Fun with clay and fire

Over the past 7 months or so, I’ve been attending a ceramics class once a week. While mainly focused on wheel-throwing, I really wanted to learn more about firing sculptural work. As I have progressed, I’m glad I now have a foundation in making pots. Here is a frog sculpture, freshly dipped in glaze and awaiting final firing. I’ve had little time to sculpt lately. I do enjoy it and I want to get a few more pieces done before the big move. I know we’ll not be able to take much, but at least I’m creating some Christmas gifts.

Shiitakes, 2nd flush

Altered the path of our hike tonight to check on the shiitake logs again. Despite the dry conditions we were pleased to find another flush ready for harvest. Stir-fry tonight, soup tomorrow.

Chicken-of-the-Woods update: I was all ready to sample what was a very tender and nice looking specimen (pictured a few entries down). I revisited the stump with knife in hand only to find something had eaten all but a nub of it. I was disappointed, but have resolved to find another before the month is out and the prime season is over.

A fungus among us

More tree fungi. This looks like Turkey Tail. It is sort of old and bleached out. It could also be False Turkey Tail. I’m going to have to look more closely at the underside next time I’m out. Whatever it is, it’s the predominant visible fungus in our woods.

“Sorry Charlie”

While out in the woods Sunday and thinking of mushrooms, I stumbled across this edible polypore fungus. Locally called “Chicken of the Woods”. It’s also called a Sulphur Shelf mushroom. After a long drought, we’ve finally got a little rain over the past 2 days. I went back to check on it today and found it had nearly doubled in size. They are considered choice eating. I’ve never yet tried one. In a couple days I’ll probably harvest this one. Likely stir-fry it. And experimentally try a tiny piece. If I were a completely healthy person, maybe I wouldn’t be so cautious. I have to consider the well-documented history of a mildly severe allergic reaction with this species in 5-10% of the general population. I’ll let you know the outcome. Life is risk, eh?

Shiitake Surprise

Shiitake Surprise

We hiked a path less-taken in our woods yesterday and went down into a valley where we seldom walk. I'd placed a bunch of logs down there 2.5 years ago that I'd bored holes in and inoculated with mushroom mycelium. I put them in the deep valley by a small creek hoping they would get enough moisture to grow. For the first year or so, I would check them periodically to see if they were fruiting. After a while I gave up thinking they were probably dead from the summer droughts.

To my great surprise and joy, we found shiitakes sprouting from them yesterday.

We had the first harvest in some soup last night. Delicious. So much better than whatever variety we get from the grocery store.

These are the Night Velvet strain. A warm weather variety. With fall manifesting here in earnest now, I'm not sure how much more we'll get this year.

I bought the inoculate, a punch-tool and some wax daubers from Field and Forest. I happened to have some paraffin on hand to seal the holes up.

I recommend it to anyone with some smallish diameter hardwood trees that need thinning. I understand oak is best. Poplar and others will work, but aren't as productive. Just don't experiment with hickory (like me), unless you want to wait a while! Harvest the green logs in the very early spring, before they start budding. It's an inexpensive, low-maintenance way to grow something tasty.

Fall and butterfly entropy

It's looking more like fall. The drought is causing premature leaf loss in the trees. The butterflies are getting fewer. Except for the Monarchs, who seem to have just arrived. The others that remain are a little ragged. Like this Fritillary sipping on some thistle.

Aztec corn

Some Blue Jade dwarf corn. It's an Aztec heirloom variety we decided to try this year in some pots. Despite drought conditions and our spotty irrigation, we've at least managed to generate a bunch of seed for next year. In past years it's been hard to find. All the good sources seem to sell out early.

Finally, we’ve got a little of rain and our peppers of all types have perked up. None so much as these prolific little Thai peppers. We’ve got a few in pots so we can bring them in as the temps drop and continue to enjoy them in stir fries and stews.

Our garden was limited this year. Just a couple beds and a bunch of pots. Still want to start some fall greens. Have a new bed I’ve been mulching just for that purpose. Making stops at regional Starbucks as I pass for waste coffee grounds. It will be an experiment in “lasagne gardening”. It’s all rotten straw, coffee waste, cardboard and a bit of sawdust. Some pumpkins are nearly ready to come off the vine. I may just get impatient and try one this weekend.

I found this praying mantis egg sac on the fence this week. Flashing back to childhood I remember at age 9 or so, living in southern Florida. We lived on the very edge of some suburbs. At our backyard was trackless orange groves and swampy jungle. I spent much of my time outside of oppressive religious school in those groves and woods. Checking the ‘coon traps for an elderly man who owned the fruit trees. In this age before internet and even cable TV, the Gurney’s seed catalog was serious entertainment. Late one winter it arrived and had a new section featuring “beneficial insects”. You could actually order praying mantis egg sacs and hatch them at home!! I promptly ordered 3. When they arrived, I hung them in jars. When it warmed enough they hatched, coming out through little horizontal slits along the back. There must’ve been 300 in a jar. I let them loose in the garden and in our little hydro greenhouse. I think it was the high point of my year.

I had decided to give the caterpillars a rest…and this is really the last one for a while, unless I just happen to see the Loch Ness Monster of caterpillars or something. The Monarchs were out this morning and they’re so striking, I couldn’t restrain myself.

My first attempt at a 4-hole clay ocarina. It doesn’t sound terrible, but I can see some changes I’ll make in the next one. Took it to get bisque-fired tonight.

Persimmon Roulette

We have a very tall persimmon tree that grows by our gate. Every fall it showers us with ripe persimmons. There would be no way to pick them as they are at least 30 ft off the ground. The tricky thing is knowing when you should try and eat one. Get it at the right stage of ripeness and it is the most delectable of fruit. Tastes like the finest orange marmalade! Try it just a little too early and it’s sort of like someone has poured a can of alum on your tongue. They must be super-ripe. Almost bordering on rotten. I’m not ready to test them just yet.

The bionic cherry tree

When we were making this place a bit more fit for permanent habitation last fall, I had to use a chain-saw type excavator to scribe some trenches for water and power conduits. At one point on the back embankment it got a little out of control on the incline and hit a cherry tree I’d planted here a few years back. It split it pretty badly in a couple places. I felt bad about it and figured it was destined to die of it’s injuries. One evening a couple weeks later the wind started kicking up and threatened to completely split the tree. Out of desperation I drilled a couple holes completely through it and reinforced it with carriage bolts and washers. To my surprise, it has thrived this year and even produced a huge number of cherries. It appears to have completely fused back together. Maybe a lot of things can heal if you just give them the right kind of help?

Last year we got comfrey going at the new homestead. We contained it in some tires so it didn’t take the place. If you don’t know comfrey, it is an awesome medicinal plant. Really does close wounds quickly (careful with a puncture wound where you might seal up infection in there). Contains allantoin, a cell proliferant. It’s also a great generator of compost material and happens to have attractive blossoms.

Ok. I give in. It is the caterpillar blog! All caterpillars! All the time!

I’m joking. But I couldn’t resist completing the bizarre caterpillar trifecta with this Tomato Hornworm M just found in the garden. Covered in parasitic wasp pupae, I thought he was worthy of a photo.

It’s not been a fantastic year for most tomatoes in these parts, but the cherry tomatoes are dependable as usual.

Ok. Not trying to make this the caterpillar blog, but we have seen some interesting ones lately. Yesterday the Saddleback. Today, a pink-furred variety we found walking down our lane.

A closer look at the venomous little guy.

I’d not have noticed this fellow if he hadn’t stung the daylights out of my shoulder as I passed while cycling this morning. Very much like being stung by a wasp, only with less lasting effects. Nice colors though!

Kazak is growing up fast. And learning more every day. We lost his great-great-grandmother, Gudrun this week. She was 12 and fairly active up to the end. Acting as security at work most of her life, she was truly the best of dogs. We accidentally ended up with one of her descendants (didn’t know until we got his papers). It’s nice to know we still have some of her good genes around the place.

Kang Kob pumpkins on the fence. They’re a variety from Thailand. I’m no aficionado, but it’s really the best pumpkin I’ve ever tasted. Got seeds from Baker Creek several years ago and have been saving them out of a nice pumpkin ever since. Looks like it’s going to be a good year for them.

The first open thistle of the year. We hike nightly and often see amazing flora and/or wildlife. The thistle blooms are a striking burst of color at a time when not much else is flowering.