The Daily Forest Report June 20, 2015 When Abundance Crowds In

by nielskunze on June 20, 2015

The Colour!

The Colour!

It’s easy-peezy time out in the Forest. Even the Tiger Lilies have come out for the feast– as a wonderful part of the feast.

Tiger Lily

Tiger Lily

I only eat the petals and some of the pollen. (I think the underground bulbs may actually be poisonous.) And yes, those petals are every bit as good as they look! They’re thick and crisp, and delicately sweet. Although, overall, Tiger Lilies can be considered rare, in the swamp that I daily frequent, they’re rather abundant… still, I don’t eat them all… just a few each year.

Alfalfa Blossom Ignoring Goober

Alfalfa Blossom Ignoring Goober

The Alfalfa is blooming. The blossoms range in colour from the most delicate lilac to the deepest purple, and then there’s the occasional yellow varieties. It’s invariably the colour that draws my eye and my appetite. Rich colours are most often indicative of abundant bioflavonoids being present. These powerful antioxidants are one reason we’re urged to eat colourful fruits and veggies; I just eat a crapload of flowers.

Wild Onion Flowers

Wild Onion Flowers

The Wild Onions too are just beginning to set out their flower clusters. It makes them ridiculously easy to spot! I remember the first time I tasted an onion flower. As I watched the bees doing their thing, I wondered whether the flowers tasted much like onion. Of course, I had to find out. Turns out they’re the most oniony part! Sometimes the flowers are burn-your-mouth hot! I love ’em.

Nacho-Flavoured Clover

Nacho-Flavoured Clover

This mixed variety of Clover blossom tastes exactly like unsalted nachos. The first time I tasted it I thought it was a mistake or an individual aberration. But no, after three years of testing, I can assure you that their flavour most resembles nacho cheese! I only eat a few of these– ’cause I think they’re kinda weird.

The Wild Strawberries are out in the hundreds right now, and I could spend hours each day just gorging on strawberries. Can you imagine how difficult it is to walk by bright red strawberries standing out in the sun yelling “Pick me! Pick me!”… and not stop to eat the delicious little bastards! And even the dogs have developed a taste for them, picking alongside me in the most prominent patches.

The strawberries are incredibly sweet, while the Gooseberries tend to be wonderfully tart. They grow in roughly the same area, so I alternate between them as I go.

I’ve had the first of this year’s Saskatoonberry crop; they’re just coming into ripeness… and the Raspberries are promising to be the biggest bumper crop ever! They’ll begin in about another week. There’s just so much out there that it’s impossible to partake of it all. The landscape is overflowing with flavourful treats!

Spent!

Spent!

The Roses too offer up nibbles along every portion of our route. I eat dozens of those petals every day too.

Sir Knubblehorn

Sir Knubblehorn

And then there’s the animals! Sir Knubblehorn here was about thirty yards ahead of us while I was still pinking up my fingers in the strawberry patch. The dogs were busy wrestling in the tall grass nearby.

Yeah… So These Power-Lines

Yeah… So These Power-Lines

When I first spotted him, I didn’t notice the robin in the foreground at all… but lately, it seems, that the critters are all determined to gather ’round. Knubblehorn immediately began striding directly toward us before he paused to reassess the intentions of the snarling dogs. (The dogs never noticed him at all; I snapped 3 pics before telling him to take cover in the trees before the dogs inevitably take up the chase. He understood.)

Painted Leaf

Painted Leaf

The butterflies are numerous and I only bother with them when I spot a new variety.

But down at the river this day, we had a most magical encounter!

I See You

I See You

I likely wouldn’t have noticed them at all if not for the incessant chirping, calling out to me. The sound an osprey typically makes is one I can easily imitate… and so I did. What was remarkable was how many individuals were participating in the conversation.

Osprey

Osprey

Very quickly I began spotting them through the trees above the creek.

And Another!

And Another!

At one point there were three circling in the sky and I could hear the chirps of two more coming from a different direction.

This Osprey!

This Osprey!

This Osprey family outing involved at least five individuals!

Head On

Head On

And it certainly seemed that they were there just for me!

Up Close

Up Close

These encounters are truly thrilling!

Downriver View

Downriver View

And this is roughly where this transpired.

So Mystical

So Mystical

I’m not adventuring deep into the backcountry. No, these many friends are coming to see me! We’re really getting to know each other… developing the basis for a real partnership– an Earth Life coalition. How awesome is that!

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