Below, Charlie stands in a wide expanse of Wild Ramps aka Leeks in the forest.
The location of this place won't be shared at all. I wouldn't want JohnQPublic coming in and digging them to sell.
These plants take 5 to 7 years to mature from seed so they are slow growing. I have some in my forest and I generally just leave them alone. Their beautiful green provides me with joy. I may dig up one or two for an addition to a meal, but rarely any more than that.
They do actually flower and have seeds. In the fall animals walk through the area knocking the spindles of seeds which spreads the plants.
The hillsides were covered in them! In a few weeks the plants will disappear under the forest brush and they will be hidden from prying eyes.
I took a back trail along the river. I came upon some Canada Geese and their new little family.
These geese were neat to watch ... the river was swift here and I was sure hoping all turned out okay for them in the end.
22 seconds of cuteness!
I assume they made it safely to wherever they were headed.
Below, my fearless leader. Since he has hiked with me since he was 10 weeks old, he knows the trails I take as well as I do. He bounds forward and turns to wait. At a junction he sometimes makes a choice and sometimes I follow his choice.
I got home and the boys were having a good time chatting and solving all the world problems. I must give it to Jason, he can talk about anything to anyone and he does have a lot of experience and knowledge.
I'll leave you with a couple of shots that are a bit artsy. I have a Lensbaby lens and it has taken a lot of practice to work with this 'art' lens, but I am absolutely loving the challenge.
These were taken after my 'day' off when I went out to check the pasture and enjoy some more sunshine.
PS...we survived the storm, it went past us to the north.
Maybe we are to get that storm tonight. Something is coming.
ReplyDeleteThe storm was supposed to be here last night. Skipped us too.
ReplyDeleteAren't secret spots the best! Your own private secret ramp patch! My mom had a blackberry patch and would share the blackberries but never the location. Until urban sprawl reached it and they ripped out all the bushes before she could dig one up. . .
My son shared a photo of a plate of morels on Saturday. I know the general area where he finds them, but not the location. I think these things taste better if location are private.
Indeed! I used to get out and hike all day looking for morels with a backpack, camera, and a trusty dog. I enjoyed finding them as much as the process of discovery in the forest.
DeleteI have a lot of private land I can walk about on.
Yes the Ramps are safe with me, the only people I know that may go back in that area are deer hunters and by then there are no traces of those plants.
I also adore hunting oyster mushrooms.
I am jealous of your son!
I love redwing blackbirds! They were common on the prairies of my childhood.
ReplyDeleteThe figurines in the grass is a creative shot! We survived the storm unscathed, too.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for keeping it to yourself, the location.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your outings!
Wild Leek poaching is a bit of an issue here, in fact illegal foraging of many kinds of woodland plants. Ironically, the push to have people eschew processed food and eat more naturally fuels the trend. I am glad to hear that you leave them be.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed some much needed and well deserved quality time away!!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear the storm by passed you. Cute video, that water was fast moving those little guys really had to move their feet to keep up! Nice to see Charlie in the ramps:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful glimpse into your quiet forest world—thank you for sharing it. I completely respect your decision to keep the ramp location private; it’s heartbreaking how often slow-growing native plants are overharvested. Your appreciation for the land and its rhythms really shines through in every word and photo. The shots of Charlie, the geese, and that elusive Red-winged Blackbird made me smile—and your Lensbaby experiments are truly paying off. There’s something so peaceful and grounding about following less traveled paths, especially with a trusty companion at your side.
ReplyDelete