It’s been fun and interesting experimenting with how to extract the cellulose fibers from various native, naturalized, and invasive plants that live in our gardens and all around our neighborhood. Because, like Stinging Nettle, Fireweed bast fiber was also traditionally utilized by the First Peoples of this region for cordage making, and it … [Read more...]
Remembering Fireweed
We are on the other side of winter where I live along the temperate Salish Sea, in the Pacific Northwest of North America. I'm thinking about the many people in harsh weather conditions today, even while I watch the Annas Hummingbird gathering fluffy anemone seed right out my window, one tiny beakful at a time. The little bird reminds me that … [Read more...]
Fall Fireweed on Mt. Townsend
Paul and I were happy to be able to sneak a day away from a busy fall, to visit our favorite close-by Olympic Mountain hike. We've lived on the Kitsap Peninsula for 33 years, and we are pretty sure that this was our 33rd visit to Mt. Townsend. Though it is mostly uphill to get there, the 2,880 feet of elevation is spread out over 4 miles, and … [Read more...]
Art on the Trail – Messages From the Land Exhibit – Oct 1 to Nov 1, 2010
Once autumn slips its toe in the door the days quickly shorten. On the beautiful, crisp and clear fall days, there is still gathering to do. I’ve yet to collect cattail leaves and the stems of nettle and fireweed. The sweetgrass I grow at home, was gathered weeks ago, and is now dry. Rainy days like today, give me pause to review the summer and to … [Read more...]
