Plant profile - Hickory nuts

If you can get past my comment about nutmeat being so wonderful, there is an interesting point made about the relative value of hunting versus gathering.

Plant profile - Persimmon Tree

Another tree to feed you. The fruit are an appalachian tradition. Yum!

Plant Profiles - Echinacea and Jewel Weed

Medicine is everywhere in nature. We've been taught that all cures come in bottles, but the earth provides healing. Most of what pharmacies sell is based on chemical properties of plants. Skip the middle man when you can (it's better for the environment and better for you).

Plant profile - Passion Flower

The maypops are beginning to ripen. When their skins are shriveled, it will be time to enjoy this excellent fall fruit. The flower that precedes it is exotically beautiful, as is its aroma. Tea from the leaves is medicinal as a muscle relaxant, sleep aid and treatment for anxiety.

Passion flower fruit

My son checking the ripeness of this year's maypop crop. Not ready yet. Most people are familiar with the beautiful flowers and perfume of the Passion Flower, but fewer know about the edible fruit the vines produce. It reminds me of a pomegranate.

One stick deadfall trigger

This is the simplest trap trigger I have worked with. It can be improvised to set almost any type of deadfall.

Snapping Turtle

Turtles were everywhere this summer. This guy wasn't huge (compare to my toe on the right), but he wasn't hard to catch either. I'm a sucker for turtles, so he survived the encounter. My grandfather raised four children on this, squirrels, fish and a well kept vegetable garden. You could too!