The Daily Forest Report July 5, 2013 And the Forest Held Its Breath…

by nielskunze on July 5, 2013

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Something is definitely up.

The forest was nearly silent the whole time as I made my way as I normally do. At first it seemed that the lack of wind might account for the quiet. Nothing moved. But then I noticed that beyond a few birds and insects there was nothing; the forest was strangely silent. How often had I walked these woods without squirrels shouting from trees, or grouse playing peek-a-boo, or ravens announcing my presence to the world? There were always little encounters, incidental things– but not today. It was the kind of silence that gets your attention.

Different silences have different qualities. This wasn’t the type of hushed silence that ensues after a dramatic event. No, this was more anticipatory, the kind of situation where you completely stop moving, you stop chewing your food, you momentarily suspend your breathing– because you’re straining for just the merest perception of what might come next. Senses on alert, the forest was waiting for the (other? I missed the first) shoe to drop. Something was up.

Even as I strolled through the ground-squirrel tenements, they didn’t bother yelling at me, as they always do, to warn each other of my presence, even as I watched them scurry down into their hidey-holes. Whenever I stopped walking, there was only the constant whine of mosquitos trying to fill the empty spaces. I journeyed on with my only question written on my sleeve: What’s going on? But nobody was forthcoming with any answers.

After a couple of hours of this, I wondered “How can I write a whole message only about silence?” It seemed like a bit of a stretch even for me. I’d already picked the title “And the Forest Held Its Breath…” and then I began to encounter wild onion– everywhere. There was a natural and mildly humorous association between eating wild onions and subsequently holding one’s not-so-fresh breath thereafter. Of course the forest isn’t actually that neurotically self-conscious… but I have an article to write, dammit!

Wild onions are extremely abundant in these parts. They are most easily identifiable when in bloom… which is right now. They produce hanging clusters of pale purple flowers amidst what appears to be nothing more than a sparse clump of grass. If you dig them up, their roots reveal their onion character in a reddish bulb that tastes as mild as a shallot and has a soapy texture. The greenery is also very mild in flavour. If you want some real onion zip, however, it is surprisingly found in those little purple flowers. That’s what I usually select for myself… and sometimes they’re burn-your-mouth hot! As you may have noticed, I usually go straight for the flowers. Being the sexual organs of plants, I figure that’s where the more interesting substances are to be found. Even as you pick fresh onion flowers, you may notice specks of yellow pollen dotting your fingers. Pollen is an extremely nutrient-dense food.

There, I thought I was done. I was very nearly back to the truck when the same deer I encountered the day before was apparently waiting for me. This time he patiently waited as I dug out my camera and approached. He stood his ground determinedly as I walked toward him. I thought “Ah, now I’ll find out what’s really going on.” And that’s when he asked me “What’s going on?” That threw me for a bit of a loop! I told him I didn’t know. He continued to stare for a moment, clearly disappointed with my answer, and then bounded away…

And still, something is definitely up…

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