"On this day, in 1916, Ishi died"

I've been following The Suburban Bushwacker blog from across the pond. Tonight I saw a post there that I enjoyed, titled the same as this one (thus the quotation marks). At the end of this very readable post is a quote that I just love:

"Ishi felt Western society was essentially silly - the only things that impressed him were matches and glue"

Enjoy clarity reaching out through time to tap you on the forehead every once and a while,

Bp

[Original post here, photo via Wiki commons, quote via The Free Library]

How to build a Coracle (traditional Irish hide boat)

I love seeing skills like this demonstrated. Those that are, to quote the narrator, in the "ancient and sufficient way."

Text from Neatorama's post:

This video incorporates footage from 1935, in which Irish craftsmen build a coracle from willow and an ox hide, then use the craft to set their nets in the River Boyne. One has to admire the skill and experience required to propel a keel-less craft in a reasonably straight line. As the narrator notes, these river craft are related to the larger currachs that were capable of substantial ocean voyages.

Enjoy peeks into the past through traditional skills,

Bp

[via Neatorama, dedicated to my faithful Canukistani operative, "Yuri"]

Nettle Time -- Part 1

Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica)are some of the easiest to identify, most common, tastiest and most nutritious wild edibles in the Pacific N.W. And they're starting to pop right now.

In Washougal, Washington on the shores of the Columbia, the nettles I was picking late last week (with the help of Farmer Theo and Ms. Sara) were almost all under 1' tall. That's primo size for eating.

Identifying nettles is pretty easy, especially if you aren't afraid of a little pain. Look for herbs in wet forest ground that look like mint or verbena, and touch it with, say, your arm. If it flares up and stings and makes a rash where it touched you, bingo. A less painful way to I.D. them involves talking to experts and/or bringing them into the forest with you.

I always use gloves when I collect them, for obvious reasons. If you want to return to the same collection spot, cut them above a growth node and they'll come back bushy and tender in a few weeks from the same stalk.

There are many ways to use nettles, from cooking and eating as is, drying and using as a supplement or tea, and even making cordage. I'll talk about how we're going to be using them this season in later episodes of this post.

Enjoy eating something that formerly was just something you avoided when hiking,

Bp

Billy Badass (a.k.a. Fredde Norgren) making and shooting primitive bows

Although it hasn't showed up on the blog lately, I'm very interested in making wooden bows, especially without power tools. The Luddite patiently walked me through my first one a few years ago, and it shoots like a charm.

Fredde Norgren is from Sweden, therefore his blood is made from digested rotted fish and can stand temperatures that would break my face. In the first video he makes a bowdrill fire and a greenwood longbow, and in the second he (very handily) shoots another wood bow to show what it can do.

The videos are worth watching just for his brisk, stoic demeanor as much as the skills being displayed.





Enjoy watching different kinds of geeks in their native environments,

Bp

[original link via Patrick Gracewood, of the world-famous Gracewood Studios]