Yeah, it´s about to begin around these parts... the birds are trilluping madly and the deer are not shy in the least, as you can perfectly see..;-)
Lesser celandine (Ranunculus Ficaria, in German: Scharbockskraut) for soup and salad. Please use the leaves before blossom, afterwards they are mildly toxic. They are rich with Vitamin C.
Jack by the hedge (alliaria petiolata, in German: Lauchrauke), delicious in sour cream and cheese soup and even so on a sandwich. Not as delicious as wild garlic, but with a pronounced garlic taste and mustard oils that are good for the digestion.
Then I did some carving practice. First I got myself a little stick with a little branch poking out like a nose...
...stripped off the bark...
Put in notches for the eyes, the mouth and chin...
Further elaborate the eyes and nose (I like to start with the nose)...
...elaborating it...
Et voilà... a little fellow looking out from beneath a root. I like carving trolls and wood spirits for practicing my whittling skills. They are simply fun to make!
My trail led me into the thicket, on and on into the thicket.
The woods were vibrant with reawakening life... nearly got run over by deer, hares and mouflon herds...;-D
The creek was murmuring its serene song in the distance to add to the symphony of spring.
The sun was shining brightly and pale.
The air was warm, and I really relished in the feeling of getting out into the silence.
Funny though, I met some hunters driving their Jeeps through the thickest of the underbrush. When they learned I was walking barefoot they were right shocked and asked me what I was up to. I grinned and invited them to try it out.... of course they didn´t, but then they asked me why I did this ... utterly strange behaviour as it is. It gave me a lot to think about. We live in a culture where even shower gels and cigarettes and even guns and ammo are advertised in an utterly sexualized manner-but it is not socially adequate to walk through the woods barefoot. Strange. Girls and even boys are walking the city limits in a state of proper undress... but it is socially banned to walk barefoot. Interesting situation, if you ask me, and it gives room for a lot of discussion concerning the psychological health of a society that does this.
Suffice to say, I did not let that hinder my hike... and through the air of spring I toodled on and smiled.
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