Sittin' around...

I was out on the porch having my first cigarette of the day. It was dark, of course, and it was a really clear sky. Most morning skies have been cloudy of late. Even when it has been bitter cold. As an old logger I have a habit of looking at the sky and seeing what the temperature is gonna be like during the Winter. The problem of Winter logging is when it does not freeze. Unfrozen ground can quickly turn into a quagmire when a skidder is running back and forth across it. Not good. The enviromentalists get all upset about the ruts in the mud. The logger is upset because he knows his skidder is getting double wear and tear while it fights the mud.

It's very nice when you get up in the middle of the night to take a leak and then step outside and look at a clear sky. That means there is no cloud cover holding the heat in on the planet and the ground will be frozen. And frozen ground is the loggers friend. A good cloud cover is a bummer. The ground is going to be covered with snot-like mud that gives way when it even hears a skidder coming. This is the sign of a long day. Just an old trick from an old logger. Don't always work but it gives you something to do.

Sitting out on the porch in the dark of the morning with a clear sky gives you an idea of what it's like to be on a rock hanging in outer space. You see all those other rocks and suns out there and you know you are in a precarious position. If the laws governing the universe are ever broken then we Earthings are in a whole lot of trouble. But we would not be in trouble for long because we would be dead. We would freeze very quickly if we went spinning away from the Sun and we would be incinerated if we went towards it. We used to get up on the morning of the Winter Solstice. We had a place where we all met and we looked in a certain direction for the rising Sun. We didn't worship the Sun but we took that view of the Sun as a sign that God still had the universe under control and we were alright. Comforting.

I have a post from an elderly lady down in Alabama that has the names and the uses of various herbs. You might like to get into studying herbs and seeing what they do or are reputed to do. They grow wild out in our woods and fields.

HERBS YOU CAN GROW

aloe-for burns, etc...

Balm-calms nerves, soothes cuts & stings,fights herpes,repels mosquitoes

celery seed- sheds water weight, lowers BP, reduces cholesterol, diuretic

chamomile- calming agent

cilantro/coriander- prevents infection,relieves arthritis, improves digestion

cayenne- ease pain, digestion, cuts cholesterol

Dill-digestion,ease colic, fights gas

echinacea- fights infection, cold & flue,stimulates immune system

fennel- for gas, digestion, colic, add to salads...DO NOT HARVEST IN WILD
it resembles poison hemlock....grow your own...tastes like licorice

fever few- prevents migraines,for indigestion, grows from root cuttings..
don't grow near plants that require bees for pollinating

garlic- fights infection, heart disease & stroke, helps control diabetes

marsh mallow- relieve coughs, boosts immunity, sooth sore throat.
wild or grow your own

meadowsweet- head aches, reduces fever, controls diarrhea, natural air freshener
has salicin, form of salicylic acid, same as aspirin

peppermint- sore muscles, sinuses, relieves pain

rosemary- prevents cancer (tumors), helps cramps,food preservative, put in your
food to prevent food poisoning.

sage- helps heal wounds, preserves foods, aids digestion, helps control sugar levels

This is how she sent the post and this is how I pass it on to you. Use it for a reference. You might change some of her findings. And BUY AN HERB BOOK. One with pretty photographs that you can use to identify the plants you are looking at. The Handmaiden and I have a few herb books and they really help.

Herbs will become our pharmacy of the future after TEOTWAWKI. I can't get that out as much as it is needed. If the bombs go off then you can kiss CVS and all those guys goodbye. It will be a blessing to have a stash of whatever medication you are taking. But the stash is going to be used up and then what are you going to do?. My diabetic friend is stockpiling as much insulin as he can get his hands on. And syringes also. If he runs out before the pharmaceutical companies get back into gear, he could have a real problem.

Sitting out on the porch in the dark, studying the presence of God, is a marvelous thing. You never know where it is going to take you. You never know what path you will be following.

Stay smart and stay alive.

Michael