Autumn is the Season of Letting Go
As I stand in the forest under a cathedral of Douglas fir and gentle arches of Big Leaf Maple, I am bathed in autumn light. It is a long light full of deep shadows. Hues of gold, red, and brown glow against the dark green of sword fern and Oregon grape. The air seems clearer now than it did in summer and my senses are heightened. With a deep exhalation I settle into listening. Not just listening with my ears but with my whole body. Crows talk raucously. A winter wren sings on its low salmonberry perch. The soft mosses on a nurse log sway like anemones in a gentle current of wind. A maple...
Read MoreBlue Elder
Elder is called “the medicine chest of the country people” – a pharmacy in and of itself. Today, elder flowers and berries are most prized for alleviating symptoms of colds and the flu. Historically, every part of the plant was highly valued and utilized, often commanding mythic status. Other Names: TsiqWi’qWay (Twana) Blue elderberry Sambucus cerulea. Identifying Blue Elder: Elder is a small tree that grows up to 20 feet high. Each leaf has five to nine opposite leaflets with serrated edges. Tiny star-shaped flowers are whitish-yellow and grow in dense flat shaped clusters. They bloom in...
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