It is finally here, May has arrived. So many things to see and do in such a short period of time. May makes my head spin. I hope it does yours, too. Everything is green and the breeding birds sing; life is in full swing; before Summer sets in. I am one of the few who prefer to gobbler hunt during times of full foliage. Turkeys often though take a backseat to all of the other things to see in the May woodlands. Warblers, wildflowers, butterflies and bugs compete for my attention, especially during lulls in the turkey activity. I don’t worry. I enjoy the opportunity for observation. Take the time to enjoy the little woodland wonders. The gobbler will come; it always has. Don’t worry; just enjoy.

There is one annual event that is missed by all but a few. Those who experience it, tend to be a bit on the secretive side. It is out there for all to see and once you experience it; you will be back for more. Some believe it to be a secret of entomologists and fly fishermen. But, I truly believe that it should be observed by everyone at least once. It will give anyone a new understanding of what is happening in the underwater world and why these environments should be protected to the best of our ability to do so. If you give this event one short hour of your life; it may change your perspective of life in general, forever.

The event is triggered by water temperature. It normally begins in the lower section of a stream and moves on towards the headwaters as the streams’ temperature rises. May is prime time to go to a local stream and observe. We are not going into an entomology lesson here, but we have two species of mayflies that are pretty predictable. The sulphurs hatch in early to mid-May and the green drakes hatch from late-May to early June. They can trigger some intense surface feeding activity by fish populations. Mayfly nymphs emerge into adults; the adults mate, lay eggs and die in a few days. This occurrence can be easily missed but has been going on as long as there has been clean freshwater.

The angler can fish a stretch of water and swear that there is nothing in there, except for a few chubs. It happens, slowly at first. You see a couple of dimples on the surface, a few mayflies in the air. Birds start feeding above the stream and then it is on; fish swirl everywhere.      Clouds of mayflies are in the air. The stream comes to life and at times you can hardly breathe, in fear of inhaling the dainty flies. You can stand in one spot in a stream and catch fish until you tire from it or it gets too dark to tie on another fly.

A great lesson could be learned by a family trip to a stream on a May afternoon, just by sitting and observing. Watch the aquatic environment come to life and just enjoy the event taking place. Mayflies are not just for fishermen, they are there for all to enjoy. But, beware; the entire family may want a fly rod for Christmas, so they will be ready for next May.

Visit Randy at http://www.randy-bodkins.fineartamerica.com or at highvirginiaoutdoors.blogspot.com.

People are always asking me about collecting plants; what parts, when to collect and how to use, etc. So, here are a few tips on collecting them safely.

1) Always make sure that you have correctly identified the plant; (there are some that have look-a-likes that are poisonous). One of the best ways to do this is to learn the poisonous plants first. If you are not sure about the identification try to find someone that does know. Here in WV we have many; (WV Herb Association, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalist org. etc).

2) Always make sure the location in which you are collecting hasn’t been sprayed with poisons, and don’t harvest within 50 feet of roads, near mining, agribusiness, etc.; because plants can pickup the toxins from vehicles and sprays. Beware of areas where fertilizers, pesticides or weed killers have been used and do not gather as they may be toxic.

3) Don’t collect plants that are on the endangered list. (It’s illegal).

4) Practice replanting areas so that there are plenty of them left. Tend and care for these areas as though you were caring for your home garden. Leave plenty of healthy, mature, seed producing plants where they can easily reproduce.

5) Do not harvest the same area over and over.

6) Only gather what you need and only if there is a sufficient amount of plant available to leave some behind. The Cherokee way of gathering plants was not to pick any unless there was at least four of them and then to gather only one of the four. You leave one for seed, one for the one who comes after you that may need it and one to be with the first one to make a pair so they can reproduce and one for you.

7) Consider what effect your actions will have on the plant community, and strive for minimal impact and leave the area as wild and beautiful as you found it.

When you are collecting these plants make sure that you know when to collect them as some plants should only be collected at certain times of the year or in the case of some berries; only when they are ripe.

9) Whether you are gathering for food or medicine make sure that you know how to prepare the plant and how much to use and for what it should and shouldn’t be used for.

10) Make sure that you know what parts of the plants are used for food or medicine.

11) Study the plant closely and consult multiple books for identification and uses.

  Here are a few books you can use to identify plants:

1) Medicinal Plants, Trees & Shrubs of Appalachia, Bill Church, available thru LuLu Press.

2)  Common Summer Wildflowers of West Virginia, Norma Jean Venable, WVU Extension Service

3) Eastern Forrests, Ann Sutton & Myron Sutton, 1997, Chanticleer Press

4) Herbs, Lesley Bremness, 1994, DK Publishing

5) Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Lawrence Newcomb, 1997, Little, Brown and Company

6) Peterson Field Guides to Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants, Steven Foster/James A. Duke, 1997, Houghton Mifflin

7) A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants Eastern and Central North America, Peterson Field Guide Series No. 23 by Lee Allen Peterson

Botany In A Day – The Patterns Method of Plant Identification, Thomas J. Elpel’s Herbal Field Guide to Plant Families (5th Edition, January 2004)

9) The Illustrated Book of Wildflowers and Shrubs, William Carey Grimm, 1993, StackPole Books

10) How To Identify Plants, H.D. Harrington (Author), L.W. Durrell (Contributor)

     Bill Church is a certified Master Naturalist. Articles courtesy of Gilmer County Master Naturalist Association.

by Leslie Hutcheson

Shiitake mushrooms originated in the orient. As a food source they have the combined attributes of being appetizing, nourishing, high in protein, diabetic and healthful.  Researchers have reported that consumption of Shiitake mushrooms lowers blood cholesterol levels.  It has also been shown to lower high blood pressure in laboratory animals.  Lentinan, a highly purified polysaccharide extracted from Shiitake Mushrooms, is an approved drug in Japan.  Lentinan is used for cancer treatment as well as for AIDS research.  Shiitake contains all eight essential amino acids in better proportions than soybeans, meat, milk or eggs.  They also contain a good blend of vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B, B12, C, D, and Niacin. Shiitake produces a fat absorbing compound, aiding in weight reduction.

      Shiitake mushroom cultivation is done by cutting down a live healthy tree. Oak is the best, though many other hardwoods work well.  Cultivation is usually done with logs 3 to 4 feet long and having a diameter of 4 to 6 inches. The best times for cutting trees are when they are dormant from late fall and before spring budding.  After felling the tree, it is customary to wait a couple of weeks before inoculating, so that the tree doesn’t reject the spawn.  Inoculation should be completed no later than 6 weeks after cutting to prevent stray fungi from colonizing the logs.

The most common ways to inoculate logs is by using plug or sawdust spawn. The spawn is the medium used to introduce the Shiitake mycelium into the wood.  Sawdust spawn is less expensive than plug spawn, although it is more time consuming and requires a specialized tool.  The equipment needed for inoculating with sawdust spawn is a drill, drill bit, spawn purchased from a reputable source, cheese wax, inoculation tool, something to melt wax in, and a sponge brush. When using sawdust spawn, drill 1 inch deep holes in rows the length of the log, spacing the holes 6-8 inches apart within the row.  Leave approximately 2 to3 inches between the rows and offset the holes so that they form a hexagonal pattern.  Next plunge the inoculating tool into the sawdust and then insert the spawn into the holes.  Make sure the spawn is packed tightly in the holes.  As each log is completed, cover the holes and spawn with the melted wax using a foam brush.   Plug spawn is ideal for those wishing to inoculate only a few logs and only requires the correct size drill bit, a hammer, and cheese wax.

When you are finished inoculating your logs, place them in a shaded area where they are exposed to the weather.  They need rain and snow to avoid getting dried out which kills the mycelium.  DO NOT bring them indoors. It takes six months to a year before the log is colonized and will begin producing mushrooms.

The logs will fruit naturally in the spring and fall after a good rain and distinctive temperature change.  The best fruiting temperature is between 60-80 degrees.  Generally a log will produce one year per inch in diameter when allowed to fruit naturally.  After the log has produced mushrooms naturally, it can be force-fruited.  This can be done by waiting 8 weeks, then soaking (submerging) the logs in cool water for 24 hours.  Mushrooms should start to appear a few days later.  Check daily.  They are ready to pick when the underneath of the cap starts to open.  Logs will produce anywhere from a few ounces to a pound of mushrooms per fruiting, depending on the size and age of the log.  The log must stay in contact with the ground.  There are several reputable sources on the internet for mushroom spawn and equipment-try www.fieldforest.net

    Springtime energizes my senses. I love how it brings needed spice after the bland taste of winter. The once silent nights are now filled with the trills of spring peepers and the days are harmonious with the chirps of birds. The dead-leaf smell mixed with cold air has been replaced with an earthy spring smell of fresh green growth.  The once dry and brittle woods are now spongy with new grass and moss. However, my most favorite transformation is the burst of color that spring brings. The purple crocuses contrast the yellow daffodils, which also highlighted by the green grass. The colors are a refreshing break from the dull drab colors of winter.

These bursts of color appear in the oddest places and even highlight the past. Driving along, I love to take in the scenery. I noticed the clusters of flowers in the spring that sprout in places with no driveways and no homes nearby. I noticed large clusters of flowers blooming along the creek in spots that were not accessible by any road. My husband said these flowers, although they appeared oddly placed, marked where houses once stood and people once lived. This got me thinking. Someone had to plant them.

I then wondered if the people who planted the flowers would know that those plants were the only legacy of the place they once lived. I wondered what plant I would want to stay in my memory long after I’ve died and my house crumbled back to the dirt.  Maybe it would be a raspberry patch. It is a sweet plant with big enough thorns to bite back. Maybe it would be a hyacinth. It is fragrant, vibrantly-colored, yet short-lived. In reality it would probably be ramps.

Most people either love ramps or hate them. There is no middle ground, no gray area. No matter whether you love or hate them, you must agree that ramps have certain positive qualities.  They are hearty, smelly, strong, and healthy for the body. They also show up at the same time every year, but only stay a short time. In addition to all that, they are one of the strongest and first spring smells.

Springtime is overflowing with robust smells. It’s easy to catch a whiff of the scent of growing grass, budding trees and shrubs, and ramps and spring onions. After a few weeks of warmth and sun, new plants are just the perfect texture to gather and throw into a pot for dinner.

My husband knows a variety of edible spring greens. These greens usually include ramps, poke, milkweed, and nettles.  The fact that he goes out into our yard and picks “West Virginia Collard Greens” is mind-blowing to me. I am so used to getting my food from a store or restaurant that it’s amazing to me that I can get at least some of my food from the backyard. Unlike my garden, this salad takes little work. No digging. No weeding. No planting. Welcome spring!

 Suggestions for our City Girl Transplant? Feel free to share at zoezolt@gmail.com.

There was a time when just about everyone lived on a two-lane, one lane, or no lane road in rural West Virginia.  For the most part, this lack of congestion made life a bit  simpler.  Everyone had a little more elbow room and there were fewer causes for conflict among neighbors. But semi-isolated living was not without its problems.  Everyone could let their chickens and dogs roam free.  Chicken freedom did not cause any problems, but free roaming dogs could cause some grief.  The chickens always came home to roost but that was not always the case with dogs.

Down along the beautiful Elk River where I spent my youth, stray dogs were a fact of life.  Oftentimes, when they inadvertently encroached on the turf of your dogs, fights would occur.  The fights were usually brief.  Harmless shots would occasionally ring out from the porches of the home turf dogs. They were not lethal shots.  They were just designed to scare away the intruders.

But the appearance of stray dogs did not always end happily. Some of them like to chase the chickens or tree cats.  When that kind of behavior occurred, the shots became very unfriendly, sometimes resulting in the death of a dog.  Relationships between neighbors could sometimes get ugly when someone shot a dog.

     But my favorite kind of stray dog was the one who just showed up and ate whatever was available around your place, then harmlessly parked himself on your porch and took a nap.  He was not a troublemaker.  He was just a drifter.  When the homeowner came out to investigate, the dog would just wag his tail and come to be petted.  The problem then became, “what do I do with this critter?”  If you didn’t know the dog, or have any idea where he came from, you had a problem.  No one wanted to shoot a friendly dog, so oftentimes, the pooch just became a resident.

A few weeks ago, even in 2012, such a critter showed up at my house.  He was a puppy, probably put out of a car somewhere nearby.  He just showed up one night, ate all of the cat food on the porch, climbed up into a lounge chair, and waited for me to get up.  When I went out the next morning he greeted me with a waggy tail and big, inviting brown eyes.  He was a beautiful puppy, healthy looking, and, for a puppy, well behaved.

Even though he struck fear and trembling into my two cats, he had no intention of harming them.  He just wanted to play.

Even though he was probably less than six months old, he was a BIG dog.  He had huge feet and weighed around 25 pounds.  Despite all of his charms, he presented a major problem for me. I like dogs, but my life as an itinerant musician and dancer does not lend itself to being a dog owner.  That’s why I have cats.  I can leave them for a few days and they survive just fine.  They’ve been with me fourteen years.

I realized very soon that I needed to get rid of the puppy quickly because he and I were about to bond.  He was a very good puppy, the kind of puppy that will attach itself to you in a very short time.  So, even though it was a difficult thing to do, I had to take him to a shelter.  The ladies at the Braxton Animal Shelter assured me that they would have no trouble finding a home for such a beautiful and friendly puppy.

This was not the first time some absolutely rotten person has “set a dog out” on my road.  I’m sure it looks like a safe place to deposit an unwanted pet.  But I can’t think of anything more low down than throwing a poor dog out to fend for himself in the woods.

Mack Samples is a writer and musician who lives in Clay County. Visit online at http://www.macksamples.com or email him at macksamples@gmail.com.

Entering April sure is nice; especially when you are not in a depressed funk caused by staring at snow and ice for five months. We definitely got lucky this year. So many things to do and a short time to get them accomplished, before it gets hot and stays hot. We are all upset by fuel prices and cherish the few quality moments we can get for ourselves; as we scrounge to make a living. I seem to hear a word more and more; on the few occasions I watch a sporting event or anything else on TV. That word is respect or disrespect and I wonder why this term doesn’t seem to apply afield. Two things are needed in these times for any outdoor experience: time to go and extra money to get there. Both are precious and at a premium.

Just a few weeks ago; I had that window of opportunity to go fishing for the first time in the new year. The temperature was right and I had about two hours to spare. I chose Clover Run in Tucker County; which is close enough to only burn up 2 gallons of that expensive liquid. I arrived; over on Clover at about 3pm. I drove all of the way to the mouth, just to see how many people were fishing. I came back upstream to a spot where there wasn’t anybody and parked. I had until about 5pm, before I needed to be back at the county line; where there is phone reception. I managed to catch a trout on my first cast; things were going pretty well.

Then; I made a critical mistake and broke one of my rules. I let someone see me catch a fish. I was seen by a passing vehicle. Before I had the fish un-hooked; they were standing beside me, one on each side and already casting. One of them made the statement that “they had been there all day and hadn’t even seen a fish” you know that steam was coming out of my ears; by then. I picked up my 2 fish and was headed up the hill to the truck; the other one said “what did you catch them on, power bait?” I turned around and told him that “the next fish that I catch on power bait will be my first one”. That was my first fifteen minute fishing trip of the year; really enjoyable.

It may be just me; maybe I’m just wired differently than everyone else, but when I have a few moments of outdoor quality time; I sure do not want to chit-chat. We are blessed with many miles of stream and river; along with many acres of lakes and ponds. There is absolutely no reason that I can see for anyone to intentionally crowd someone else out; over a fish. There is plenty of room for everyone who has enough gas money to get there. I know the argument “it is public land, I can fish where I want.” Just think before you act and give others the respect that you would like to receive. You will enjoy your outdoor time a little more and may at least feel a little better about yourself. I Promise.

    Visit Randy at http://www.randy-bodkins.fineartamerica.com or at highvirginiaoutdoors.blogspot.com.

by Mary Wildfire

Even suburban people are keeping flocks of hens these days-though often they can’t keep roosters, lest the neighbors be annoyed by the crowing. But for most of us livin’ the two-lane life, this is not a problem.

There’s good reason for the upsurge in the popularity of keeping chickens. They’re relatively cheap and easy, a good first step in animal husbandry. All they need is a small building that will keep the rain and the predators out, regular access to water and a little grain. If you let them run free range, they’ll get much of their own food in spring, summer and fall-and oftentimes they’re getting rid of nuisance bugs.

You do need your coop to be solid and tight, because altogether too many predators think they “taste like chicken.”…opossums, foxes, coyotes, stray dogs, raccoons, and even snakes go after eggs and young chicks. And then there’s Chicken Enemy Number One for where I live now: hawks. Mocha the Good Dog has been a pretty big help here, racing around barking whenever she sees a large bird in the sky.

Keeping the chickens locked up in the coop all the time can lead to cannibalism if they get crowded and bored enough. You need more space per bird if you go that route. You can also give them an enclosed outside run, but this will turn to packed, bare earth in no time. I just let mine run loose-they make use of the woods as well as the clearing, and come back to the coop at night to roost…and, most of the time, to lay their eggs. At dusk I lock up the coop for the night. Then I let them out and feed them in the early morning, unless there is snow on the ground. They don’t mind cold and they don’t mind walking around in the rain (if it gets really heavy they hang out under the coop) but they hate snow.

The downside of letting them roam is that they feel compelled to scratch through loose vegetation looking for bugs, and I feel compelled to mulch my plants, so I have to put chicken wire fences around my flower gardens and other plantings. Which does also keep dogs, cat, and rabbits out.

In my experience, a pullet starts laying at the very end of the year in which she hatched, or early the next spring. I don’t use supplemental light, and find they quit for a month or two, usually December. I hate buying “cage-free eggs” for a high price at Wal-Mart, knowing that “cage free” probably means ten thousand hens in a huge building with a concrete floor. But I’ve discovered a good way to freeze my surplus eggs in the spring to tide me through the dark period-I crack two eggs (our typical breakfast ration) into a small plastic container, beat them , and then freeze it. Then I run a little warm water on the bottom, and pop the egg disk out of the container to store in a stack.

You can buy commercial laying mash or other grain rations-if the hens run free they can get by with just some whole or cracked corn or wheat much of the year. Be sure they always have water, which may take some extra effort in winter. Some hens will “go broody” and set on a clutch of eggs. If you want to let her hatch the chicks, it’s best to give her a separate space so the other hens don’t kick the half-brooded eggs out of the nest. It takes 21 days. Some breeds, and some individual hens, are prone to broodiness and others never bother. Banties are particularly enthusiastic, and good mothers-but I see them as hawk bait here, so I have only bigger ones now. Araucanas and Americaunas lay pale blue or green eggs.

Yes, you can eat your chickens too-but they’re likely to be tough if they aren’t very young, and the breeds that make good layers take much longer to put on weight than the Corning Cross types developed for meat birds. You might want to raise one flock to butcher young, and another of a different breed to populate the henhouse. You can buy them as day-old chicks at some feed stores or through mail order.

Once you’ve gotten used to fresh eggs, it’s hard to go back to pale, stale eggs from the store. And who wants to contribute to the abusive way layers are kept by those who keep tens of thousands of “units” in conditions reminiscent of the Middle Passage of slave days? Get your own hens, or buy eggs locally. It’s easy!

 Questions, comments can be sent to wildfire@spectrumz.com.

While puttering about today we made our first, pallet-garden. Wait, let me rephrase that. Manthing made the pallet bed and I placed the pallet in the general area of where I wanted it to go. Not that it was difficult by any means, a 7 year old could make it with supervision but round here, someone has to man the camera so that blog posts can be made about our projects.

Being frugal or cheap as we are the biggest challenge was figuring out what to make a weed barrier from and what could hold the growing medium in. After approximately 43 seconds of thought, the chicken feed bags came to mind as the perfect choice. ( Dear DuMor, for all the uses I promote for your feed bags, I think you should provide me free chicken feed for ever more.) Since most of the growing medium was not going to be soil and knowing full well that a garden made from a pallet would not last forever, there really was no cheaper solution.
Manthing cut the bags into two sections and then stapled them to the side we decided would be the bottom and then over the sides of the pallet thereby making the bed. We then stuffed it full of old mulch hay we had and then used some of the soil we made in the experimental hugulkultur bed (post forthcoming but I was sick of seeing hugulkultur posts and assumed everyone else was too) to fill it up.
I think it turned out quite nicely considering the cost and time it took to make. The cost was indeed only our time since we made the soil, the feed bags were here, and the pallet is a work freebie. Total time making it was about three hours but we were just piddling about rather than working. It could probably be done in just a few minutes if store bought soil was purchased and all that needed to be done was to staple the bags on and fill. On one side I am planning on adding a trellis to be able to grow vertical. Though it is not planted as yet, I am thinking this is going to be a salsa garden.