Dear friends,
Even in the coldest
days of winter a little springtime can be found. Since the trees
have the beginnings of bud and the birds are more vocal these past
few mornings my apprentice, young Salley Owens, and I went on a
little walk to do a bit of foraging. It was a fine sunny day, crisp
and calm, perfect for a stroll in the Ackley Wood. A nice meandering
walk gives one the opportunity to take morning exercise as well as be
productive. Baskets in hand, shawls wrapped tightly about us, Salley
and I set out in the hopes of finding some early violets.
The leaves crunched
under our feet as we went on. Snowdrops were plentiful and such a
cheery sight. Drifts of them here and there beckoning us to come
closer. Salley is an eager pupil and so we talked of the healing
properties of the snowdrops. The ancients used them readily to clear
their minds and improve their memories which prompted Salley to rub
the leaves on her forehead to help her remember all the things we
talked of on our walk, clever girl. We added some leaves and flowers
of this cold weather friend to our baskets.
We passed by the
birch and checked that the plugs held fast so that when the sap
begins to run we may collect it and enjoy the medicinal benefits of
the sweet nectar from this beautiful tree. It should not be long now
for the catkins are showing already. After examining the tree, a bit
of bark was taken for making ink later on.
Good Tom Meyrick
came upon us as we studied the primroses whose bright green foliage
made a nice contrast against the fallen leaves of autumn. Their
yellow blooms, just beginning to open, brought a splash of warmth to
the forest floor. Tom spoke with us a for a time and told us of some
rose hips he came across near the fallen elm he was chopping for
firewood, a most welcome suggestion.
Winter savoury was
spotted near the sitting stone, sheltered by that ample rock and
growing freely. We were careful to only take a small quantity for
our purposes and went on to pick some new nettle leaves to add to our
baskets. Nettles aid the circulation and it is said the Scots rub
them upon their legs to induce warmth. The soft new leaves made into
an electuary with sugar and honey help to aid shortness of breath and
wheezing which will help Samuel Tilghman.
Our baskets were
brimming with helpful plants, barks and mosses, both ground and tree,
so we made our way to the old elm where Good Tom Meyrick advised us
the rose hips were plentiful, to complete our scavenging. Tis good
to walk and talk on a sunny day in the wood: a most productive
morning and leading to an equally productive afternoon of sorting and
preserving our bounty. We were too early for the violets today, but
we’ll forage again when they are in bloom.
Fondly,
Old Mary