The Gables .....Spring Forest...Wind and Waves

Love to hike? Been to Ontario Canada in search of some great wilderness?

This wee gem of a park in Barrie, Ontario, Canada is a hidden haven of dense forest pathways leading to the Bay. It has steep winding paths through a forest canopy which winds finally down to a rugged shoreline of Kempenfelt Bay. Rocks and wind and crashing surf.

Tourists don´t really hang out here perhaps because there isn´t really a beach to speak of. Lots of rocks and tons of fallen trees, some arching into the lake. The fallen trees in the forest provide an ideal nursery for lichens, mosses and fungi.

So many hints of wild life... The more time one spends in this natural haven, the more wild life you can spot.

In just my brief visit, I spotted chipmunk, squirrels and heard unusual bird calls that felt as if my presence was being announced to the herd.

I spotted brown and grey assorted fungi, and purple flowers poking through the early spring forest floor. The nurture of the fallen greenery provides an ecosystem that is rare to enjoy in a rather suburban city.

I know if I come back to this oasis in the forest, during the warmer months, there will be tons more to see......more fungi, more birds and lots more gorgeous plants, trees and native flowers. 

The wind whips hard near the lake this time of year, so bring a good windbreaker if you visit.

Peace be the journey.

https://www.barrie.ca/community-recreation-environment/parks-trails-waterfront/parks-amenities/gables-park

Yay! I recognized a Native Herbal plant growing in my own City

I´ve been an amateur noob forager for years....always interested in learning how to find local edibles in the natural environment of my home town in Northern Ontario, Canada.     I´ve watched too many youtube videos and finally had a breakthrough this week. I was able to find and identify a local plant that I had seen described as Mullein. The leaves and flowers of this plant can be dried and made into a medicinal tea. It has been described as helpful for many areas of human health. Note that this post is not intended as medical advice. All medical advice should be obtained from a licensed medical professional. 

The leafy parts you can see better in the photo below.

I had recently purchased tea bags of the Mullein Leaf to make tea at home to do a cleanse of the lungs. I do find the tea to be calming and has a similar taste and feel as nettle tea.

Rob Greenfield is a radical forager from the USA that I must admit I have learned a lot from. He has learned so much about what is readily available in his American environment to nibble on and assist him in living a healthy natural lifestyle.

It is that bond that nature lovers have with the earth that has always drawn in my respect. Itś not that we worship the earth. No....we worship God who created the earth and all that there is. There is a big difference between worshipping God and worshipping what He has made.

Anyway, there is a wonderful earthiness that I appreciate when I can make a connection between what I can find and identify in my environment and what I choose to eat. In this case, of finding wild Mullein... I have not yet chosen to harvest what I found, as I am using the tea bags that I purchased on line. But it is a big step for me to be able to even name something in the wild that I did not previously know and that does not come up in casual conversation.

So friends, have you ever found something in the wild that you were able to identify and actually consume? Did it work out well? Did you feel ok after consuming it? Or better yet, did that plant make you feel healthier? Calmer? Or more connected to the natural world?

Do tell :)

Blessings from Northern Ontario,  Canada.

Carla

Tweet

The Flood hit my Province Hard

A seemingly innocent season of gentle rains pummelled my small town with a deluge of water that it just simply didn't know what to do with.......


A gentle wee park located in the north end of the city was so inundated with the storm water that the trees  that were obviously planted by the city were up to their ankles in sun warmed rain water for weeks....


My daughter and I took the plunge to peel our socksoff and see what it would be like to wade up to the chins ...and to our delight and surprise, discovered that the sunshine had baked the temp in to "dish water warmth"..


Nope, no fish swimming yet through the sculpted grass filled pond, but a unique pleasure for us who usually see such drier summers. The foliage and forests are overgrown and sprawling with glee up  across and over every fence that isn't monitored or weekly manicured by it's careful owners. Weeds have grown amuck! What a hoot!


There's something so lush and rich about living in a damp dewy foresty town. It's as if the howler monkeys are just waiting to come visit us and quite possibly make our suburbs their permanent home.
Perhaps wishful thinking on my part....buy hey....a girl can dream.


Enjoy the pics below of our city trees swimming for weeks in a wee public park.
Peace..C.

 

Tweet