolders.  I ran around the house excitedly (it is almost Christmas, so I can) showing Wendy the smoldering  fungus.  She, not so enthusiastically, pointed out that it stinks.  I guess that is a matter of opinion.

I took the ember outside to light the fire.  It was glowing very slightly but a few breathes showed that it was very much alive.  Skill 1 - carry fire from one place to another - CHECK.  It would have easily burned for 30 minutes, but a larger portion would keep going for hours.  This is an important piece of wisdom, if one would be moving from site to site, rather than trying to light a fire from scratch.  It would be even more important in a situation where it had been raining and things were damp (like your bow drill hearth and spindle).

I looked around the back yard searching for something with which to make a tinder bundle.  I spied a few corn stalks that had no been pulled from the garden bed.  I stripped some leaves off of one an fashioned a tinder bundle.  I have never before used corn leaves for a tinder bundle, but figured it was worth a try.  They were a bit damp from the frost melting off of them, too.  I blew my breathe into the bundle ... slowly the smoke started to billow from the tiny package.  I had seen someone on YouTube, video linked below, whirl the bundle around in his outstretched arm rather than blowing it.  So, I tried it ... it worked amazingly well.  The bundle got very hot in my hand.  Then, I few quick breathes and ... voila ... flames.  Skill 2 - make a tinder bundle and create a fire from a coal - CHECK.

Of course, in my haste, I fell prey to one of the classic survival mishaps ... do not expend all of the effort to make a fire until you have all of the materials on hand.  If you do, you make create a coal, or fire, only to watch it go out because you were not quick enough gathering the rest of the material for the fire.  In survival situations, it is important to be as efficient as you can in everything.  So, I spent a few minuted running around picking up dead sticks, more corn stalks, and other material for the fire.  Luckily for me, the polypore was still smoldering.  I retrieved it, wrapped it in more corn leaves, and began the process anew.  The flaming tinder bundle was then placed in the somewhat damp tee pee.  Slowly, the little flame grew from a single match sized flame to engulf the whole tee pee.  Skill 3 - built a fire and light it with the flaming tinder bundle - CHECK.

Sadly, that seemed like the end of my play.  I spent the next 2 hours piling on scrap wood, raking, and generally cleaning up the yard.  I must admit that it was nice just to be outside for those few hours, even only ion the back yard.  I doused the flames, came into the house, and changed my clothes just in time to run out to get the girls.  I commented several times, with a stupid grin (no doubt), that I smelled like smoke.  I love the smell of wood smoke ... for me it is soothing and calming.

Later, I did the unthinkable ...gasp... I continued working on a project that had been on hold ... I poured off the Japanese knotweed tincture into dropper bottles.  I have been asked about Lyme disease several times over the past month.  Interestingly, I made think tincture, ahead of all of that, because I felt like I needed to start applying these skills.  I also wanted the experience of creating medicine ... tinctures ... before I needed to do so.  Since then, I have taken a group, including my Shamanic Teachers, my mother, my family, and some of our nature group friends, out to harvest more.  It turns out that there are several of cases of Lyme that have occurred.  I also purchased "Healing Lyme" because it occurred to me that I was recommending it based on a recommendation from a trusted friend, but no first hand knowledge of its contents.  I have not gotten very far into it ... I had to finish up a few other books that I have been reading.

It turns out, I guess, that even when things seem so frantic, there IS time to inject some of the desired growth and learning.  I am eager to continue making medicines, helping people heal, and learn more survival skills.  As a matter of fact, I recently purchased a copy of Brewing Sacred and Healing Beers.  It looks like an interesting study of indigenous recipes for healing tonics.  A quick skim showed that I had already made one of the recipes by instinct.  Of course, I will also be making non-alcoholic medicines, using home made apple cider vinegar, for those who can not, for one reason or another, use those that are alcohol based.

I am blessed to be on this path, following the MooseBoots trail.  I continue to be amazed at the little synchronicities that occur, things I learn that become relevant, things that I make that are needed shortly after, opportunities to continue to grow and learn, opportunities to make a real difference in a genuine way.  As always, I am grateful for this journey and the abundance that Nature offers.  I simply hope to use these gifts wisely, to make a positive difference in the world, to help people heal or continue their journey beyond this dream, and to help other learn about and respect this bountiful, generous Earth.

A Break In The Routine

Life is busy.  Wendy and I spend much of our time running around, much of which centers around the girls classes.  So, when we get a day to spend around the house, it seems like a blessing.  Perhaps, it is.  Today was one of those blessed days.  A day to work around the yard and prepare for the coming Winter.  It was really a freebie ... it should be cool, Fall-like, not 50-60F.

I decided that today was the day to get some of the chicken yard cleaned up.  The ducks and hens have left a 4-6" (10-15 cm) layer of waste on the ground.  So, I was mucking out the yard.  I took the opportunity to use this fertilizer to fill all of the garden bed ... some of which still needed to be cleaned out. 

As I worked around the yard, a friend arrived with a rooster for us to "put in the stock pot."  She and Wendy have been online friends for years, but had never met in person.  So, the rooster provided the impetus for the face-to-face visit.  We sat and talked for a while.  Then, I begged out and returned to work knowing that at some point we'd need to take care of the rooster.  Wendy and she had a nice visit.

He, immediately, went into his his dance ... dropping one wing and strutting in circles ... peddling his wares.  Having never seen this mating dance, I watched as he moved and swayed trying to attract the hens to his wiles.  The hens were not impressed in the least.  As a matter of fact, they began attacking him.  Eventually, he took the hint and wandered off to explore on his own.  I kept working.  He was beautiful.  He was also loud.

As I finished filling all of the garden beds, our visitor decided that it was time to go.  So, we all said goodbye.  No sooner had the dust cleared on the road, we started a pan of water to boiling.  We would need it for the rooster.  Neither Wendy Nor I had ever cleaned a chicken, but we were committed.  As the water neared boiling, it was time to begin.  As always, we held the chicken and talked to him, thanking him for the gift he was giving.

I decided ahead of time that I was going to try to break his neck by pulling his head and feet in opposite directions.  I think it worked, but we were not certain ... he did appear stunned at least.  We took the opportunity to use a knife to remove the head.  There was surprisingly little flapping and blood ...  we've all heard the horror stories.  We, then, plunged him into the hot water and began plucking.  Now, I have often heard how difficult this part is ... requiring a machine or hours to complete.  Really, it took 5-10 minutes at most.  Finally, we cut the feet off, and one wing to be used for shamanic purposes, and gut him.  It was not really much different than harvesting a rabbit.

Dinner was Wendy's famous chicken noodles, a family favorite.  It is a form of chicken noodle soup, using egg noodles which she makes from scratch with eggs, spices, and flour.  So, aside from the spices, the only ingredients we did not harvest was the flour.  That, we hope to remedy next year with acorns or cat-tail pollen or some such substitute.

While dinner cooked, I mowed the lawn.  After, I tried to start a basket using some of the grapevines I cut a few weeks ago.I have a long way to go in this endeavor.  I have decided that since the raspberry brambles have produced some lovely, tender young leaves, that I should harvest some of those for tea.  I'll need to do this sometime during the week.

Right now, I am sitting here, typing this, sipping some Birch Polypore / Japanese Knotweed tea.  If I am going to learn these things, I must use them.  And, I can't suggest anyone use something, if I haven't used it myself.  The tea is delicious ... we also harvested both of these.  The Earth is abundant and provides all we need, if we only look.  I am grateful to be given the opportunities to learn, and grow, in this knowledge and in these skills ... to travel this MooseBoots path.  It was a good day!

Late Summer Gathering Stroll

Today, I spent some time harvesting some of the wild plants near our home.  I woke up a few days ago with my head filled with thoughts of gathering some Japanese Knotweed root and some Stinging Nettles.  Unlike our previous experiences with knotweed, I intended to make some tea with the root, and maybe a tincture.  The nettles are for cordage.

I have been reading a lot about knotweed for the last few days.  I already knew that it is used for treating Lyme disease.  The most common reservatrol supplement, the compound thought to be effective against Lyme, is actually derived from knotweed. It is my belief, however, that one is better served eating the whole plant rather than a derivative. While science has been able to isolate specific compounds, I can not help but wonder if the other supporting nutrients do not make the natural form more effective. It is certainly less processed.  The book Healing Lyme discusses the protocol, using the roots of the plant, in detail.  Of course, I also discovered that knotweed, and its derivatives, is useful for treating heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, high cholesterol, and constipation.  All of this is in addition to being a nutritional power house - it contains vitamins A and C and trace minerals.

I brought the Japanese Knotweed home and rinsed it off.  I have watched several videos about processing knotweed roots over the last few days.  I decided that our teacher's, Mike Dimauro's, method was the best choice for me, because it used the least technology ... a knife, water, and some elbow grease.  I simply cut it into little pieces with my Mora knife.  Some I dropped into a pan of water to make a tea.  The rest I put into a canning jar and covered with vodka to make a tincture.  The tea was delicious with no sweetener or anything else.  Wendy thought it tasted like potato tea.  Additionally, we now have 1 quart (~1 litre) of Japanese Knotweed tincture in the cabinet (right next to the pint of rendered raccoon fat).

I tend to go overboard sometimes.  Now, while harvesting the Stinging Nettles, I cut a bunch of stems.  When I stopped I realized that I had gathered way too many to carry.  Besides, my arms, bare because it was too hot for a sweatshirt, were already burning with the sting of the nettles.  I needed some cordage or a rope. 

Alas, I did not bring one.  So, I made one with materials on hand.  I looked around  and decided the most likely candidate was the tall grass.  I grabbed handfuls of the grass and started twisting.  I have never made a thick piece of cordage before.  Most were yarn sized or thinner.  Today, I wanted to make a rope.  So, much to Precious's dismay, I twisted and twisted, and twisted for a while.  I ended up with a rope about 7 feet (2.5 meters) long and about and 3/4 inch (20 millimeters) in diameter.  It was perfect for tying the bundle of nettles. 

Wendy and the neighbors were impressed.  The neighbors actually commented that their boys had all been in boy scouts, one even an eagle scout, and none of them could make a rope like I had.  Have I mentioned that I like making cordage?!

It felt like a productive day, in spite of the fact that it only took me a total of an hour or so.  I find on this, my MooseBoots, journey that I need to do things.  I feel the need to act, not just research and read.  I satisfied that need for today.  I have been watching the vines growing nearby though ... feels like a basket is in the future.

Thank you, Universe, for your abundance, your beauty, and your support in my growth and development!

A Productive Day - Last Fall

Today, as we all rest, recovering from the illness that has been passed from family member to family member, I took the time to reflect a bit on the amazing path I am following.  Last fall, for instance, Wendy and I took a walk in the woods.  The girls were all at various classes and we had a bit of time to kill.  We were at the theater where Precious was taking an acting class, so we were in unfamiliar woods, not completely unknown, just not completely familiar.  I have been back in there a few times previously and found cat-tail and a large chaga mushroom.  I was eager to show Wendy the chaga I had found.

We wandered around checking out various plants and just soaking in the feeling of the forest.  It was beautiful.  At one point, Wendy asked if I knew what this plant was.

The exchange that followed was something like ...
W:  "Do you think that is a winter green?"
DEM: "Wintergreen?  Do you think so?" 
W: "No, a winter ... green."
DEM: "Oh ... I don't know."  Then I stooped down, picked a leaf, broke it in half, and sniffed.
DEM:  Grinning ... "What do you think?"
W: "It is wintergreen!"

While wandering, we also found our first ever live cedar tree.  We know about using cedar bark and wood for bow drills, but they do not grow very prolifically in our area.

As we gathered the girls, one by one, we completed our usual routine.  But, we added a few stops ... I had spied a mullein plant that I wanted to gather for a hand drill.  In roughly the same area, I had also seen a basswood tree that had blown over.  And, in that same place, I had seen red willow, which is smoked by the natives in our area for healing.  So, as we passed, we stopped and gathered a mullein stalk, basswood bark, and many red willow staves.  The basswood is for making cordage.  The red willow bark was peeled and dried.  And, of course, the mullein stalk was cleaned up and hung to dry for a hand drill.

In between the trips, I also took the time to gather the dried milkweed stalks we had around the yard.  I tried to twist a bit into cordage and decided it needed to really dry out.  So, I bundled it in the house.  Finally, I carved a sharpening stone holder out of a piece of birch log.

If all my days could be like that one, my MooseBoots journey might make faster progress.  Of course, I believe that things move as they should.  I know that I must take each step on this path, there are no shortcuts.  And, even if there were, I am not sure I would take them for fear of missing something incredible.

Primitive / Colonial Skills Class - Week 2

If you have been tracking me along this MooseBoots trail, you know that I have been attending a couple of different outdoors/survival skills classes with Wendy and the girls.  Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, our Nature Adventure class ran its seven week course.  We were saddened and thought it was a shame to let the group dissolve back into the usual grind of daily living.

Additionally, I have been a bit disturbed by my situation.  According to Tamarack Song in the book Journey To The Ancestral Self, in a native culture, I would have reached the place of knowing my vision and exploring mysteries years ago.  In other words, I would be ready to accept and understand the wisdom offered me by my elders.  I am also nearing the age where I would start sharing my knowledge and skills with others, teaching.  Here is where I run into trouble ... I have no elders.  Everything I learn is done through books or sporadic contact with others.  I have a burning need to learn and share these skills.  Perhaps, I have found a connection to the Spirit In All Things.  It has shown me the path, it is up to me to follow and fulfill my purpose.

Wendy and I spoke with Mike and several of the parents in our group.  We decided that the group needed to continue.  As such, we have begun meeting at our house.  Mike is temporarily out of the state earning some money to continue his path and is not available.  So, we are teaching the class.  I have no particular expertise in the true complete sense of survival, but I have many useful skills, that I have learned through all of my bumbling around, to share with the kids.

Over the next few months, because it is Winter, we will work primarily with fire and craft items that would be useful in a native context, specifically spoons and bowls.  We've already met a few times with the kids ranging from 5 to 13.  I like to joke that we've taught other peoples kids to make fire.  Additionally, we've also shown them how to play with fire ... to make bowls.

For me, this supports both my learning and my need to share these skills.  First, when we learned these skills, we never finished either project.  Time is always short for this type of work, which tends to require patience and persistence.  The bowl, shown above, was one that I started with one of the girls over two years ago.  Until a week of two ago, it was as I had left it.  So, while it may not be completely finished, it is near complete and would be usable if I hadn't gotten so overzealous with carving the bottom flat (spelled L-E-A-R-N-I-N-G  E-X-P-E-R-I-E-N-C-E).  Similarly, the spoon was started some time again and not finished.  Of course, I needed examples on so I finished them so that I could support my second need - to share the skill.  Seeing the progress over the last class, I recognize that it will probably take more time that planned to finish both a bowl and spoon, but the kids can work on their own, too.  I should mention that parents are encouraged to participate in the activities as well.  The hope is that they will learn something to share with their kids and that perhaps, they will have something to share with the group.  I guess to say it another way ... we are building a community.

My MooseBoots journey has given me so many fantastic experiences.  It is imperative that I share these experiences or create the opportunity for other to have their own.  I am so fortunate.  I remain eager to see where the path leads, but in the meantime, I'll help guide a few other people along their own "MooseBoots Path."

Basket Making

While cruising down my MooseBoots path, I have been fascinated by arts and creative endeavors.  I do not consider myself artistic in the least, but find myself drawn (hee, hee, hee, pun clearly intended) to things like drawing, carving, and ... basket making.  Of course, I don't normally do things the easy way or the "traditional way" of easing into new skills.  I dive right in.

Over the spring and summer, I worked on gathering materials and building skills for making a basket.  Of course, it was and on again, off again project.  Most of the basket itself was made with Aunt Tammy in my thoughts.  I finished the weaving part the day she died, so really there is a lot of her in there.  Over the summer, I found some material for the rim and finished the project.

The basket is made with Iris and Lily leaves and a small piece of cattail cordage in the bottom to hold things together.  The rim is made from a hardwood slat we got from a business in a local industrial park.  The top finish piece and the binding cords are basswood cordage that I twisted myself.  Here are the finished photos of my very first basket.

I find great peace in working artistically, in spite of my clear lack of skill.  I also decided that my baskets would probably come out better with purchased materials that are dimensionally uniform ... of course, if you are here, you know that that is NOT what I am about and it is NOT how I work.  My MooseBoots journey is really about connecting with Nature and the Earth.  As such, I can't think of a better way to gather materials.  Maybe the next one will be a little better.

Nature Adventure Class - Week 6

My Mooseboots path has been so enriched by our weekly Nature Adventure Class.  In addition to learning new skills and getting a chance to spend some quality time with my family, it serves to reinforce the skills that I already have.  There is really no need for a complex lesson plan and break neck speed.  Sometimes, it is just fun to play.  We were also pleasantly surprised to run into an old family friend, who had been attending with her kids on the Tuesday group.
We started out by playing a game.  We picked a "coyote" whose job it was to call out and catch (tag) the other animals as they ran across the field.  Animals caught became trees and helped catch the remaining animals.  The game is fun enough on its own merits, but add a dog who wants to play and take the field boundary markers and you've got a blast.  The kids were laughing.  The adults were laughing, too.  I am not sure who had more fun.  After a few rounds of this quick energy burning game, we went into the woods.

We began by working with our "owl eyes".  We stood in a circle, held our arms out wide to our sides, and wiggled our fingers.  Then, each of us has to tell the other what we could see at the limits of our peripheral vision.  When we were all in the correct frame of mind, we played another game.  This time each person was a squirrel who had to move his acorns from one hoop to another.  Sounds easy, right?  Now, add one "hawk" to catch the squirrels.  Any squirrel caught becomes another hawk ... after a while it is pretty scary being a squirrel.  We all had a great time, again.

It was time to shift into reinforcement mode.  We were all blindfolded and put into a single line.  We were to follow the person in front of us.  One person was chosen to remain un-blindfolded and direct the group to a specific place.  We needed to use our foxwalking skills to keep us safely on the move without anyone getting injured.  It is a bit unnerving following a bunch of kids around blindfolded, but it was an amazing experience.  I really became aware of the extent to which I use my sight ... I guess we all do.  I certainly recommend taking a partner into the woods and trying this.

Next, we gathered and split into three teams.  We were all given 15 seconds to look at some objects and their placement on a blanket.  Then, each team had a few minutes to gather the objects and place them in the same orientation as the original.  Of course, Wendy and I, teamed up with a six year old, and had a blast guide him along.

Afterwards, the natives (anyone under the age of 13) were getting restless.  So, we played a game of "storytelling hide the treasure".  Each of the two teams was given a bandanna and told to hide it.  Then, we reconvened and told a story of how to find our "treasure".  It is interesting to complete the mind shift from a written/recording society mindset to one of an oral tradition.  I have been working on learning some local native legends to start telling them to the girls.  I think this is an important part of reconnecting with the universe and each other.

After the treasures were gathered, we took quick walk to some cattails.  Mike explained that many parts of the plant were edible and showed us several of the parts.  Tom Brown has claimed that there are four plants that are required to survive in most of North America.  That is to say if you know these plants, you can gather enough food to survive.  Cattail is one of the four.  Most of the younger kids, however, were done at this point, so the teenagers and above got a bit of additional teaching.  I also collected a stalk to dry and try as a hand drill.

On the way back out of the woods, we gathered firewood for our weekly fire.  When we got back to the fire pit, the kids built the fire, but did not light it.  I held the one match and was going to light it, but I noticed an interesting exchange going on.  Wendy gave Mike a magnesium fire starter.  He had never used one and so, was trying it out.  Wendy then took out her bow drill.  So, each worked to get the fire going.  I decided to wait.  Not long after, Wendy succeeded with her bow drill and got a fire going.  Mike said he needed some time with the fire starter.

It may not have been the most educational class, but it was fun and helped to reinforce many of the things I already knew.  This MooseBoots journey, as in any process of learning, requires both of these -  fun and reinforcement.  I have been blessed by the universe.  I hope to be able to help guide us, as a society and a world, back into harmony and alignment as a part of nature.

Nature Adventure Class - Week 5

This weekly Nature Adventure class has been a huge boost to my confidence, in knowledge of nature/survival skills, as I travel down this MooseBoots path.  It has affirmed many things for me ... I know a lot more than I believe, time spent with my family is hugely rewarding, time spent in nature is incredibly healing, etc.  It has also highlighted a few things ... knowledge unapplied is not really worth much, I need to slow down and really experience things, I need to work at being more aware, etc.

As it was a cool, rainy day, we met inside.  Many of the families did not even show up.  So, the group, small as it was, met and continued working on the skills we are honing.  I have noted that a large part of the focus for this group is awareness building.  As such, we began by playing a few games.  In the first, we joined hands.  The catch was that one the circle of hands, we had two hula hoops.  The game was one of squirrel and fisher.  The squirrel tried to keep away from the fisher.  The fisher tried to eat the squirrel.  So, each hula hoop was passed from person to person.  Or, each person had to pass through the hula hoop to move it in one direction or the other.  There is nothing so fun(ny) as squeezing 40 year old bodies through hula hoops while linking hands.  The amazing part, the unschooling part, is that we all laughed and completely forgot about the fact that we were developing our observation skills.  I found that I innately monitored the position of the hoops without effort.  The kids had a great time, too.  By the way, I any of you is interested in these games, Maine Primitive Skills School has published a book, The Invisible School: Playing Hard and Growing Smart , that contains many of them and much more.

After a few rounds, we switched the game.  We ditched the hula hoops, stopped holding hands, and played with a red bandana (squirrel) and two blue bandanas (fishers).  It really increases the pace of the game to have to monitor two fishers.  Luckily, squirrels can jump (throw across the circle) or walk (pass from hand to hand), but fishers must walk.  Somtimes, fishers, or kids holding fishers, forget that they can not jump.  The game, as they all do, really engages the kids and allows them to be aware without trying to be.

After all the fun, we stopped to unwind.  No ... literally, to unwind.  We were given bits of twine to un-twist back into fibers.  These fibers were all placed in a great heap on the floor.  As we finished what we had been given, we were given more.  It was like making cordage in reverse.  It told the kids that we were probablky going to have to re-assemble the strings later.

We moved on to our next awareness game.  Each of us was blindfolded and led to a room.  In this room was a "path" of blankets on the floor.  We were to follow the blankets and identify/memorize as many of the objects on the blankets as we could using only our hands to "see".  Then, we were to return to the other room and draw each object on a peice of paper.  Again, those young spongy minds were quick, but older minds are better at details ... he he he.  As we each played the game, the other continued unwinding.  Then, we reviewed the items as a group.  No winning, no losing. 
The highlight of the class, in my opinions, was the bow drill work.  Mike had brought a number of bow drill sets with him for us to work with.  After we moved to the garage, we were instructed and then we drilled.  Wendy showed amazing skill ... on her first attempt with the bow drill, she got a coal.  But, it was small and went out.  Then, she got another and another.  Finally, she chucked the coal into a bundle of twine fiber and made a fire.  Somewhere along the way, we lost all of the kids but one, Big Little Sister.  So, we adults and teenager worked each trying to make a fire.  I succeeded too.  It was amazing.  In recognition of our success with the bow drills, Mike broke out the hand drill.  He, Wendy, and I worked on team hand-drilling and succeeded in starting a fire with a mullein stalk and cedar fire board.

I experience such a sense of fullness and contentment after each class.  This is the barometer by which I measure the value of the steps I take on this MooseBoots journey.  Unfortunately, this particular class was only scheduled for 7 weeks and is winding down.  Fortunately, there seems to be a bit of interest in continuing on a bi-weekly or monthly basis.  This activity, and those similar, keep me grounded in reality and really help me appreciate the good things life has to offer.

Do You Smell Smoke ....

Some times this MooseBoots path takes an amusing turn.  I often bumble my way along and stumble knee-deep into something ... often not something you want to be knee-deep in.  Regardless, Wendy and I laugh an we move on.  Sometimes, I'm not sure she isn't laughing at me, but ....

I have been searching for the fabled Chaga Mushroom.  I have heard from numerous sources that it was used by native people to carry a coal to start a fire.  Placing a coal in it will start it smoldering.  It will smolder that way for long periods of time ... hours even.  You can see the obvious benefit of knowing this plant, if you were in the woods and moving your camp long distances.  I have also been told that the place is packed with antioxidants and is a great tea.

I know that it typically grows on birch trees.  That sounds like a great place to start.  So, each time I go in the woods, I look.  Nothing .... Where are they?  I notice that on dead birch there are lots of Horse Hoof Mushrooms.  So, I started looking primarily at dead trees ... fungus grow on dead trees ... seems valid.  Frustrated, I returned home each time empty handed.  It seems that the Horse Hoof is used for the same things, so I did bring one home and  try to put a coal into it ... nothing, maybe it needs to dry.

Last weekend, I went to a workshop on Northern European Shamanism, which was great.  I had the opportunity to wander the grounds of the Gilsland Farm center during a lunch break.  As I wandered, I noticed on a LIVING birch a small growth of Chaga, which I quickly, and respectfully, gathered.  When I got home, I showed Wendy my prize.  I lit one chunk.  It didn't seem to take ... maybe it needed to dry, so I placed it on the wood stove.  This was at say 18:00.  Then, we continued our evening.  The girls had some friends over for the night and they giggled the night away and watched zombie movies.

Wendy and I were going to bed at about 23:00.  Then, she sat bolt upright.  "Do you smell smoke?", she queried.  No, I did not, until she went to investigate ... what are those girls doing?  Several moments later she returned.  "What was it?", I asked.  "YOUR mushroom!"  What?!  It worked?  "What did you do with it?", I asked excitedly.  "I threw it in the fire."  I guess that is where it belonged.

So, I laughed at, and to, myself and drifted off to sleep with a new nugget of wisdom.  I figured if I don't laugh at myself, someone is going to.  The sheer volume of knowledge, plant lore, and wisdom our native brethren had never ceases to amaze me.  It is humbling to know that I have so much more to learn on this MooseBoots journey.  Of course, it helps to know that there is joy and comfort along the way.

Outdoor Skills Class - October 2010

I often feel a bit frustrated by the spasmodic nature of this, my MooseBoot journey.  The frantic stop and start and stop again nature of life as a human on this planet in this culture.  I, too, catch myself entering the trap of the "I want to do this now and forget the journey". mentality.  The truth is that the destination is not really that important ... how you get there is.

We recently attended out monthly outdoors skills class.  The bigger girls got a bit of extra instruction ... they spent the night prior out with some others in the group at the Wigwam site.  They did very well and had a blast.  Wendy and I were so proud.  When we got there, the six kids who spent the night out acted out the night for us ... dinner, fox walking in the dark, gathering water, etc.

As has recently been the case, there was a finely honed gem of learning that occured and quite a bit of "practice the old stuff".  This class started with wandering around the forest looking for a spring.  And ... we found one.  We each tasted the sweet, cool, clear water fresh from the spring.  Then, we talked about how we knew it was a spring ... water was flowing away from a spot with no visible source upstream and how there was a very deep hole at the source.  We had a discussion about drink water without purifying it first ... that it is safer to boil it if there is any doubt about its "holding of microscopic creepy crawlies and industrial waste."  This spring was clean.  So, we learned a song and sang.

Afterwards, we wandered a bit more to find a suitable shelter building area.  The kids discussed what we needed to find.  Then, the group broke up.  Some kids built shelters on their own, some built fairy houses, and some make a fire and applesauce over it.  I must admit that I had to step back and let Big, Little Sister direct the build.  She did a great job.  Little Fire Faery, to my horror, was teamed up with two of the youngest members of the group (5-6 year olds) who did not listen very well.  She did a great job too of
guiding them as much as they would be guided.  Precious and a few others about her age built their own small shelter.

The group all gathered later to inspect the shelters and then to enjoy the fresh, hot applesauce.  It was so relaxing to just be in the woods, away from work, part of life.  We then packed up to go back and help at the farm for a bit.  Unfortunately, my escape was not complete and I had to return to work afterwards (it was no doubt all done on my terms).

While this pace may not be as fast I like, I do try to enjoy the scenery along the road.  My life is so rich and full of good things that I really need to slow it and enjoy.  Afterall, what is the rush?  This is my MooseBoots path and I should savor each step on it.

Nature Adventure Class - Week 3

My travel down this MooseBoots path has accelerated a bit with the addition of this weekly class.  The nice part is that, while we may cover similar material to that in the monthly Outdoors Skills Class, having a different teacher with a different perspective tends to fill in gaps that I was completely unaware of.  Of course, there is the added benefit of practicing these skills/abilities more often.  This week, in lieu of going into the woods, we went to the beach for some work on tracking.

I will admit that I was very excited about this class.  I have been creeping forward in developing this particular talent.  And, the beach is an incredible place for working on tracks.  We started by talking about the ways animals move and trying to imitate them.  So, as rabbits, we bounded over the sand.  As cats, we stalked across the sand.  And, as raccoons, we waddled forward leaving behind our tracks.  I became apparent to me that I had obviously been trying to learn this the wrong way previously.  I had been trying to learn it from Tom Brown's Field Guide To Nature Observation and Tracking, a very well written and enlightening book, which I highly recommend spending some time with.  Sometimes you have to act and move to really learn something.  The play brought home the essence of each animal and its tracks.

The kids, being kids at the beach, had a really difficult time concentrating on the lessons at hand.  So, we played a game ... otter tag.  We divided into two teams, each wit a "head" and a "tail".  All other team members followed the head linked together.  The object was to get the other otter's tail, a bandanna placed into the last person's pocket. 

After a few rounds, we got back to "work".  We played a game called track the porcupine.  As coyotes, we were really hungry and needed to track and find the porcupine, a log with nails sticking out of it that was dragged around the beach and hidden.  This was better received as we had to bay our way running down dinner.

Afterwards, we played a few other awareness games ... Bat and Moth, a nature based version of Marco Polo played in a circle in the sand, and Mother Moose, a sort of inverted Monkey in the Middle game where the group tried to steal the baby moose from the guardian mother moose (anyone tagged forces the group players to move out of the circle and begin again).

Then, we went on a bird hunt.  We all stalked, fox walked, very quietly to see if we could find birds in the bushes.  There were tracks everywhere, but no birds.  Perhaps, we were not so quiet when we were 10 feet away before we started to "hunt".  We hunted for quite a while, but eventually the kids gave up.  In stead we worked on baiting the birds.  We sat quietly and tossed bread to the seagulls to see how close we could entice them to come.  When the bread was gone, we all got up and chased the birds, some of who were clever enough to skirt us and get the remaining bread crumbs.

Finally, we ended with story telling.  Each kid told a story about the piece of treasure he/she had gathered on the beach.  I had a story in mind, but was not prepared to tell it.  I have been researching Algonquin legends with the intent of telling them to my kids by the fire side.

It was a fantastic time.  I was able, in spite of last minute work pressure, to relax and enjoy the opportunity.  My MooseBoots path, as I have said, has become clearer and attendance at these classes with Wendy and the girls is far more important to my future than work is.  I did return to work afterwards to finish anything that needed finishing.  I do not know exactly what the future holds, but whatever it is it will certainly be on my terms.

Nature Adventure Class - Week 2

My MooseBoots path, indeed my life, has been moving at an incredibly frantic pace, both professionally and personally.  The good news is that I have re-adjusted my priorities and feel good about the path I am on.  I do not know where it leads, but it feels right.  My newly adopted priorities are family first and work second.  I have reached a turning point ... I am working toward something new.  I am working to live, instead of living to work.  This has manifested, recently, in my attendance at weekly Nature Adventure classes and monthly Outdoor Skills classes, to the chagrin of my bosses (and perhaps, too, of the recently visiting customer).

So, on a rainy, dreary Wednesday afternoon we gathered.  The group met inside, but all was not lost.  We played a number of awareness building games.  I find, in homeschooling and in life, people learn better through play with no conscious effort toward learning.  At least, my kids and I do.  The first game was for one person to sculpt an animal using imaginary clay and the rest of the group to guess the animal based on the non-verbal clues.  Some rounds, the rules only allowed local species.  Others, kids were allowed global selection.  This game morphed into acting out your chosen animal.

Next, we practiced awareness.  We played a few games.  First, we had people stand in front of the group.  Then, these people left the room and changed a few things ... rolled up sleeves, removed earrings, etc.  Then, the person(people) would return and the group had to observe the differences.  To make the game more difficult, after a bit, we sent multiple people from the room and changed different numbers of things on each.  The culmination of the awareness games was an observation test.  We divided into two groups.  The whole class was shown a number of objects on a bed for 30 seconds.  Then, we, as a group, listed in as much detail as we could all of the things on the bed.

After, we were divided into three groups.  Each group was given a skull of a local animal.  The object was to study it and determine its species.  We payed attention to the aural cavities, the nasal cavities, and the eye sockets to identify them.  Then, the groups all gathered and each acted out its animal.  I was impressed with Big, Little Sister, who immediately knew that our skull was a Red Fox (not to be confused with Redd Foxx, whose skull is shaped very differently).  I'll leave the other two for you to identify below.  I guess Wendy was right ... I should have brought my possum skull.

The finale of the class, was a bowdrill demonstration.  Now, I thought Wendy was the only one who would not complain too much about the smoke of using one of these indoors (I have done it once), but ....  Mike lit a fire in the house using the bowdrill.

Overall, the class was amazing, in spite of the rain.  It is such a treat to take time to do and learn things that are so beyond that which most people even think to wonder.  My MooseBoots journey has certainly been enriched by the opportunities that have been presented, and by the fact that I have dared to take them.

Nature's Garden

I know, from the little time I have spent of this MooseBoots journey, that I have much to learn.  We have fallen short of our goal of increasing our foraging skills and knowledge.  We have probably missed blueberry season for the year.  Several years ago, we made an effort and picked 2 gallons of blueberries for the freezer.

So, I was excited to find that Samuel Thayer, author of The Forager's Harvest, has recently published a continuation entitled Nature's Garden.  The book has many more plants and descriptionsof harvesting and storage methods than its predecessor.  I have only just received my copy and perused the bit on Black Cherry trees, which I have.  Other plants of immediate interest are Black Nightshade, Solomon Seal, Wild Carrots, and Acorns.  Some of these I am familiar with ... I may have even eaten a few, but these plants are in my yard or nearby.  Wendy and I just recently discovered Black Nightshade growing in the yard and we are eager to use it.  Perhaps the season is not lost.

With renewed enthusiasm, I continue down this, my MoosBoots, path.  I encourage those follwoing along to get a copy of the Nature's Garden.  It has the same great format as The Forager's Harvest and much more information about new plants.

Outdoor Skills Class - July 2010

During this MooseBoots journey, there have been plenty of hints and reminders ... be in the moment... be aware ...  be patient ... be still.  Yesterday, the message was take time and put forth your best effort ... neatness and beauty count.  With that in mind, we the girls completed our their birch bark baskets at our monthly class.

It has been hot lately.  The temperature nuzzled up near the 100 degree mark on the bank thermometers.  So, rather than hang out near the wigwam, we set up an impromptu "classroom" near the stream that runs through the property we are fortunate enough to use.  It is shaded and offered the opportunity to cool off as the urge need arises.

If you recall, we gathered roots and peeled bark at earlier classes.  We also had to make a piece of cordage, as homework, to use to decorate the rim of the basket.  We  used these materials, and some ash strips, to assemble our baskets. 

1. First, we soaked everything in the stream - the bark, the roots, the ash strips, the kids (actually they soaked themselves).

2. Next, we carefully folded the bark into a basket shape.  We use clothes pins to hold them in place.

3. Then, we carefully measured and cut the ash strips for the rims.
4. We then split the roots for sewing.  This is a very peaceful soothing activity that requires a bit of concentration, but allows you to fully be in the moment with all of the birds singing, brook babbling, kids laughing, and wind rustling the leaves.
5. Finally, we sewed the rim while juggling both ash pieces, the cordage, the folds in the basket, the roots, and the awl to poke holes.  Who knew I could be so nimble?!

Each kid needed varying levels of assistance ... Precious made her basket vicariously through Wendy's and my hands ... Big Little Sister only wanted me to complete the sewing by tying off the roots ... Little Fire Faery was somewhere in between.

It was a beautiful day.  I learned that there really is a craftsman down deep inside of me ... I am not just a stuffy left-brained engineer?!  The baskets are fantastic and careful craftsmanship certainly produces its own reward.  My MooseBoots journey has involved learning so many unexpected things that I would never have thought important.  I guess it just shows that there is always something more to learn.