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Time to prepare medicines for the Ithaca Free Clin

Time to prepare medicines for the Ithaca Free Clinic. First up, Rosemary tincture (Salvia rosmarinus, Lamiaceae). Rosemary has become a much-used plant for me over the past 4 years. I find it useful for its antioxidant and other actions alongside other herbs for helping with cognitive function (such as ‘brain fog’). It might be due to its content of rosmarinic acid, but more likely, its effects are due to multiple constituents. Plus, it has an aroma that many people know and feel comfortable with.
I often use it in formulas when people have concentration difficulties, along with medicinal herbs such as Gotu kola (Centella asiatica), Gingko (Ginkgo biloba), and Calamus (Acorus calamus). It seems safe as a part of a formula.
Tonight’s tincture was prepared at 1:4 in 40% ethanol.

I may be a touch paranoid here, but an asteroid (2

I may be a touch paranoid here, but an asteroid (2023 DZ2) will come within 100,000 miles from the earth (about half the distance to the moon) today. The asteroid is 230 feet (about the length of a 20 story building). It is no longer on the Sentry Risk Table (list of possible celestial objects hitting the earth), but if it did, it would have enough impact to destroy a city with a lot of fallout. (I probably shouldn't have watched 'Don't Look Up'). I guess I thought something like this would receive more media coverage. Okay, time to watch a mindless comedy.

I guess this post concludes my Puerto Rico adventu

I guess this post concludes my Puerto Rico adventures. I arrived back home last night and donned my ‘Union Suit,’ as my home was quite chilly. I then crawled under some thick covers, glad to be back home.
I felt welcomed in Puerto Rico and met many new friends, and hope to continue our relationships. I also saw and photographed plants new and unusual to me, such as Damiana (Turnera diffusa), Guayacan (Guaiacum sanctum, and G. officinale), and Aloe vera in the ‘wild.’ I also stayed at some wonderful permaculture and botanical gardens (thank you, Rebeca and Maria). It was a pleasure teaching and meeting local herbalists and activists. And let’s not forget the home-cooked meals.
But it was the people I met that made this trip special. I look forward to returning in the not-too-distant future.

This was one of the stranger plants I saw in south

This was one of the stranger plants I saw in southwestern Puerto Rico. At first, I thought it was an epiphytic cactus. Upon closer examination, I could not find any flowers or leaves and was truly biffledinked.
It is (ready now?) a type of Vanilla orchid. Yup, Vanilla barbellata. It initially starts growing from the ground and then starts to climb up vegetation. At one point the older section dies off, and then lives the rest of its life as an epiphyte (plants that grow on other plants but do not parasitize them). Unfortunately, it does not make tasty Vanilla pods.

I am in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to catch my flights

I am in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to catch my flights home tomorrow (I use a very big net to catch them). And walking to yet another Mexican restaurant, I saw these Blue and yellow Macaws squawking loudly in some nearby palm trees. So I hurried back to my tiny apartment, put on my zoom lens for such events, and got some colorful birdy photos here in this city. (And then some mediocre Mexican food. But who’s complaining).

I just finished drying this stack of Olive (Olea e

I just finished drying this stack of Olive (Olea europa) leaves. I gathered them from Marco’s aunt’s home, where the tree was planted over 20 years ago. I have not used Olive leaf as medicine, but I am intrigued by its potential uses, especially with cardiovascular health. More about this later.

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