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Monday, May 19, 2014

And the cows came home the very next day.

12:30am I get a text from Small Farm Girl. My cows were in her yard. Why exactly do I have to have cattle with wander lust? The have plenty of food, plenty of water, yet they leave. They follow difficult terrain, Urth encouraging them onward. I just had to have cows with a sense of adventure. They will have to stay in the short pen, and we will have to buy bales until such time as we can afford fencing up top. At least a quick scolding and home ladies works just fine. They went straight home.

Friday evening Stephanie came for a visit. Some remember her as the author of Going Green in Southern Illinios. Her current blog is Heathen in the Woods. She was one of my first readers, and we have cultivated a friendship over the years. I really enjoyed her short visit, as she was just passing through (well out of her way) to meet us. I look forward to her pack coming out and spending more time with my clan. 

On the little walk we took with Stephanie yesterday, we found this odd growth. I found it is called cancer root, squawroot, or bear corn. Apparently bears eat it fresh out of hibernation. However it has no nutritional value and even fried with butter it is nasty tasting. I read that is was used medicinally by natives, but no details were forth coming. It causes tumor looking growths on the oak trees whose roots these parasites live on. They are useless, but pretty cool looking. 






 

9 comments:

Sandy Livesay said...

Phelan,

Nice to hear you had a wonderful visit from a dear blogger friend.

FancyHorse said...

Nice to have a visit from an old friend! I hope you enjoyed yourselves thoroughly!

Practical Parsimony said...

And, I just found out my two chickens like to wander to the other end of the block. I suppose cows and chickens like a change of scenery. At least, the hens don't cross the street, yet. However, wandering just gets Patsy Cline and Thelma more pen time and food thrown in.

Chris said...

Hi Phelan, I'm just stopping by to say how delightful your blog is. Thanks so much for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris

West Tx at Heart said...

lol they are cows. They wonder. You need a cowboy to tend the herd.

West Tx at Heart said...

lol they are cows. They wonder. You need a cowboy to tend the herd.

Anonymous said...

If you want more infos on squawroot, you should check those websites:

http://mlbs.org/organism/conopholis_americana
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/conopholis_americana.shtml

Anonymous said...

hey sweet girl, I just found out that I disappeared from some blogs and I am going through them to see who is missing. I swear blogger is haunted. Anyway, rejoined and looking forward to some more. miss ya girl!

Anonymous said...

You are missed, please write, write anything, just write!!

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