A Return to Firewood

Collecting firewood was a novelty when we first moved here over ten years ago.

It was an opportunity to spend some time in the forest, exploring and hunting for dry wood.

Running a chainsaw was a new experience, and splitting wood by hand for the stove made me feel like a real woodsman.

Each year I would find new ways of getting the wood in.

We bought an old tractor at the end of our first year and put it to work hauling wood.

It pulled a trailer, a dolly, and eventually, just the whole logs.

Each year it took less time to do, and I thought I had everything all sewn up.

But we grew.

And growing means adding more to the chore list.

Firewood could be done after all the the other jobs.

So it fell to the bottom of the list.

And then it didn't get done in time.

A wet Fall and rutted trails meant that the job wasn't so easy anymore.

The standing dead trees and dry windfall had all been harvested.

Splitting wood by hand still made me feel like a woodsman,

but with a sore back.

Last year was by far the worst.

The time we set aside for firewood was taken up by making a living to pay the bills.

A hard choice for sure.

So we gathered our wood using snowshoes and sleigh throughout the Winter.

Last Winter was pretty tough.

I vowed to never let the firewood lapse again.

But I did,

until the very last minute.

Two very large windfall Ash trees, and a back route to our woodlot saved us.

And so far, this Winter has been merciful.

We have firewood.

I only hope it is enough.

In truth, the firewood novelty has yet to wear off.

Spending time in the forest gathering fuelwood is still a beautiful experience.

It's honest labour that you can feel really proud of at the end of the day.

Especially if there's a big pile of wood to show for it.

Fuel is of such tremendous importance on the homestead.

Using our own woodlot means that we are directly responsible for our heating fuel.

There's no calling the utility company or turning up the thermostat.

It's one of the few acts of self-sufficiency that we can manage on our fledgling homestead.

Having said that, we need to reset our priorities.

Our Winter fuelwood needs to get done sooner than it has been.

Working for money can wait.

I need to get out into the forest.

Enchanted Forest , by Kira

 

 

Fairy Spud

 

 

 

 

 

Red Trillum

 

 

 

 

 

Maiden Hair Fern

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow Bellworts

 

 

 

 

Caped Fern

 

 

 

 

Dutchman's Breeches

 

 

 

 

 

Leeks

 

 

 

 

 

Leatherwood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The False Morel, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hoping to forage our favourite mushroom,

we went out into the forest in search of morels.

We found some, but not the edible kind.

These mushrooms are the false morel.

This particular variety is the Beefsteak Morel (gyromitra esculenta).

A look inside shows a stem that is filled with a cotton-like fibre.

True morels, like the Black Morel (morchella elata) or Yellow Morel (morchella esculenta), are completely hollow up the middle of the stem and throughout the inside.

Also, the stem of the false morel is attached at the very top of the cap only,

but the edible morel has a cap that is fully attached to the stem.

 

To be sure about eating any wild mushrooms, take a wild mushroom workshop, get comfortable with mushroom field guides, or have a seasoned mushroom forager help in identification before heading out to collect mushrooms.

 

 

 

 

Poplar Bud Infused oil, by Kira

In a few weeks I am going to be making poplar bud oil.

If you have poplar trees around your home you will recognize the sweet, woodsy smell of their buds opening in the spring.

This is one of my favourite scents.

The buds are picked in early spring before the leaves have started to come out. This is when the buds are rich with sticky medicinal resins.

Poplar buds contain salicin and populin.

These glycosides are similar to aspirin and are effective at reducing pain, inflammation, and fever.

The infused oil is used to treat chapped lips, dry cracked hands,

minor scrapes, and cuts.

It is great for deep massages and relief from arthritis.

If you have little ones in diapers you can use it to prevent or treat diaper rash.

The hardest part of this project will be retrieving the poplar buds!

We have many poplar trees, but most of them are very tall.

The best time to hunt for buds is after a wind storm.

Look for fallen branches on the ground.

Swapping, by Kira.

 

 

Andrew and I swapped roles yesterday afternoon.

He went out into the bush first with snowshoes and chainsaw and dropped a few standing dead trees.

He bucked them up, and came in.

 

 

 

Then Andrew filled my role for a few hours,

while I went out for some much needed time alone.

 

 

 

I strapped my snowshoes on,

then grabbed the sleigh and headed into the woods with my frisky dogs.

 

 

I've been needing physical activity to get my heart rate up,

and some quiet time to let my mind wander.

 

 

 

I like swapping roles.

It's not that I don't do my share of physical labour on our homestead,

but just not much this time of year.

It helps me appreciate Andrew's role,

as I'm sure filling my shoes helps him appreciate my role.

 

 

 

 

Paisley Frost & Minty Winter Tea, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the rain turning to snow, we have found ourselves spending more time outdoors.

The once familiar forest behind our home has turned into a magical white land,

fresh and new to explore.

With cold runny noses and rosy red cheeks we have been poking around the woods, looking for tracks and checking out snow flakes.

Not far, there is a favourite big rock with mounds of green moss,

frozen into perfect form.

Fern loves how Jack Frost paints white paisley frost across the black ice on the creek.

Our winter walks have been followed by a hot tea in front of the woodstove; either a cup of chaga with maple syrup or a fresh minty tea from our garden.

The bees love our summer tea garden as much as we do.

There is calendula, peppermint, spearmint, catnip, bee balm, oregano, chamomile, sage, and lavender, each blossoming throughout the summer and harvested in the fall.

I hung and dried the herbs in the kitchen, then packed them into jars for the Winter.

They are great for adding to baths, infused oils, and of course, tea.

For our Minty Winter Tea:

6 cups water

Two calendula heads

One tablespoon catnip

One tablespoon bee balm

One teaspoon chamomile

Two tablespoons peppermint

Raw honey to taste

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and let cool slightly.

Add the herbs to the water and let stand for about five minutes.

Strain the tea into cups and sweeten with a little raw honey.

This is best enjoyed after a cool Winter walk,

or with a good book and a cozy blanket.

 

An Abundance of Berries, by Kira

 

 

 

 

The blueberry bushes we planted a few years ago are starting to produce.

 

 

 

 

Black, red, and white currents are planted up on the fruit hill and all six bushes are thriving!

 

 

 

 

Wild gooseberries.

 

 

 

 

One of the best years ever for wild strawberries.

 

 

 

 

If all of our wild blackberries do well, we will have tons to eat fresh and to freeze for winter.

 

 

 

 

Thimbleberries, they have a beautiful, mildly fragrant flower. A sweet and tart large berry that is very seedy but so yummy!

 

 

 

 

 

Dryad's Saddle, by Kira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are a mushroom hunter, forager or just like to get out and explore the forest you have probably come across this mushroom.

It is called Dryad's Saddle and is also known as pheasant's back.

Dryad's Saddle is often overlooked while hunting for the more popular Morels. These mushrooms are edible and very tasty!

If you are out collecting these juicy mushrooms it is best to take the younger ones, small to medium size.

Smaller specimens are still moist and tender and not dry and darkening.

These mushrooms smell of lemons and cucumbers.

When they are cooked they lose some of that fresh aroma and smell more like a typical mushroom.

Their odour and meatiness help to identify these while out in the bush.

Be careful not to overcook Dryad's saddle or will become chewy.

Properly prepared the texture is very meaty.

So if you are out searching for morels don't overlook these gems.

They are one of my favourites!

 

 

 

 

 

Morels! by Kira

I found them! I finally found them!

Morels, delicious morels.

The kids and I were heading out back to harvest some more asparagus and that is when I spotted them.

We have a wonderful property and I would have to say my favourite part is the old hardwood forest. This is where I find most treasures.

Our hardwood forest mostly consists of maple, beech, ash, birch and poplar.

I found these black morels at the base of a dead ash, which is a common place to find them.

I was so excited, and gasped so loudly I frighted Both Auren and Fern.

They both thought I had spotted a bear.

The kids were a great help hunting. They were crawling around the forest floor searching and when another was spotted it was followed by a squeal!

With yesterday's rain and the warm weather moving in, you know where you will find me and the kids in the morning.

Out hunting for morels!