The Free Radical

When I first moved to this area, decades ago, I looked upon this place as being ruggedly beautiful, but also rather barren and desolate– just grasses and shrubs and more trees than you can shake a stick at. (Why you’d want to shake a stick at the trees is anyone’s guess!) I certainly didn’t think of the Forest out here as someplace you’d go to grab a bite to eat!

But there were plenty of characters around who kept urging me to “Look closer!”

Indeed, it was plain to see that there were these large mobile protein caches everywhere!

And they, in turn, were always very vigilant toward all the other large bags of meat strutting through the Forest.

Beyond the usual trespassers and hunters, they were ever alert to the presence of Cougar, Bear, Wolf, Coyote and the competition for forage among the other ungulates like Elk and Moose. Over the years, I had seen them all here, in startling numbers, really. Clearly, there was a whole heck of a lot more food available here than meets the untrained, jaundiced human eye. None of these creatures looked thin, frail or unhealthy in any way. They all thrived!

Now I forage for myself every day, sharing in the ‘secret’ bounty. It was especially Black Bear– that remorseless eating machine– who convinced me that there’s so much food here that the the concept of lack has no rightful place.

Before the endless bounty of berries comes ripe– strawberries, raspberries, saskatoonberries, gooseberries, juniper berries, rose hips– there’s always a variety of flowers on which to whet a seasoned appetite. Flowers provide very delicate, yet interesting flavours, as well as providing superlative nutrition. All flowers produce pollen. When you pick dandelions– and you should– it is the abundant pollen which often stains your fingers yellow. In order to understand the nutritional magic of flower pollen, research ‘bee pollen’ in general. Just ask the bees how remarkable this food really is!

Flowers are also well known for their vibratory medicine. Quite simply, they impart ‘good vibes.’ I love the saskatoonberry flowers, which are in full bloom right now. Saskatoon bushes always seem to select the places with the most spectacular views… and their flavour is astonishing! They taste strongly of almond with a hint of vanilla– most exotic!

Yesterday, I wasn’t immediately in my exceptionally good mood at the beginning of my walk. I was feeling sluggish, in a bit of a funk. That’s when flowers best reveal their magic. A few dandelions and saskatoon flowers later and I was again my joyous exuberant self… giving the dogs a run for their money on who was in a better mood!

After chasing Deer for a minute or two, Sitka enjoys nothing more than stretching out on a bed of forest moss. She revels in the vibrancy of this place!

There are ample signs of the health of this place…

I had noticed that Frog had returned to the swamp a few years ago. They are somewhat delicate creatures, but once the sun lifts the last threat of ice from these ponds, Frog will lay her clutch of eggs– a celebration of teeming Life!

Goose is still lending daily encouragement for my very busy ‘ink-dipped quill.’ She approves generously of all that I write.

No, it’s not all unicorns farting rainbows out here– oh wait, yes it is! I can’t stress it enough; this relationship with the Living Spirit of Earth is everything an earthling ever wanted!