.... a little bit closer look at Salmon Berry(Rubus Spectabilis) blossoms

The most Bright and beautiful and jazzy of bloom to berry, in my opinion.
Bright Pink blossoms, and beautiful bright orange fruit.

My view.... they are looking so good this year! :D

nice link;
http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/rub_spe.html

©Allisonians Please ask me for permission to use my photos or writing

April Walk back at Ostrander; as spring progresses

Went walking after work this afternoon...
One of my favorite places, easy local for a quick refuge;
Sun hit me as I drove in to my driveway after work,

Bonus;
The sun stayed out for the whole walk,

Double Bonus;
From the course of the day I would not have expected sun; I really only semi noticed the distant
April rays as I ran a couple of errands after work.. nevertheless...
             .....
Earlier;
   I felt another of our mother earth's elements in wonderment, and looked up from my work of this regular day, which really rather wore on as a reflection of it's transcending atmosphere.
I worked hard as if to help the clock ever so slowly turn.
Not fighting the slow flow, nor just being that...
then,,,
 It was all transmuted to heaven's liquid splendor.
And there it was; the fine mist of rain so thin yet filling the air completely.
It was just a mist, and yet a full on thin mist.
Although I am sure there were down pours throughout the morning, I hadn't noticed the day's climate, not really.
But this liquid dew of flight drew me out.
I couldn't even really have told you what I was doing before that.
I just awakened, and was completely enchanted like nothing before existed,
and yet this simple existence was born.
And then,
It only really took a moment to be revived!

I am so grateful for that little moment.

I love weather patterns. This year is amazing...
As someone passed I was brought back to the task at hand.
I stocked, then scrubbed the bristo with bravado! I still have a few layers and that work is never ever done,
Hence the job security....
I simply call it, shining diamonds...


The mist out the window today felt just like at the beach I haven't been to in two years!
I was transported right then and there!
Folks east of the Rockies call us coasties.
They consider where I live the coast.
I know, comparatively, it's true;
But it's an hour plus to get to the sea from here.
I do have my rivers and the valleys and streams
The Ostrander Brook is my refuge to nature these days.
So it goes that my herbs of study are those I know and can find in my environment;

Ostrander gave me these beauties to say hello to today;

Cleaver
Wood Sorrel
Salmon Berry
Horsetail and Nettle(didn't get photo)

Here is my example of the progression of the very same Cleaver clump I posted back on February 25th. And today I donned my jean jacket as well! Nice to have the warmth of the world and be in it! 

Wood Sorrel in bloom!

Salmon Berry blossoms on Waters...

Here's a little of everything. There is Salmon Berry blossoms, Cleaver, and Sorrel, and much much more! :D

This is my favorite water whole! The background dons sorrel and such!

©Allisonians Please ask me for permission to use my photos or writing

GUIDED SLEEP MEDITATION TALKDOWN - Insomnia - Relaxation

©AllisoniansPlease ask me for permission to use my photos or writing

Oranges! Not for fools! Happy April! Showers, flowers.... You decide!

Going on a spring orange date.
Read about Sanicle tea.
Interesting little article from this site;
True Health and Healing
http://www.truehealthandhealing.org/sanicle.html


Orange Date:
5 to 8 glasses of Orange Juice a day
Drink the juice as soon as the oranges are squeezed or the juice box is open.

Slippery Elm downing.

After 5 to 10 days, eat very plain, simple, and nourishing meals.

Also, if someone wanting to do this orange date(s) is feeling week many modifications are just fine and in order! Apples chewed to full mastication, or blended; a few nuts and what ever else is needed, but oranges are a wonderful treat and if you are like me, you will learn to live on oranges more than once a year!
I eat the whites and on occasion the outers. The skins boiled with cinnamon are wonderful for the air and the smell is divine!


©Allisonians Please ask me for permission to use my photos or writing

Oh, See Here, See Here~~~~ I should add the pallet beds I made out of 3 pallets! Good Fun

©Allisonians Please ask me for permission to use my photos or writing

Chocolate Mint, Hyacinth, Strawberries, Lettuce, and Miss Rhody

Chocolate Mint 3.24.14

I posted photos of my new micro garden's new fence the other day, Saturday, me thinks. The photo on the left is chocolate mint that I put in the shelter of the front corner post and I also put a big piece of wood on top of the bin in case the rain got wild. I'm not in ktown at the moment and won't be til tomorrow, aka protections up.

The right photo is the lovely hyacinth bulbs I wintered over and planted a couple of weeks ago in twelve(thought 12/16/12) in a row!!! and a starter box of 8 strawberries in the middle. On the left starter carton without bulbs is lettuce the little bamboo sticks shows us where the zuchx seeds went they will most likely grow up here.( I will started carton some too and force them with my little mini forcing area that I set up in the breezeway...

 where ever the bulbs end up, they will adolesce here. This is a temporary shelter/garden system that I simply am playing with. Pallet's are like legos for adults,. soo much fun!

Chocolate Mint will be moved elsewhere in whole or in parts into areas of the grounds that don't grow well. They/she will be my test plant to see if it will grow under and around the rhodey. As will other things until I and miss r are satisfied The strawberries will end up in the nextdoor attached bin, and/or elsewhere in my 60'x3' garden.... It's so fun to have babies! :D

And if we took advice from the rhody, we'd be wise to work up from the bottom and take all due course, she does agree save where the 'varie gat us' shows up(aka where the sun and her natural complextion commune and you know it's all okay for now; and who among us would hide their spots without consequence anyway, right?. hahaha

©Allisonians Please ask me for permission to use my photos or writing

Just Ducky! (?????) Goosey? I think SOOOOOO~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Resident Geese! There are three, but one was shy the one on the right here is washing! :D

©Allisonians Please ask me for permission to use my photos or writing

Wild LITTLE Things....

My Mystery Seeds. These were left in a jar and boxed, cold stored, left and forgotten; had gotten wet and clumped in an ugly pug.  I let them sit out in the jar through winter then tipped the jar over on it's top, and lookie here, a spring mystery. If I thought about it, I'd remember, but it's and B4 thing. :D It will be fun to watch the development. Could be Evening Primrose, Mallow, or.....

Herb Robert that I found at the big brook. It was only a few centimeters when planted and looks like it's properly established!

my little bulbs are popping up nicely. I'm planning to either place them in the new earth, or sell them around May Day. Maybe a May Day herb sale? IDK..... I'll have to get planting/transplanting... buy more peet seed pots... hmmmmm

©Allisonians Please ask me for permission to use my photos or writing

The Big Brook of Ostrander

Rebirth. The beautiful Northwest Pacific is waking up from its winter slumber! Cleavers and all sorts of green babies are popping their little heads out to great the coming of father sun! His return is much needed and much appreciated! It's my first day off since last month and I borrowed my friends dog who was as happy as I to romp up the valley to great the sun and run back down the hill to take a dip in the beautiful brook! We are refreshed and will sleep well tonight! I harvested a handful of cleaver to juice tonight. I am reborn!

Stopped by the local pub to use their wifi and publish my fantastic little journey back to life! My DNA is ecstatic! I am truly blessed! Namesta!

Sierra Nevada and pc

beautiful sky!

©Allisonians Please ask me for permission to use my photos or writing

Jean Jacket, Copper and Me

A beautiful day for my first day off in 24 days!

©Allisonians Please ask me for permission to use my photos or writing

Blizzard 2014; KTown Style! This was the first snow. It was light and you could shovel it with ease two days later....

...then, on the third day, it warmed a little and then snowed the wet snow. That, my friends, was a horse of a different color. We spent 2 hours getting sludge off of the roof. BH did the work, us girls swept the water away from the doors and knocked on the down spouts which were shooting little mud slushies that we'd clear and sweep, clear and sweep. Today, you can't even tell it was RAINING in the store last night. The day in the life.
...so in conclusion, my lovely little cleavers, chickweed and purple dead nettle were smuched under a goof foot of snow and sludge. My hyacynths are popping up as to say, yes! it is another day!
Namesta!
©Allisonians

Purple Dead Nettle~ Lamium purpureum

~~~~~~~
GOOD INFORMATION; FROM LINK BELOW
"You can harvest dead nettle with abandon because it is an invasive weed from Europe that spreads like mad, much to the chagrin of landscapers and gardeners. Some botanists will dispute whether a given plant that appears to be purple dead nettle might actually be henbit, Lamium amplexicaule, but in terms of edibility there is no meaningful distinction, so munch away and call it whatever you like."

http://firstways.com/2011/02/17/purple-dead-nettle-a-weed-good-to-eat/
~~~~~~~
A Modern Herbal
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/n/nettle03.html

As for me?
I was cleaning a property last year. And had to know what/who this glorious creature was!? I pulled some and planted a smidge and it has come up with abandon in the middle of one of the coldest winters to date here (in my humble life's aproximation).
So, Purple Dead Nettle tea for me please!
And juice of Miss Cliver, oh, cleaver will do!
And salad of chickweed, a little will be, what I long for
as winter's fine hunger astonishes me more!
I drank a wonderful drink that I made of
Ginger, paprika, cinnamon and honey! It makes me thirst for more just thinking of it!
So
Blessings,
Green Blessings,
For you and for me!
Blessings,
Green Blessings,
Lets all meet for tea!

Tonight I make Dick Greggory's
'Always in the Soup'
It's calling me!
And hope to share and gather~~~
Wabi Sabi!

©Allisonians

Cleavers and Chickweed in January on the banks of the Cowlitz River~~~

Aren't they wonderful! And I had a little salad and juiced a might small cup of herbal delight! Happy January's end!
Namesta!

Cleaver or Cliver!
Who ever you savor!
Be ever happy,
There's no place like home!

©Allisonians

Happy Holidays

In all kinds of weather, may your holidays and new year be bright!
This was last Sunday's Sunrise! It was a vortex like no other I've seen, Beautiful!
©Allisonians

NO GINKO TREE FOUND... :/

FELT A LITTLE LOW,
FOUND NO GINKO,
TREE OR SPRITE,
IN THE NIGHT;
IN THE DAY,
THE WINDS DO SAY,
YOU FIND YOUR BOUNTY,
EITHER WAY
©Allisonians

GINKO!!!!

There is a Ginko Tree by me. I got off of work today, first Saturday night off in a year and a half. Got home, and Helped the workers clean up their mess and there they all were, all blew down from some tree...Beautiful golden bounty! Have you ever seen a Ginko leaf? They are beautiful little golden fans. I am quite sure that is how fans design got started, if you asked me. I am going to go find it! Then investigate the processes/uses of Ginko. My new adventure begins! I will take pictures and send them along next time I am by a machine! I do have a new source for that two. Another new adventure! I am blessed, and hope to send blessings to you too! I hope you all find the answers within you that only you can find! Godspeed~ ©Allisonians

I am not able to paste to my blog and keep the formatting. This is such a dissapointment. I can only work in the HTML side of the data entry portion of the posting. The Compose side won't let me in the writing area. I will try to be on here more, but.... Caio for now! ©Allisonians

Christmas Cactus Heaven!

Here is my lovely Christmas Cactus! I have just purchased it... Wow, is my best comment! ©Allisonians

Blueberry Heaven! Sept/Oct Tasks 2013

I am back at the LPL and have got the Thoreau book I mentioned yesterday! All that talk about berries got me thinking. I looked in the deep freeze and sure enough there were blueberries. I don't go out in the mountains far enough for huckleberries. When I was a child up in Auburn, we could go out of my back door and find enough for a pie in 15 minutes. That beautiful cedar forest exists no more, but

my memories do. And blueberry is close enough for me. I also made Gingered Carrot Puree YUM~~~ ©Allisonians

Wild FRUITS, by HENRY DAVID THOREAU WRITTEN IN THE mid 1800's

Wild Fruits By Henry David Thoreau Published in 1999, Norton and Co. NY, NY This is a wonderful resource into the life/livelihood/acitivities of David Thoreau's young life. He died at the age of 44 from TB which they say was a common ailment of the time. He speaks of the Huckleberry and it's whortleberry family. There are wonderful descriptions and drawings. I am not a member of the LPL, but am using their internet today. So, I had a little time to look in my favorite section. the 500's. There is where I found this wonderful book. His sketches and notes published after his death are a wonderful portal into the life and times of the mid 1800's. He had presumably started a surveying busniess that cultivated into a love for botany. By mid-November he'd build a scaffold in his hat to carry specimens and carried a botanical guide. In here, spring 1951, his 'Common Place Book' was born. I didn't get very far in the book because my turn is here. I don't have lending privilages, but will see if my home town card with help. It's worth an ask, but I do have plenty at home. I am studying on my nutritional needs ©Allisonians whortleberry family http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whortleberry

Hello Fellow Blogger/mentees!

I have not posted here since last April in this year of the weird, 2013. It's been an interesting year INDEED.  Wish I could make all well.


                                                           NO R,    NO D


 Challenge.

My herb(s) of study chose me.
Nasturtium is my number one grow. From seed to 8 feet tall in 2 square feet of earth. Thank you mother earth!
I worked also in a 2.5' x 40' flower bed and the Cowlitz River.
I am without internet, get email on my cell; so... I will be slow on tasks and posting...
But I am excited to be here today!

I also had Purslane volunteer in my well worked old flower bed! So, it also chose me!
Missing my Dandelions, but picked some seeds for a new patch!
My eleven year old Mallow Root is SO happy on the island with wonderful friends!
As is my Evening Primrose, which we know I also planted throughout the Ocean Beach Hwy!
I have the seeds, so I will be planting as soon as possible.

Energy. Very interesting time of year and progression.  Will write at home and publish as I can! :D

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am working with carrot

Some soups...

Turmeric....

Ginger...

Clover..

within the vinegar and oils...

I won't have the ability to add photos for a bit, so WORDS it is!

Green Blessings and,
Love to you all!
Miss Allisonian



©Allisonians

Trillium; On Top of the World! Sorry it's blurry! But you get the gist...

©Allisonians



research list;
not used but interesting;
http://resources.curriculum.org/occ/trillium/tSearch.tcl?BID5=8621&lang=0&searchListType=fullrecordLTL&dev=&a=ok

I found Johnny Jump--Up, first time in a long time since I've been in the hills like these!

Johnny Jump-up,
Grab the ladle
Small and ancient on the table.

Rain and snow are gone for a while,
Here comes sunshine in
Johnny Style!

Be it willy, be it wily,
Like the fox and
As the spire!

Comes the sunshine!
Cold will go SOON!
Johnny recalls to us,
We're here for a while!
©Allisonians

John•ny-jump-up

Pronunciation: ( jon'ē-jump'up"), [key]
—n.
1. any of certain violets, esp. Viola pedunculata, having variously colored flowers.
2. a small form of the pansy, V. tricolor.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

Read more: Johnny-jump-up: meaning and definitions | Infoplease.com http://dictionary.infoplease.com/johnny-jump-up#ixzz2QHZjAjRm

Courtesy of;
http://dictionary.infoplease.com/johnny-jump-up

Purple Dead Nettle

I have noticed this plant around for a very long time. Today I cleaned out around a big old tree at a house that I am property managing. I found over 5 pounds of Clivers/Cleavers and this other plant looked so beautiful I took some. The property is going to be mowed so I am lucky I saw it before that is done, in fact I think I will go mow that back part with my little hand mower cause it is hard to get around and I think the tenants need help.

©Allisonians

Here is a link which has a way better photo than mine, so I thought I'd share. It's a great resource too.

http://www.radfordpl.org/wildwood/today/Plant_Spp_pp/PurpleDeadNettle.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/n/nettle03.html

Here is a beer recipe I'd like to try;
Nettle Beer
The Nettle Beer made by cottagers is often given to their old folk as a remedy for gouty and rheumatic pains, but apart from this purpose it forms a pleasant drink. It may be made as follows: Take 2 gallons of cold water and a good pailful of washed young Nettle tops, add 3 or 4 large handsful of Dandelion, the same of Clivers (Goosegrass) and 2 OZ. of bruised, whole ginger. Boil gently for 40 minutes, then strain and stir in 2 teacupsful of brown sugar. When lukewarm place on the top a slice of toasted bread, spread with 1 OZ. of compressed yeast, stirred till liquid with a teaspoonful of sugar. Keep it fairly warm for 6 or 7 hours, then remove the scum and stir in a tablespoonful of cream of tartar. Bottle and tie the corks securely. The result is a specially wholesome sort of ginger beer. The juice of 2 lemons may be substituted for the Dandelion and Clivers. Other herbs are often added to Nettles in the making of Herb Beer, such as Burdock, Meadowsweet, Avens Horehound, the combination making a refreshing summer drink.

A Path to the banks of the Northern Cowlitz River

©Allisonians Please ask me for permission to use my photos