10/28/2011

Hunters & gatherers...

22


While the light continues to wane, so does the harvest from the garden.
All that remains has been cooking up mighty fine...
my favorite soups, made from everything local.
If true confessions be known, these are my personal elixirs of life.


The nights are much colder now yet I don't even care...what a year for fall color!  
Such extraordinary veins on thus copper-toned ninebark...


Seed collecting is underway


for everybody who lives here.

And we are all greedy.


These chickadees are quite tame, almost TOO tame...
hard to get anything done in the garden because they will find you wherever you go.
They'll land on your shovel or the brim of your hat, your glove...and if they're not landing on you
they are scolding you incessantly, "WHERE ARE MY SEEDS???"
So I gave in and set up this impromptu feeding station on a fence post
right next to the veggie beds.
Cheeky devils.


I've resorted to some other rather drastic measures 
like covering seed heads with used dryer sheets.
Who knew that one of the beloved foods of chickadees would turn out to be my 

I'm not alone in my ways...
if you want a good chuckle, go see what my blog friend, Kaite, gets up to
with little nylon sockettes in her garden Down Under.

We do what we must do.



Home is where your hair is.

(you've heard that old saying, haven't you?)

After many years of scattering my hair trimmings around the garden
finally,
I've discovered evidence that it's been put to good use.
It's the little things in life that make things homey, that can
make your day.



Doesn't take much to make her day...
best shotgun rider ever.


I wonder if she can pick up radio transmissions from Canada with those ears?


We went looking for these.
Well, I did anyway...she's not much for sticks.
Frisbees and wabbits, now that's a whole 'nuther story.

Hoping for good tannin in bundles...


...ingredients for more stories.  This time, written with
bracken, salal, red amaranth and wild blackberries.

More end-of-the-harvest cooking.




Before I forget...the dryer sheets prevailed
and I did claim my due share of that Angelica seed (quite the bounty!) 
so if you are stateside & would like to try this lovely specimen in your own garden
let me know via email.
I've plenty of seed to share.