This weekend, on summer solstice, I met with Jandark and Julia, his really lovely girlfriend. I am happy that he´s finally met someone like this person, and, bro, I wish you two all the best! We had some sort of spontaneous picnic on Saturday night in the ruins of the Raffenburg. Here some fellow came by unadvertedly;-).
Candles lit the darkness, and incense smoke trailed up. Now the days will get shorter again, and we want to preserve the light and fun of summer in the graver darkness of the coming autumn.
We sat there, and ate three apples. And with them we savoured sweet juice, and in the sweet juice we tasted the sun. And we talked the night away, as it should be.
On Sunday, we met early in the afternoon to do some foraging. Even on the way to Jan´s place, I came across this root I took for a wild carrot (but have to do some research upon that. I am quite sure that it´s edible. To estimate and define it I took the fruit stand also.
And the blossom.
Then we made for the hills.
Looking for ´shrooms and finding none;-).
Julia found some vines for décor.
Quite an anthill. The forest´s ground was swarming with ants.
We ate a lot of marianberries and raspberries and harvested St. John´s wort and mugwort.
We dug out St. John´s wort and mugwort for Julia´s garden, too. I tutored her a bit on tinder material, and she took some birchbark from a felled tree. She will do a survival course in two weeks´time, and I really look forward to the photos and maybe a short report?
Butterfly (peacock butterfly) was sitting in the brambles...
Kids will be kids, I daresay...*ggg*.
Then we drove out to the mill museum in Breckerfeld and had a banquet... well, Erdmuthe had;-). Jan was jealous;-).
19th century photos are fun...*ggg*.
The interior of the mill.
...looking over the place and over those ancient hills...
Then we made for another hillside to do some more foraging.
Rosebay willow-herb (epilobium angustifolium, in German: Weidenröschen), one of bushcrafter´s best friends. Cordage material, clothing, arrow shafts, tea, medicinal, you name it, the plant does it. The sprouts can be used as an asparagus substitute, if you ferment the leaves, you get a black tea mixture.
Erdmuthe foraging for chamomile, St. John´s wort and lesser plantain.
Oh, and she found this hazel hiking staff... I look forward to what she does with it. She had to girlie-pimp it already by putting that oxalis (OXALIS!!!!!) flower on....*ggg*
Then we drove to the Flesengarten (rock garden near the city hall to get some sage, marjoram, willow herb, and whatnot and have a look at a geocache (Jandark´s an extreme geocacher). Erdmuthe points out where it might be situated... note the BIG knife....*ggg* and tiny ´shrooms, A! A! A!.
Jan up to mischief, and Julia compensating for it...*ggg*
It was a great day with good friends, and it simply felt good. Then we went to Jan´s place, and the two invited me to dinner. I did not say no, for it was delicious.
Anyway, a great day had to draw to a close nonetheless. But I will feed on this experience for years to come. Thanks, folks, life is good!
