More magical surprises at RavensWood

Byrum has done it again! Although I thought he had retired to his village in RootUnder for the winter seasonal festivities. Behold here he is working his magic to astound me with the most special surprises ever.. Magic mushrooms!!!

Sparkling fall leaves

Bee

Its all about the right choices

You ask of my companions. Hills, sir, and the sundown, and a dog as large as myself that my father bought me. They are better than human beings, because they know but do not tell. ~Emily Dickinson

Hi to all,

Those of us who love Australian Shepherds can't imagine a more perfect breed of dog. Unfortunately, the very characteristics we value in these dogs make them unsuitable for some owners. This is why I am posting this blog entry. Recently I had inquiries about my dogs and I had to tell the folks that they just were not suited for this type of dog.. Folks please consider carefully if your lifestyle can accommodate the type of dog you choose, exspecially with the exuberance of a Aussie.

Here are some breed specifics of the Aussie;

Moderate sized, intelligent, all-purpose stock dog. Many Aussies today still do the work they were bred for, and even those that have never seen sheep or cattle usually have a strong herding instinct. This means that Aussies need fenced yards and leashes, as the temptation to herd dogs, children, and traffic can simply overwhelm them. Being bred to work hard all day means that most Aussies are not content to be couch potatoes, Being bred to work hard all day means that most Aussies are not content to be couch potatoes, although Aussies have individual characters and some are more sedate and quiet-natured than others. For the most part, however, these are high energy dogs who need a purpose in their lives-a job as it were. Owners must be committed to give these dogs the time and attention they require through play and training, for as with any dog, undirected energy can turn towards destructive behaviors such as digging and chewing. Running, jumping, and rough-housing are all a part of being a normal Aussie.

The intelligence of these dogs, necessary to out-think and control livestock, can be detrimental when left untrained and unused. Aussies are quite capable of out-thinking their owners. Obedience training is highly recommended as a means of teaching owners how to channel the typical Aussie's innate desire to please into appropriate behaviors.

Although many Aussies are friendly with everyone, the Australian Shepherd as a breed tends to be somewhat reserved and cautious around strangers. With Aussies of this nature, owners should encourage the dog to meet people but not force encounters. Aussies are often quite protective of their family and property, a desirable trait in some situations but not acceptable in others, and some dogs never accept strangers. As with all dogs, poorly socialized Aussies may become aggressive without proper training. This is so very true, I tell visiters this always-->My saying is" You must reapply with my Aussie's every time you come to my home. My dogs are not mean, But they make you reapply with them before you can come in.. My beloved Nick was this way too! So a un-socialized Aussie can be a BIG problem!

Aussies are perfect for people wishing to own a highly trainable, versatile, super-smart dog that can work/play "till the cows come home". If you have the time and commitment for an Aussie, you won't be disappointed. These special dogs deserve special owners. Their loyalty, drive, character, and whimsical sense of humor place them in a class by themselves.

So that's the long and short of it.. Please always chose carefully when getting a pet..

It is a life long commitment..

Puppy kisses to all

Bee

Christmas Legends About Silent Night

There are obscure Christmas legends, and then there are the legends almost everyone remembers. Silent Night is a Christmas carol that has evoked a powerful response, and people seem compelled to shroud it with stories and mystery.

Some Facts

These are the facts we know for sure about Silent Night despite the various stories surrounding the famous Christmas carol.
--An Austrian priest by the name of Father Josef Mohr composed the original lyrics to Stille Nacht in German.
--An Austrian headmaster, Franz Xavier Gruber, composed the melody, which differed slightly from the version we use today.
--Mohr wrote the song in 1816, but it wasn't performed until Christmas Eve of 1818 at the Nicola-Kirche (Church of St. Nicholas) in Oberndorf, Austria.
--Gruber's original melody was written for guitar.

The Myths

Out of these simple facts came many Christmas legends of Silent Night. Including some of these myths and some legends where the truth is simply unknown.
--The organ broke and Gruber and Mohr quickly composed the melody for the song on guitar instead;
Truth: The first mention of this legend doesn't occur until 1909, long after the song's debut.
--The carol was performed to a magnificent reception, but promptly forgotten. In 1825, an organ repairman found the long-lost manuscript and brought it to the attention of the public once more.
Truth: Mohr and Gruber published several versions of the song throughout their lifetimes.
--Mice ate through the organ bellows, necessitating the use of the guitar.
Truth: There is no evidence of this, just like the other organ myth. Some have theorized that Gruber used his guitar just because he was looking for an excuse to play it in church. Unlike many Christmas legends, this one might actually be true.

Silent Night in War

Silent Night has had a profound impact on people around the world, and the Internet gives you access to many soldiers from a variety of battles who found peace in its melody.
The most famous, of course, is the temporary truce shared by German and American soldiers during the Christmas of 1914.
Unlike many Christmas legends, this story has been downplayed, not exaggerated, as years passed. Military officials disliked the truce, and they doubly disliked the fact that soldiers on both sides refused to resume firing at one another for some time afterwards.But while Silent Night was the song that started soldiers on both sides singing together, the following days saw soldiers playing soccer, exchanging gifts, and meeting behind enemy lines, all in the name of Christmas.
So while many Christmas legends are silly, sentimental, or just plain nonsense, keep in mind that not only are some true, but that they can be the most inspiring of all.

OH Christmas Tree , Oh Christams tree

With Christmas & Yule's fast approach, And -->I just put up my tree yesterday. I thought I would blog a little info on the Christmas tree. It is such a part of the traditional Christmas festivities and such a center piece. My tree is artificial.. I walk in the woods the week before Yule, and find a proud grand fir, and ask for a a small sampling of his beautiful branch's so I may smell the scent of Christmas past, and partake in a small way in the celebrations of the ancients....

Happy Hoildays
Bee

Traditions: Christmas Trees

The fir tree has a long association with Christianity, it began in Germany almost 1,000 years ago when St Boniface, who converted the German people to Christianity, was said to have come across a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree. In anger, St Boniface is said to have cut down the oak tree and to his amazement a young fir tree sprung up from the roots of the oak tree. St Boniface took this as a sign of the Christian faith. But it was not until the 16th century that fir trees were brought indoors at Christmas time.Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. Our modern Christmas tree evolved from these early traditions.


Top ten christmas trees sold in the united states .


Voted #1 - Fraser Fir
Voted #2 - Douglas Fir
Voted #3 - Balsam Fir
Voted #4 - Colorado Blue Spruce V
Voted # 5 - Scotch Pine -
Voted #6 - Eastern Red Cedar -
Voted #7 - White Spruce -
Voted #8 - Eastern White Pine -
Voted #9 - White Fir or Concolor Fir
Voted #10 - Virginia Pine

( Where I live in the Pacific NW--> it is; Douglas fir, Blue spruce, Grand fir and Noble fir.)


CHRISTMAS TREE TRADITION HAS ANCIENT ORIGINS

King Tut never saw a Christmas tree, but he would have understood the tradition which traces back long before the first Christmas.
The Egyptians were part of a long line of cultures that treasured and worshipped evergreens. When the winter solstice arrive, they brought green date palm leaves into their homes to symbolize life's triumph over death.
The Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a fest called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. They gave coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness, and lamps to light one's journey through life.
Centuries ago in Great Britain, woods priests called Druids used evergreens during mysterious winter solstice rituals. The Druids used holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life, and place evergreen branches over doors to keep away evil spirits.
Legend has it that Martin Luther began the tradition of decorating trees to celebrate Christmas. One crisp Christmas Eve, about the year 1500, he was walking through snow-covered woods and was struck by the beauty of a group of small evergreens. Their branches, dusted with snow, shimmered in the moonlight. When he got home, he set up a little fir tree indoors so he could share this story with his children. He decorated it with candles, which he lighted in honor of Christ's birth.
The Christmas tree tradition most likely came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution, or with German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio.
But the custom spread slowly. The Puritans banned Christmas in New England. Even as late as 1851, a Cleveland minister nearly lost his job because he allowed a tree in his church. Schools in Boston stayed open on Christmas Day through 1870, and sometimes expelled students who stayed home.
The Christmas tree market was born in 1851 when Catskill farmer Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds of evergreens into New York City and sold them all. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree, and 20 years later, the custom was nearly universal.
Christmas tree farms sprang up during the depression. Nurserymen couldn't sell their evergreens for landscaping, so they cut them for Christmas trees. Cultivated trees were preferred because they have a more symmetrical shape then wild ones.

CHRISTMAS TREE HISTORY

Did a celebration around a Christmas tree on a bitter cold Christmas Eve at Trenton, New Jersey, turn the tide for Colonial forces in 1776? According to legend, Hessian mercenaries were so reminded of home by a candlelit evergreen tree that they abandoned their guard posts to eat, drink and be merry. Washington attached that night and defeated them.
The Christmas tree has gone through a long process of development rich in many legends, says David Robson, Extension Educator, Horticulture, with the Springfield Extension Center.
Some historians trace the lighted Christmas tree to Martin Luther. He attached lighted candles to a small evergreen tree, trying to simulate the reflections of the starlit heaven -- the heaven that looked down over Bethlehem on the first Christmas Eve.
Until about 1700, the use of Christmas trees appears to have been confined to the Rhine River District. From 1700 on, when lights were accepted as part of the decorations, the Christmas tree was well on its way to becoming a tradition in Germany. Then the tradition crossed the Atlantic with the Hessian soldiers.
Some people trace the origin of the Christmas tree to an earlier period. Even before the Christian era, trees and boughs were used for ceremonials. Egyptians, in celebrating the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year -- brought green date palms into their homes as a symbol of "life triumphant over death". When the Romans observed the feast of saturn, part of the ceremony was the raising of an evergreen bough. The early Scandinavians were said to have paid homage to the fir tree.
To the Druids, sprigs of evergreen holly in the house meant eternal life; while to the Norsemen, they symbolized the revival of the sun god Balder. To those inclined toward superstition, branches of evergreens placed over the door kept out witches, ghosts, evil spirits and the like.
This use does not mean that our Christmas tree custom evolved solely from paganism, any more than did some of the present-day use of sighed in various religious rituals.
Trees and branches can be made purposeful as well as symbolic. The Christmas tree is a symbol of a living Christmas spirit and brings into our lives a pleasant aroma of the forest. The fact that balsam fir twigs, more than any other evergreen twigs, resemble crosses may have had much to do with the early popularity of balsam fir used as Christmas trees.

Fleur-de-Lis - Mists of Antiquity

Hi to all, I wanted to do a blog entry on the "Fleur" for some time now. I find it so interesting. Not only as a flower, but it's long historical significance. The photo above is in the color of the Fleur that live in my gardens--> Royal Purple.

Enjoy!



Sparkling Bee






The emblem of royalty. The symbol of elegance, refinement and opulence. The iris has been cherished by kings, queens and gardeners since the beginning of history. During the Crusades,Louis VII of France chose the iris as his personal
symbol, known as the FJeur-de-Louisr which later became Fleur-de-Lis. Ever since, the stylized iris has been the symbol of French royalty. It glistened on the robes of the Sun King, Louis XIV. It is etched,carved and gilded into every comer of Versailles, the palace of Trench kings. And in the gardens of this paradise, the noble iris still reigns supreme.





Fleur History

Few heraldic emblems have been so controversial as the fleur-de-lis (or fleur-de-lys or flower-de-luce). Its history stretches far back in time, allegedly into the "mists of antiquity", and its quasi-mystical origins were seemingly accepted unquestioningly by early churchmen. One scenario identifies it as the lily given at his baptism to Clovis, King of the Franks (from AD 481 to 511), by the Virgin Mary, a tradition presented in evidence by the French bishops at the Council of Trent (AD 1545-63) to support their arguments for the precedence of their king, François I. The lily was claimed to have sprung from the tears shed by Eve as she left Eden (just as that unrelated flower, the lily of the valley, was said to have grown from the tears of the Virgin at the foot of the Cross). From its earliest records (it was the flower of Hera, the Greek moon goddess) it has been the symbol of purity and was accordingly readily adopted by the Church to associate the Virgin Mary's sanctity with events of special significance. Thus when Pope Leo III in AD 800 crowned Charlemagne as Emperor, he is reported to have presented him with a blue banner covered (semé) with golden fleurs-de-lis (an event which may have given birth to the legend of the Virgin's gift to Clovis, as it undoubtedly formed the basis of Nicolas Upton's reference, around AD 1428, to Charlemagne having received the banner Azure semé of fleurs-de-lis Or from an angel). Clovis is the same name as Lois, Loys and Louis, and as Loys was the contemporary spelling used by the Kings of France until Louis XIII (AD 1610), ":fleur-de-lys" has been claimed as a corruption of "fleur-de-Loys". Other imaginative explanations include the shape having been developed from the image of a dove descending, which is the symbol of the Holy Ghost, and, as Rouge Croix Pursuivant John Guillim explained in his Display of Heraldrie (1611), of it being a distortion of the outline of a toad.
That the French kings long used the fleur-de-lis as an emblem of their sovereignty is irrefutable. On his seal of AD 1060 (before heraldry became formalised) Philip I sits on his throne holding a short staff that terminates in a fleur-de-lis. The same staff appears in the great seal of Louis VII (AD 1137-80), whose signet ring was charged with a single fleur-de-lis. The great seals of Philip II and Louis VIII show them seated, holding in one hand a flower and in the other a sceptre on which is mounted an heraldic fleur-de-lis within a lozenge. But long before this, although it may perhaps be merely coincidence and unrelated to later practice, the Roman Emperor Hadrian (AD 117-138) issued a coin which represented Gaul (as France then was) with a woman holding a lily in her hand Louis VII is believed to have been the first to use Azure semé of fleurs-de-lis Or (now abbreviated to Azure semé-de-lis Or and designated "France Ancient") on his shield, but its use on a banner, and especially on the French royal standard, may have been earlier than this. (The reduction to three fleurs-de-lis, today designated as "France Modern", was commanded by Charles V in 1376, reportedly in honour of the Holy Trinity. This was copied by Henry IV of England who, following Edward III, had symbolised the English claim to France by placing the French lilies in his first quarter.)
Alexander Nisbet in 1722, after distinguishing between the natural lily, "the lily of the garden", and the stylised lily, "the lily of the flag", observed of the oriflamme ~





The other lilies, as those of France, so well known ....... having only but three leaves, is by the Latins called flos iridis, and by the French fleur de l'iris; being always called the flower of the rainbow or iridis, which the French call fleur-de-lis, from the river Lis, as some will; and anciently flams or flambs, which signifies the same: Whence the Royal Standard of France was called the oriflam or oriflambe, being a blue banner, charged with golden flower-de-luces, a suitable figure, say some, for the Franks, who come from the marshes of Friezland.





Two points are worth noting here. First, the seeming confusion between the iris and the lily is commonly found throughout all the early writings on this subject, for it was only during the 19th century that the iris ceased to be known as a lily. Second is the reference to the river Lis. Today, in France, this is the River Lys, and its continuation downstream into Flanders is, in Flemish, the River Leie. Here, to the west of Ghent (where it flows through the lands once held by the Gavere family, the first to bear the tressure flory-counterflory featuring the fleur-de-lis), the golden iris may still be found on its banks. The heraldic representation of the flower sweeps the upper pair of its five petals inwards to merge with the centre one, while the lower pair curve downwards. The photograph of the pressed and dried flower below left shows the results.
So although the legendary origins of the fleur-de-lis have caught imaginations down the centuries, and are still to be found in heraldic textbooks, Nisbet's casual comment is worth more than later writers have allowed it. The lily, now called an iris, still grows along the Lys in lands drained by the Franks. When pressed and dried it reveals clearly the shape of the stylised heraldic charge. This is, on balance, its most probable origin.





The Baronage Press

Fiddleheads--> a sign of Spring

Hi to all, Just had to drop a bit on the Fiddleheads. I love them.. They are so cool. This time every year I search for them, and its like a treasure hunt. Then one day there they are pushing their fiddle heads up from the earth seeking the warmth from the sunlight of spring time.

Sparkles
Bee

Fiddleheads are the young coiled fern leaves (about an inch in diameter) of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris). Nearly all ferns have fiddleheads, but those of the ostrich fern are unlike any other.

Common Name, Comes from the resemblance of the fronds to the plumes of the large flightless bird of Africa.

Other common names include Fiddlehead Fern, Garden Fern, Hardy Fern, Fougère-à-l'autruche (Qué), Strutbräken, Foderbräken (Swe), Strutsveng (Nor), Strudsvinge (Dan), Kotkansiipi (Fin), Straußfarn (Ger), Matteuccia (It), Struccpáfrány (Hun), Pióropusznik strusi (Pol)

(Hope I spelled these right?)

Fiddleheads are a delicacy that appears in the early spring. Harvest the tender little rolls of fern almost as soon as they appear within an inch or two of the ground. Carefully brush out and remove the brown scales. Wash and cook the “heads” in a small amount of lightly salted boiling water for ten minutes, or steam for 20 minutes. Serve at once with melted butter. The quicker they are eaten, the more delicate their flavor. They may be served, like asparagus, on toast. Cooked, chilled fiddleheads can be also served as a salad with an onion and vinegar dressing
They are available for just a few weeks in April & May, (Depends on where you live & this fern is common in the Northern United States)
If see some growing in the woods near you, take care. There are many other ferns that resemble the Ostrich Fern, some of which are considered to be carcinogenic, like the Bracken Fern. There are other edible Fern, but you MUST know how to positively identify them.

Their flavor is mild, and perhaps most closely resembles asparagus, and asparagus is the best substitute for the ferns. Some also say they are similar to green beans and artichokes. They are pleasantly crunchy with a nutty, slightly bitter bite, which is why you’ll see so many fiddlehead recipes calling for butter and salt. Treat the fiddle heads like asparagus tips and you can’t go wrong. If you really want a treat, serve them up with some morel mushrooms( I pick these too!!); their season coincides almost exactly with the ferns and they pair well.
Due to the short season for fiddleheads, some people like to preserve them to be used later. To freeze fiddleheads, prepare them as you would for the table. Blanch a small amount at a time for two minutes. Cool and drain. Pack into moisture- and vapor-proof containers and store them in the freezer.


**The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has investigated a number of outbreaks of food-borne illness associated with fiddleheads. The implicated ferns were eaten either raw or lightly cooked (sautéed, parboiled or microwaved), which was what caused a food-borne illness outbreak in British Columbia in 1990. Although a toxin has not been identified in the fiddleheads of the ostrich fern, the findings of this investigation suggest that you should cook fiddleheads thoroughly before eating (boil them for at least 10 minutes) . **

*Referance Source;University of Maine Cooperative ExtensionBulletin #4198


Fiddlehead Dijon

1-1/2 pounds fresh fiddleheads
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Clean and prepare fiddleheads. Remove scales and wash thoroughly. Place fiddleheads in a vegetable steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam 20 minutes or until tender, but still crisp. Set aside, and keep warm.
Combine cornstarch and buttermilk in a small saucepan; stir well. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in mustard, lemon juice, tarragon and pepper.
Arrange fiddleheads on a serving platter. Spoon sauce over fiddleheads. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Basics On Willow Bark

Hi to all, I had a question from a blog reader about the pain relieving qualities from willow bark. So I am giving you all some general information on willow bark.
Willow is one of my favorite trees, and so very special.. I gain this information through many herbal books and source documents from my own personal library. So I feel this information is very sound.

Sparkling

Bee

Willow Bark has been used for thousands of years to treat fevers, and headaches, white willow bark contains a chemical forerunner of today's most popular painkiller - aspirin. The herb is sometimes called 'herbal aspirin', but has few of that drug's side effects.

"Salix Alba" (white willow) know as the American willow, belongs to the Salicaceae family and is also called "white willow", salicin willow, withe, withy,"Salix Nigra",( black willow) willow bark and salicis cortex.

"Salix Nigra" "Black Willow" Originating in Europe, this salix is also called the European willow.

History tells us that the bark of Salix Alba ( white willow?) has been used to relieve pain and reduce fever for over 2,000 years. The Willow encompasses more than three hundred species. The White Willow is a low-growing deciduous tree that is native to Europe and northern Asia and naturalized in North America. It grows in damp, low places, especially along riverbanks, and thrives in moist-to-wet, heavy soil in sun, rising to a height of eighty feet. White Willow branches were once regarded as a symbol of desolation and grief and were displayed by those who experienced "lost love," but it has more often been called one of nature's greatest gifts to man because of its natural painkilling effects. In the first century A.D., the Greek physician, Dioscorides, appears to have been the first to note the use of Willow Bark to ease pain and reduce fevers, and he even specifically prescribed a mixture with the bark to treat lower back pain. He also prescribed it for the pain occurring in childbirth. Biblical scriptures also reflect the use of willow bark as a "tea," which had an aspirin effect During the Middle Ages.

White Willow Bark continued to be used in Europe to reduce fevers and relieve pain. The plant contains salicylic acid, which was first synthesized in 1838, and provides the basis of aspirin; and in 1899, the Bayer Company of Germany introduced a drug composed of a synthetic chemical compound, similar to the active compound in Willow Bark, the "aspirin."

Native Americans knew of the benefits of White Willow Bark when they used it as a painkiller, a cure for fever and to induce sweating. Some tribes used Black Willow Bark to quell sexual desire and also made good use of the stems for basket-weaving. The stems are still used to create baskets and in the manufacture of wicker furniture and artists' charcoal pencils. Over the centuries, White Willow Bark's growing list of medicinal applications has risen to include remedies for insomnia, colds, rheumatism and dysentery. Some of the constituents included in White Willow Bark are apigenin, beta-carotene, catechin, lignin, rutin, salicin, salicylic acid, tannin, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, B-vitamins and vitamin C. .

History reads that in mid-18th century England, the Reverend Edmund Stone tasted white willow bark and found its bitterness similar to that of cinchona bark, the source of quinine(used to treat cramps). He wrote of the "success of the bark of the willow in the cure fever. Reverend Stone had reached this conclusion based on the willow's growing in damp areas. He reasoned that fevers abound in damp areas and the willow bark possessed properties appropriate to curing feverish conditions.
Salicin, is the active ingredient in willow bark, and was discovered in 1827. In conjunction with Reverend Stone's theories, it was first used in 1875 to treat rheumatic fever. Later uses included the relief of joint inflammation and reduction of uric acid in the blood of patients with gout. In the 1890s.

Gathering and Preparation;

Salix bark is stripped from the tree in spring when it is moist with sap. The bark can then be prepared in a variety of ways.

Salix as a liquid extract can be prepared by soaking one teaspoon of bark in cold water for 8-10 hours. The bark is strained and removed from the water. One cup of this extract equals a low dose of aspirin (about 60-150 milligrams.) Liquid extracts can also be prepared with alcohol and taken at a dosage of 1-3 milliliters. These extracts are generally used for cold symptoms, but can be used simply as teas. When consumed as a tea, sugar or honey is added to sweeten the bitter flavor of the bark. Preparations for extracts include soaking or boiling 1-3 teaspoons bark in 1 cup of cold water for 2-5 hours. The liquid is bitter and taken unsweetened. The dosage is 1 cup per day, a mouthful at a time. Although the bark is the most commonly used part of the salix tree, its leaves can also be eaten. This produces results similar to the bark as the leaves contain a concentration of salicin.


I must Warn you willow bark may ;

Cause upset stomach, nausea and vomiting
Avoid if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
Consult a physician before using salix bark to prevent heart attack or stroke.
Avoid if you have an ulcer.
Avoid if you have asthma or tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Avoid if you are allergic to aspirin.
Do not give willow bark to children as it may cause Reye's syndrome. Although rare, the syndrome is potentially fatal and damages a child's brain and liver.

In the body the salicin from white willow bark is metabolized to form salicylic acid, which reduces pain, fever and inflammation. Though the herb acts more slowly than aspirin, its beneficial effects last longer and it causes fewer adverse reactions. Most notably, it does not promote stomach bleeding - one of aspirins most potentially serious side effects. Benefits White willow bark can be very effective for relieving headaches, as well as acute muscle aches and pains. It can also alleviate all sorts of chronic pain, including back and neck pain. When recommended for arthritis, especially if there is pain in the back, knees and hips, it can reduce swelling and inflammation and increase joint mobility. In addition, it may help to ease the pain of menstrual cramps - the salicin regulates the action of hormone-like chemicals called prostaglandins that can contribute to inflammation and cause pain.

USES

The white willow is an outstanding medication to heal arthritic as well as rheumatic pain that have an effect on the back as well as joints like keens and hips. When blended with other aromatic plant extracts and modifications in the dietary systems, while willow acts efficiently to alleviate irritations and enlargements. At the same time, it perks up mobility in sore and rasping joints in the body. Although these days aspirin-based medicines function better and more quickly than white willow, they are known to have bitter side affects.

In addition to the above mentioned uses of white willow, it may also relief headaches or any other kind of pain in the skull. White willow is also useful for women as the herb helps in lowering night sweating and hot flashes through menopause period.

When it comes to aspirin and colon cancer, it is not as if there are no other options. Aspirin was originally sourced from the herbs meadowsweet and white willow bark. In these plants salicylic acid is buffered by other plant compounds and they tend to be easier on the stomach and intestinal lining. While these herbs are a more gentle option, there is still no call to be taking them without good reason and without supervision for the long term.

I also have a source document that claims that Salix Nigra ( Black willow) also has a aphrodisiac effect.

My Eggs

Hi To all this Easter Day,

This is my attempt this year to do Ostara /Easter eggs with natural dyes.. Shown here in my favorite Fenton art glass Easter basket on my dinning table.. I used onion skins, alder bark, & paprika for the colors... I used rubber bands, and stickers, to make designs that I then colored in with gel pens..

I loved doing them...

Hope you had a wonderful day.

Bee

Nature Lesson

Hi To All, I thought I would blog this today. While walking in my woods I sat down for a rest right next to the trunk of one of my Hemlock trees. I spyed a bunch of these Douglas FIR cones that had been dinner for one of my resident squirrels a "Beechly Ground Squirrel" to be exact. ( The squirrel is bringing them from the top of the Fir tree to the top of the Hemlock tree to have the feast.) He or she (She I am presuming?) peals the seed fans from the cone and removes the seed leaving piles of the fans behind..

Thus I have posted the before and after picture of the cone.. Well done I would say!

Sparkles

Bee