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.


22 comments:

  1. charming post and stunning photographs! many thanks for a day brightener!

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  2. I love this post. We have so much in common in some ways. Those little chic birds will sit right on your lap when we sit on the porch, chattering because their seeds are gone.

    I followed your link to see what those seeds are about and I absolutely love the plants. Can't say that I'd save the seeds from the Chickadees though. I get such a kick out of watching them eat my Black Eyed Susan seeds.

    I'll send you my snail mail addy.

    Thanks for a great post and your soup looks good!

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  3. We have to do strange things to keep some of our garden's bounty for ourselves, don't we!

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  4. Wonderful post... those ARE tame chickadees! Not that tame here. I caved in today and put a bird feeder out.
    We got snow and its wet and icy and all melting into slush and the birds are flitting around and wondering when I'm going to put up a feeder. Trouble is, the bears are probably still topside as well! One bear here and I might lose my best feeder.

    Autumn blessings to you!

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  5. Loved your post and the photos. That soup looks absolutely wonderful... I can almost smell it from here! HuGGs!

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  6. Thanks for the link to Annie's.
    I spent a little while looking around and am happy to have found it!
    xx, Carol

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  7. Beautiful post -- sort of like that wonderful soup simmering on the stove - lots of fabulous ingredients (photos) and words (oh my I love your words). Yummm!!

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  8. Claire & Peggy, many thanks!

    Rachel, oh my yes, BIG strange things but worth the effort. It means there's some for all :>]

    And India, this is all your most wonderful fault, you know!

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  9. I found your blog from a link on Spirit Cloth, I think. I've been scrolling through your posts. Love the one all about transparency...thought-full, lovely choice of photos.
    Like you, I also took watercolor painting in college and could not get the hang of it. Many years later, I was determined to take a class and figure it out. It worked! Maybe I needed maturity to relax into it...water definitely has a mind of its own.
    I checked out the Angelica plant from the link you listed; would love to have some for my garden, if you have any seeds left to share. I'm in NJ, so I could probably plant the seeds in a pot now and nurture through the winter to plant in spring?

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  10. Okay!!! Enough. I am packing my bags and moving in with you and those fabulous surroundings. Got an old shed I can use?? And a dawg?

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  11. so many things to consider here, i'd like to visit and help collect some of that driftwood, maybe even make a humpy to live in with it. the chickadees are as persistent as my little Charlie and your cloth colourings are fascinating.
    thanks for the link to my apple bagging, i've just finished for the season now, but i'm sure to be also bagging tomatoes, strawberries and raspberries before the Summer's out. but it's no laughing matter, instead it's a case of either i bag or i don't grow as the pests are very persistent.

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  12. Barbara, yes, the Angelica would do fine in your part of the world. If you'd like to email your address, I'm happy to send you some seeds to try :>]

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  13. wonderful! from kitchen to garden to dyepot!
    we are having haddock chowda for lunch....and bundles for breakfast!

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  14. A beautiful post as usual.

    I love it that you leave hair for the birds and that they use it. What a connection.

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  15. Fabulous autumnal colours and I'm so envious of those gorgeous bleached driftwood piled beaches.

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  16. Pure delight in this flow of images ...I was completely enchanted!

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  17. Beautiful posts. I read and read, scroll and scroll to read one after one. All your posts are stunning, with images, words and works. Love your dyeing, printing and the dog. Thanks for your sweet comments on my blog.
    Terrie from Hong Kong

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    Replies
    1. Oh Terrie, you make me blush.
      Thank you ~ so much.

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