“kids these days”! or so i’ve heard. we can’t connect. but are we, ourselves, connected? to anything? why do we wonder that we can’t connect to our children when we can’t connect to ourselves. they are imitating our own dumbass behaviors, and we are not showing them our best side.
can foraging bridge that emptiness, the hole in our hearts? the hole in our families? does a family-either a blood family or a chosen family-build bonds by watching television? by playing farmville, by catalog shopping or by microwaving burritos? or does a family build a strong foundation by roaming the woods and neighborhoods together, searching for plants or fungi, identifying insects and birdsongs?
i want to be open-minded and say-oh, hell a family can build bonds around reality tv. but my heart says no. because, my friends, out there in the woods it is a holy sacrament. eucharist means thanksgiving, and tasting the forest is a sacrament we can all share. flesh of my flesh? fungi IS the actual fruit of the actual soil, no leaps of faith needed. making or own medicine is a connection you will never find at the store. growing our own food feeds both body AND mind.
have we humans somehow evolved, in only 2 or 3 generations, out of our foundational need, our desire, our instinct, to forage for or own food? have we somehow evolved into a technological mindset which does not value touching, smelling, feeling the source? NO, we have not. the need is still inside of us. even with our brains held captive by modernity the communion is still valid.
becasue why would god, however you view them, not be in the fungi, in the insects, in the soil and muck and plants and stone? why would spirit not be found in a forgotten piece of woods where old TVs, underpants, loising lottery tickets and beer bottles snuggle with wild goldenseal, beautiful trilliums and rotting logs? why would the earth’s energy suddenly become unavailable to all people?
answer: it has not. the earth and its gifts are all around us and we CAN return at any time. we CAN choose to see what is all around us. we can choose to celebrate what is under this pavement. we can, right now, get off our asses and look behind the strip malls and dumpsters and see the spirit of renewal in action, pollination, turning of the wheel, rejuvenation, plants protecting soil, earth breaking down someone’s discarded undies, dogs eating dropped doritos, bees on “invasive” knotweed and pigeons bathing in puddles. it’s a clusterfuck celebration and it’s the foundation we can build our lives upon.
we can go to the taco bell drive-thru-again!–or we can finally choose to participate in the animal-vegetable-mineral magic that spends all day trying desperately to get our attention, taking moments away from safety and away from antibacterial panic hell to let reality in.
and, friends, reality tastes good.
the family that forages together, stays together. May 19, 2013
the joys of spring May 3, 2013
fiddleheads
horsetail
rather tiny snail
viburnum
ground ivy
violet
aspen
don’t mind me, just go on about your, um business…
romance is in the air!
my canine personal trainer January 3, 2013
This new year a big thank you is due to my personal trainer. she has motivated me to walk every single day for over 2 years now. Well, ok i missed one day. It was a hailstorm!
But truly, every single other day we have taken a walk together. I’m sick? walk. It’s hot? Walk. It’s cold? Walk. Hell it’s zero degrees out today and we took a walk. Yesterday we took two!
And, sure, my ass is getting a workout. But the awesomeness goes deeper for me. I get to see my land in every season. I learn to push past my default snuggle-under-the-covers behavior and get out there, and I never regret it. Our walks are brain food where I think and write. My lungs like it.
I would never get myself outside during a hurricane or in shockingly cold weather if it weren’t for her intensely pleading looks and her tendency to chew up my house if she doesn’t get a walk. I don’t put it on my to-do list, it’s just a given. every day. it’s a constant.
So let Aster be an example to you, to get off your ass and take a hike. Or to stop chewing up the house and go leap the creek. Perhaps you are already hiking but need motivatoin to do something else? Well, Catahoulas don’t discriminate. Aster would like you to do that too…follow your nose, babe, all the way to the stinky rotting animal carcass. And roll, roll, roll!
dog-dog communication in action November 20, 2012
It has been gratifying to see Aster, my catahoula leopard dog, come into her own as a dog communicator. After we adopted her we traveled to New Orleans where she ran with a little pack for 6 weeks or so.She was the youngest of 5 balanced dogs sharing space and they taught her a lot about communication, dog packs, and when to stop driving the old-lady-dog nuts! Helpful for a dog who’d been abandoned, then adopted twice and returned to the shelter before we found her at about 4 months.
She has gained further communication experience in our household showing foster dogs the ropes. I am a strong believer in socializing dogs and also in giving dogs a job if possible, and those 2 pieces, combined with my setting boundaries and giving her a lot of exercise, have helped Aster deal with life as a very intelligent working dog stuck living in a house.
Aster also thrives on the opportunity to hang with the elements and just be a dog-running, jumping, swimming, mucking about, enjoying wild water and laying near the fire. climbing trees. sniffing poop. ah, yes, that’s the life.
So I present this series of photos of Aster communicating with foster dog Acorn, an intelligent 5-month old mixed-breed puppy who is living with us right now. He is a very fast learner and watch as he gets what he wants by communicating properly with Aster. I would not try this with 2 highly reactive dogs, but keep in mind that I have built a lot of trust with my primary dog and was on standby to intervene IF NECESARRY. Presented in order:
acorn!
Acorn has already finished his breakfast. He sees that Aster has not.
aster
Aster asks him what the heck he thinks he’s looking at.
dogs
Aster stands between Acorn and her bowl of food, giving him “the look”.
eating
Aster goes back to eating, keeping one eye on Acorn. Acorn continues to look longingly at her.
both
Acorn advances, submitting toAster. Aster accepts his puppy behavior.
“But, Aster! Look at me! I’m wasting away! And hey-I am asking nicely, eh? eh?”
(He knows that she is open to this behavior.)
She checks him out again. Is he really asking politely? Is he really wasting away? (don’t worry, he is not.)
He is obviously doing something here that she likes and accepts.
Because here he is, eating from her bowl of food!
Aster is fine with it, she has made her decision.
Hey, kid, you can thank me someday when you are big and healthy and have a wonderful home of your own!
manuka honey ain’t all that October 10, 2012
dear friends,
boy, honey sure has become trendy lately, eh? and it should–it is a miraculous substance. i am a beekeeper, i keep 3 top bar hives which are completely and utterly treatment free–not “organic”, beyond organic. and i love it. i use the propolis, the beeswax and some of their honey for myself, my family and herbal clients.
hungry little honeybee
i use propolis to support the immune system, to promote healing, to soothe sore throats, to deal with mold exposure and some other nasal allergy issues, to banish nasty bad bacteria in wounds, to fix up tooth and gum issues. amongst other things.
apis something-or-other
i use honey to flavor elixirs, to support immune system, to address some seasonal allergies, on burns and some types of wounds, to soothe sore throats and other cold-and-flu related illness. amongst other things.
and beeswax is a main ingredient in the majority of the salves and balms that i make.
manuka, my buttocks.
however, i do not use or recommend manuka honey. i am not alleging that manuka honey is “bad”–more that it is promoted as a cure-all and as an “exotic” which is somehow better than what we ourselves can make. bullshit. local raw honey contains the local pollen, supports small local beekeepers and doesn’t need to be shipped from new zealand. which, for me, is far. beware of marketing, my friends.
honeycomb, baby!
ultimately, i suggest that all households keep their own treatment-free bees and watch them make their own honey, and use that when appropriate-though not as a substitute for actual medical care when needed.
swarm!
honeybees give more than just honey. they pollinate a large amount of our flowering plants. and they are fascinating. sometimes i like to stand near my hives and just feel the buzz that emanates, smell the warm resinous hivey smell, watch the ladies going from flower to flower on my ground-ivy-yarrow-prunella “lawn”. hands on, baby–it is part of the medicine!!! ordering a jar of WAY overpriced manuka honey from halfway around the world does not come close to sticking your nose into the top bar hive and inhaling…finding the queen…watching the colors of their legborne pollen change with the seasons….hanging out in the sun with a couple of snuggly drones…the honey dance…oh, and then there is the swarm–a force to behold.
plant things that bees like!
thoughts on a holistic approcah to fearful dogs February 9, 2012
recently i picked up a new dog to foster. it was an urgent situation, the adopters claimed a 5-month-old collie/bully mix “hates men”, “hates kids” is unsocialized and is not trained. and the dog was indeed fearful, shaking like a quaking aspen and very confused. however, after a few days with a balanced older dog and a compassionate family, she is thriving. yes, thriving. luckily, at just 5 months the dog has not completely shut down yet, and it is easier to reach her. but truly some principles can apply to dealing with all fear, in dogs, in people and –hell– even in chickens!
apple
the first and most important premise is, dogs do not hate. hate is a human emotion. dogs can have fear, and a certain person, energy, object or situation can TRIGGER their fear. they can respond to a visual trigger, a scent, a sound, or most importantly an energy. the trigger can set off a full-on fear epsisode, or we can help them move through the fear and move on. it is good to know the dog’s triggers, but to not let those become OUR triggers. for example, i had a foster who was scared of bicycles. rather than avoid bicycles, i would spot them coming and take a deep breath, keep walking. if the dog tried to bark at them, i said NO. and keep walking. do not allow your fear of the dog’s reaction to a person, object, or place reinforce the dog’s state. balance the dog’s fear with your love and calm leadership. avoidance is not training.
apple hates men.
use tools. if you are walking a fearful dog on a flat collar, and the dog is triggered to fear, the dog can easily get loose. the fearful dog needs to be in a prong collar, a collar that tightens in some way, or a type of harness. the leash should be heavy, and not retractable. i use a locking carabiner if necessary. if you lose a fearful dog before forming a bond, you are screwed. the fearful dog could bite in the fear state, or get run over.
apple embraces a new experience
dogs love treats and petting. however, be sure to use these to reinforce the calm state, and DO NOT give dogs treats/affection when they are in a high state of fear. they do not need babytalk. they need YOU to remain calm and model the behavior for the dog. using a dog without fear issues is a huge help here. the balanced dog can model the desired behavior. treats can be used to reward the dog when they make progress and walk past their former triggers. some trainers do not use treats at all, but send loving beams of light or whatever at the dog when it is in the calm state. that works too, i use both.
apple hates kids
there is a place for unconditional love here. an underlying love and respect for all creatures really helps us get positive outcomes. you do not have to like all creatures of course, but a respect for their alive-ness. and the dog will do well with the idea that fear must be replaced by something else. that something else should be a feeling of stability and calm. nature abhors a vacuum.
apple and aster
ok, kids. yes, kids can be a major trigger for some dogs. is it hteir small size? their zany outfits? no. all kids should be taught how to approach dogs. yes, kids have run up to my dog, pulled her tail, stepped on her, tempted her with snacks, screamed at her. many kids, like many adults in this society, are unbalanced sugared-up out of touch freaks. people say their dog doesn’t like the chaos of kids running around screaming while repressing their own anger at the out-of-control scene. dogs can read us like a book. while there are dogs who truly should never be around kids, i would say that many just need the kids to relax. take that hyper behavior outside. or better yet, chuck the sugar and tv and teach kids how to meditate. i am not talking about natural exuberance, which is beautiful. but the wacko-repressed-blue-lake-high-fructose-cable-tv-bieber-fever-screamo-ritalin-freak show has no place in the life of a fearful dog.
puppy love
exercise. please! please! walk the dog. all dogs need exercise. puppies especially need exercise. fearful dogs need to burn off that nervous energy. take walks. play ball. make friends. socialize. give the dogs something to chew, a safe space to run, and watch the dog’s behavior improve. being cooped up in a crate or animal shelter all day is actually a cause of some anxiety–in dogs, yes but in people too. nothing improves my mood more than going outside. physical activity is vital to life. that may look different depending on your ability, but it has to happen to keep a dog well.
mommy issues
finally, do not use the dog’s fear as an excuse to shower him with un-grounded affection. show boundaries and leadership to the dog on a practical and an energetic level. do not be afraid to say no. sre, the dog got dumped off in a shelter, or was mistreated, and you loooove him, but don’t be a wuss. combine the loving touch and energy with a strong presence that says “everything’s cool. i’ve got your back. i am in charge here. fear is not an excuse to be an asshole. you still must follow the basic rules of the household. “
lydia
ultimately it is you who will be leading the dog into a new emotional state. it can be a beautiful process. a puppy deos not come trained. it is easy to let the cuteness override the knowledge that it is a LOT of work, and a huge commitment to get a dog. millions of people are giving u dogs every year, and fear is one of the reasons why. think it through before you commit to a dog–and call in help if needed. find a great trainer, a dogbuddy or walker who has experience with this type of thing. only you can know your limits, and this is not for everyone. but saving dogs is possible, and important work to do. a better world is possible for us, our families and our animals.
little leader
**NOTE: this is my opinion, and ONLY my opinion. i am NOT a proffesional dog trainer or handler. please consult one if needed. this reflects my personal experience and nothing more. thanks for understanding that.**
fostering dogs as medicine for the soul January 23, 2012
At times healing comes in the form of medicinal herbs. at other times it comes in the form of a changed diet, yoga, a massage, brain surgery or a miraculous saintly visitation. and..sometimes it comes in the form of a furball with 4 legs. yes, i’m talking about a dog.
lydia walks scruffy
Perhaps you are aware that our culture has a mixed relationship with dogs right now. At one extreme we make them fight, at the other we coddle them, even buying diapers and babylike clothes. We value looks over health and behavior, and seek “papers” that say our dog’s daddy was good-lookin’. And we do everything possible to avoid seeing the truth of how many unwanted dogs get abandoned, gassed and just plain neglected every day. Puppies are cute, their baby faces call out to us every time we ovulate, giving us the false promise of a furry friend replacing all that we do not have.
But something goes wrong. Walking every day seems like too much work, the fuzzy puppy behavior isn’t so cute anymore at 50 pounds, and whoops we forgot to train the dog to pee outside only! Whatever happens, literally millions of dogs end up at the shelters every year. Many are quickly labeled “unadoptable”, and probably a few truly are, but most could be just fine with a little training. Others are rescued and enter the dog foster system. Many dogs on petfinder are in foster care. This is a volunter network of nationwide dog-lovers who have stepped forward to care for shelter dogs and train, exercise and love them while they wait for a new home.
lydia with jasmine
Why do people foster? We are helping the dogs, and that is a beautiful and fulfilling thing. But also I believe when we care for these dogs we are helping ourselves. Yes, people, when you foster a dog you can learn about dogs, other humans, and yourself. You can learn about training dogs. You can learn about healing dogs. The love I have gotten back from my fosters and adopted dogs so far is unmeasurable. It is infinite. It is medicine.
There are myths about fostering or adopting an older dog as opposed to a puppy. Most importantly, the dog will not bond to you like a puppy. false. Guess what? AN OLDER DOG CAN BOND TO YOU. Yes, there is the possibility that an older dog will need rehabilitation. And that is not appropriate for everyone. But most just need consistency!
2 catahoula females from shelters: aster and jasmine
So–that is the why. What about the how? You love dogs, you are upset by the excess gassing and abuse, you want to help. What next?
Find a shelter or rescue in your area. an internet search or petfinder are both ways to do so. Also, check with your local animal control officer, dog trainer, pet supply store or ask around at a dog park or dog-friendly event to find recues you can work with. Talk to them. You usually have to do a basic application. You can request particular dogs, or only big/small dogs, or only males, or a specific breed that you like. You will tell them if you have kids, or cats, or other dogs. You can say “give me whomever!” You will take photos of your foster dog, take her out to the park and when people say how great she is, mention that “she’s adoptable!” You are this dog’s new agent and you promote her like a rock star.
In the meantime, you are training the dog. Assess what she needs to work on-is it socializing? housetraining? walking nicely on leash? The potential adopters will look to you for answers about the dog. So be honest and upfront about her limits-please don’t say “oh, she loves cats” —for example— but leave out “for dinner”!!
scrufy does not let life get her down
Your house and yard should be dog-proofed. I will not introduce a new dog with bones and balls lying about. Do not be afraid to use tools in the management of your foster dog. Some people use crates, prong collars, liver bits and baby gates to help train the dog. It depends on the level of training needed and your personal style. Using calm energy, anticipating problems BEFORE they happen and exercising the dog are all great free methods.
"sit, please!"
When the reality of the shelter systems is too much for us to handle, we need to ask ourselves what to do. “can i foster”? If not, what else can I do for dogs ? Support fosters! Support rescues and shelters. Offer to walk a dog, buy some dog food and share photos and information about adoptable dogs with your network. Talk to others about adoption. Do not shop at stores which sell puppy mill dogs. Talk about the realities of puppy mills. Offer support to pet owners who are struggling with behavioral or logisitical issues and considering giving up a pet.
Becoming a foster was a great decision for me. I am setting a good example for my kids. Fostering gives my own dog a job to do and a friend to play with. It is a lesson in letting go. When I see a dog who was literally cast aside like garbage running, playing and being healed by nature my heart just sings. And every time the van pulls up full of dogs, and they go to their new adoptive home or foster home, my heart is bursting with joy. It is a wonderful moment to share and i am thankful to have the opportunity and ability to be a part of something so actively helpful. Fostering dogs provides healing to ME and helps me to see what love and devotion actually looks like. It has been oneof the best experiences of my life.
don't jump, aster!
sexy plants October 20, 2011
squash
for once i don’t have that much to say–because these plants speak for themselves, they are compeltely sensual and a joy to be around.
- tomatillo
- blue surprise
- monarda citriodora
tobacco volunteer
pear!
eggplant flower
hops vines
lettuce
chickweed
pink/street
toadflax
herbs can do WHAT??!!…towards a people’s science September 9, 2011
oh, science, how we have given ourselves over to you, so unquestioningly, so blindly. we have created a culture of us and them. we use that grand equalizer- “a study”- to back up every fricking harebrained idea humanly (and unhumanly)possible. but where do these studies come from? and where are these studies leading us?
observe
there has been a slightly amusing outcry from fiscal conservatives ever since the national science foundation put shrimp on a treadmill to test their response to changes in water quality. they have a point here-number one, who gives a crap about shrimp working out. it doesn’t really correlate to reality in the wild. and number two, you could have saved a lot of money, nsf. call me. ask me how any animal responds to a change in water quality. BAD!! okay? changes in air, water, soil quality are f-ing bad. it doesn’t take a degree to know, in the very core of one’s being, that when we poison the earth, things go downhill for the inhabitants.
according to science daily.com, “potatoes reduce blood pressure in people with obesity and high pressure. mm-hmm. “neutron scattering confirms dna is a stretchy as nylon.” ok. “humans are wired to respond to animals” wow.
this is not a people’s science. this is a huge money pit which has little to no bearing on our day-to-day lives, and which separates us from figuring things out ourselves. it reinforces the idea that there are some people who “do” science, and others who don’t. science today is about as grounded as a cumulo-nimbus.
we need a people’s science. we need a grounded science that is participatory and empowering. with no animal testing. no chimps in cages. no mascara on rabbits. no shrimp on treadmills. common sense.
unschooling always
for example, we can study the issue of global warming all day and all night but ultimately it DOES NOT MATTER if humans are causing warming. if our actions are making the air and water and soil unusable, and they are, then we need to stop. now. that’s it. there is nothing to argue about. would you let your kid play on the brownfield? drink the river water? no? ok, experiment conducted. conclusion-stop dumping waste.
in the interest of taking back science we can all declare ourselves scientists who use the scientifc method.
-ask a question.
-do background research. (more than one source please! and don’t trust the internet)
-construct a hypothesis
-test with an experiment
-analyze results, draw conclusion
-true? false? etc?
-report results.
every time we make observation in real life we are doing science. every time we question we are doing science. every time we dissect random bodies we are doing science. (are you paying attention?)
i call on everyone to create and participate in homemade science fairs. people’s science. herbalism, gardening, botany, bugs and sticks and sex and kids and cooking and bioremediation and honeybees and model volcanoes and bacon and pheremones and sociology and rocks and dogs and tide pools and crab fat and moldy bread and compost and worm bins and falling leaves and making salves and bones . observe people in their natural habitat-at the busstop, at the mall, stopped at a red light. do experiments. report results. have fun with it.
science belongs to everyone who participates.
can i eat it?
louisiana catahoula leopard dog June 29, 2011
presenting aster, the louisiana catahoula leopard dog! she is smart. she is nuts, she is awesome! random people i meet often want to know what is up with catahoulas, where are they from, and how to find one to adopt.
aster
smart dogs need a little something extra. if you are looking for a dog who will hang out at home all day….no.
aster in new orleans
i never would have gotten a catahoula leopard dog if i’d had any idea what their deal was. i thought i was getting an australian sheperd mix. (thanks, petfinder.) however, she has pushed me to be a better person, to be a better ally to her and to all dogs. i now believe, after a very difficult teenage-hood, that she is the most amazing dog in the universe.
aster swims
aster is wonderful with children, cats, and other dogs. but not automatically! i socialized the crap out of her. she is walked every day, often twice, taken to run in the woods, swim, and play. she meets pretty much every dog that i see. i would never recommend a catahoula to stay at home all day. they are good at escaping and destroying. as pack animals, staying home for extended days is depressing for most dogs. in general catahoulas are good at swimming, climbing up stuff, jumping very high, herding, hunting, fetching, agility, and getting muddy. aster is a dog of action but knows how to relax and snuggle too.
aster!
the point of all this is that lots of catahoulas are in shelters, it sucks, don’t get one-or any dog-if you’re not prepared to be their ally and work your ass off to help them be awesome. dogs aren’t putting themselves in shelters, people.
if you are ready to commit to the most beautiful dog ever check out http://www.catahoularescue.com or search petfinder.
aster is a dog of action!
don’t forget to spay and neuter!
aster relaxes!
