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Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

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No Widgets

"Secondary" needs some widgets.

Buzzing-a story Late last night, around midnight (

Buzzing-a story
Late last night, around midnight (or 3 am Ithaca time), I arrived at one of my favorite places to stay, a room overlooking the Samish Bay on Samish Island north of Seattle, Washington. I will be teaching for Leslie Lekos, at her herb school Wildroots, in Bellingham.
This was my first flight since the Pandemic began (my longest time not flying for over 30 years). (I can’t say I missed sitting on airplanes).
After arriving and bringing in my bags, I heard a high-pitched humming. It was quite distracting, especially since I like the quietness of this place (my third time here). I thought it might be one of the utilities in the apartment, and that it would shut off. I tried to ignore it, but I was nervous that I would have to hear it over the next 5 days of being here. I started putting my ear next to various appliances, such as the refrigerator and heater, but it did not seem to be coming from them. I opened up the various cabinets looking for the possible origin of the noise.
I realized that if I went in the bedroom and closed the door, it wasn’t too loud, and I should be able to fall asleep, though again, I fretted that it would be distracting during my days there. (Remember, it was 3 am to my circadian rhythm.)
So, I brought my bags into the bedroom and closed the door to get ready to go to sleep, and now heard it loudly in that room. Dagnabit I thought, this is annoying.
And then.
And then I realized that it was coming from my travel bag. I opened it up wondering what it could be, and it was…my electric razor. (I have not idea how that got turned on).
I shut it off and the noise was thus disappeared. What a relief.
And that is my buzzy story.
Photo from the back porch here this morning.
~7Song, Bow, Washington. September 22, 2021

This is a Fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria).

This is a Fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria). It is likely variety guessowii based on the concentric rings toward the bottom of the stalk. The inset is a younger version of the mushroom that recently emerged. I think they have a melted gloopy look.
The common name and the species both allude to how this fungus was used as an insecticide to kill flies. There are several ways that this was done. The goal is for the fly to come to the preparation, eat it, and then die. A sort of deadly fly trap. Some sources describe powdering the mushroom and putting it into milk for this purpose. They are quite an exotic looking organism.
McLean Bog, McLean, NY. September 18, 2021

Moonancholy The full moon is bittersweet to me. I

Moonancholy
The full moon is bittersweet to me. I adore its beauty, its effervescence. Full moon nights hold a specialness, separating them from other nights.
And yet, they also hold a suggestion of my mortality within them.
I look up and think about how many full moons I have lived through, and how many more I have to go. I start to think about all the people who have transversed in my life. Those who are still here and those who have faded into the misty background of my mind.
I don’t know if I have always been this moonancholy, but it seems to build as the years grow. I don’t mind. I don’t live for happiness, but rather to try and understand myself better, and how I fit into this wholly complex world.
There are times of upliftment, there are dizzying downturns, but they are all a part of my somewhat awkward journey.
Fortunately, I have met many a fine person, and for them, I am greatly appreciative.
~7Song, Ithaca, NY. September 19, 2021

This is the larval stage of the Asian lady beetle

This is the larval stage of the Asian lady beetle (Ladybug). The inset shows an adult pair mating.
I find insect metamorphosis fascinating, alternating one's shape dramatically to fit into their environment.

Autumn olive (Eleagnus umbellata, Elaeagnaceae) Th

Autumn olive (Eleagnus umbellata, Elaeagnaceae)
This is a shrub in which I have a multifaceted relationship. It is a non-native and can be quite invasive displacing many native plants. But it has (to my taste buds) very toothsome sour fruits. Which are lepidote, meaning covered in silvery scales.
You can see the word relationship with Lepidoptera, the order of insects that include butterflies and moths, both of which have scales on their wings.
The underside of the leaves is also very lepidote, and the shrub can be seen from a distance due to this silver flagging.
So, while I do remove these plants from where I live, and would not recommend anyone planting them, I still appreciate their tasty fruits and shiny foliage. Gesundheit Institute, Hillsboro, WV. September 14, 2021.

The underside of an Orchard spider. I really like

The underside of an Orchard spider. I really like its shiny green-iness. West Virginia, July 2021

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