Fred's photos from Wheaton Labs

Thanks Julia, I tried the thistle flower petals today. I guess it's not surprising, but it tasted like artichoke to me.

For today three - i don't know whats.

First is an orange flower growing right outside the wofati. It looks sorta chrysanthemum-ish.

Next are two tiny flowers. Both are growing on the rocky road edges at basecamp. The blue flower is maybe 3mm and the yellow is about 2mm. Both have bristly leaves, but weren't really painful.

Fred, the first one looks to be Calendula. No idea about the other two.

I agree on the Calendula ID. Those are edible petals as well, FYI. I put calendula petals into soap once and it was cool, they didn't go brown like almost everything else does when you expose it to lye in the saponification process. Makes a nice looking soap.

Thanks Sue and Julia! I guess one thing that doesn't come across well in the photo is how brilliantly orange the flower is. I always thought calendula was more yellow. Wikipedia says there are 15-20 species of calendula (seems like a number they should be able to determine exactly), so i bet one of them is very orange.

I've got my non-macro lens back from repair and today was the first i've put it to good use. We worked on mixing up cob for the Allerton Abbey renovations. In the morning a few of us went out and collected dried up cow pies to use for the fiber in the cob and plaster. After soaking a while and being broken up, it was mixed with a good clay sand mix from another part of the Lab. Others went out to collect a couple western larch logs for the strawbale wall to rest on. Before we could cob the wing walls, they had to be stuffed with wool to fill the spaces between the logs and plastic liner. Hopefully this will help hold the heat in the thermal mass through winter.

First are Roel's crackly cob mixing alligator feet.

Second is Curtis packing an amazing amount of wool into the wall.

Third is me stomping in the cob.

Yes the calendula along my walk vary from pale yellow to bright orange. They come up from seed and with constant cross pollinating I note new variations each year. That makes it hard to pin down how many variations are possible.

First is Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare). It has a long history being used medicinally. It escaped cultivation in the US as early as the 1600's. It has a root system that stays in the top two feet of the soil and spreads by rhizomes as thick as 3/4". The fern-like leaves have a distinctive smell, kind of like camphor. It lives between 3 and 10 years, depending on moisture at the site. Tansy has been used to treat intestinal worms, reduce fevers, preserve meats, and as an insect repellant. If growing near potatoes it has been shown to reduce the number of colorado potato beetles.

The second photo is a violet (genus Viola) that is growing near the wofati.

The third photo is Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). It has been blooming forever, and i was finally able to get a decent photo of it. Yarrow leaves are also very aromatic, smelling similar to chrysanthemum. It is said to attract predatory wasps. It has deep roots that pull minerals from the subsoil and make it drought resistant. Yarrow has long been applied to wounds to stop bleeding. It has also been used to relieve pain and reduce fevers. The young leaves are edible and can be cooked like spinach. Basically, it has a million uses and you should find/grow some. Prolonged use can increase photo-sensitivity of the skin, so don't overdo it.

First photo is a chrysalis i found on a log i was moving.

Second photo is Carol Anne and Evan dancing some cob into existence to the tune of a sea shanty (eddystone light).

Third photo is Curtis making some extra thin potato chips for the Permies week potluck.

More work on Allerton Abbey:

First is a photo of Zach Weiss sewing up a bale so it can be notched to fit around a post. Ernie Wisner was amazing in explaining these complex methods.

Second is a photo of Evan cobbing one of the wing walls. The cob will be covered in plaster and besides protecting the wood it will help reflect light into the wofati.

The third photo is of yet another aster, Pearly-everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea). The flowers are surrounded by white bracts which last quite a while and are often dried for floral arrangements. The young leaves are said to be edible but may be bitter. A salve can be made with the plant to treat burns.

thanks for all the great pictures. a lot of similarities (and differences) to here in SC Alaska.

Thanks Corey! Some day i'll make it up to Alaska and learn the plants there.

On the last day the Permies staff were here, we went huckleberry picking.

The first photo is the view down the mountain from the berry spot. It is a great place to sit and pick berries.

The second photo is Cassie happy to be picking her first huckleberries.

We finished out the night at Evan's with a fire and a little music.