The White Oak

From an acorn, no bigger than the tip of my thumb, the mighty oak - wamed by the sun and fed by the minerals of the earth converts these nutrients and the sun’s energy into growth.

Inch by inch, ring by ring, summer and fall feeds the promise of spring

While the winter’s sleep cast an ever more crooked and majestic shadow

upon the drifting snow.

This oak, the white, growns in a manner so different from its brother the red oak. Where the red reaches tall and powerful into the sky, putting every bit of its energy into a quest for the sun, this tree sends its branches in all directions, a gnarled and spidery look where each limb becomes the equal of a lesser tree. Where the Red Oak speaks of power and strength, this tree speaks of wisdom and an intimacy with its surroundings.

The Red Oak in only a few years will forbid all but the winged from its branches but this tree - even now – beacons to the children who are  drawn to its branches and welcomed there with cool shade and the warmth of its embrace, an old friend watching over all as they  too grow older and more gnarled . . .   and perhaps, perhaps more wise.   

The Perley Oak, Laconia NH Estimate to be more than 400 years old.           

Purchase this image from Red Bubble in cards, and open edition, digitally signed fine art prints

http://www.redbubble.com/people/waynedking/works/9408152-perley-oak-mindscape

A simple color image of this magnificent tree is located here:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/waynedking/works/9408177-the-perley-oak-laconia-new-hampshire

This image in tones black and white

http://www.redbubble.com/people/waynedking/works/9408207-the-perley-oak          

Elizabeth Warren's American Indian Heritage

I can empathize with Elizabeth Warren. I don't know all of the details of how she did or did not use her Cherokee and Delaware bloodlines during the course of her life but as the grandson of a Grandfather who was Algonquin and a Grandmother who was Oneida (Iroquois) I know that I proudly embrace my heritage.  My mother's family came on the Mayflower yet when asked about my heritage I am most proud of the one that ties me most closely to the land. I'm an all American mutt but if forced to choose one box into which I am willing to be placed it is Indian and by God or the Great Spirit I will continue to proudly fly the Iroquois Flag along with the American one.

By the way, for those who wonder, the correct reference is now once again American Indian, not Native American. I have not taken the time to understand why yet but once I do, I will share it with my friends here.

The Whisper of Wind

For almost six months I have watched the ridge across from my home as a wind farm has slowly but surely taken shape there. To some - the purists and the not-in-my-back-yarders - its presence is an annoyance, a scar on the land, but to me it is a thing of beauty to behold. A powerful symbol of our ability to harness the resources of nature in a way that will sustain my family, my son’s family and many generations to come.

They speak of a respect for the land and for those from whom we have borrowed the future. No poisons lie hidden in their framework, no monolithic corporation has marred the land elsewhere to set their stage, no fire or explosion or meltdown hides within their arms reaching to the sky and soon to be spinning as they welcome the wind that is a nearly constant force moving eastward along the valley . . . of what my forebearers called the Asquamchemaukee before Colonel Baker paddled his way into history and ravaged their peaceful village along the riverbank. What this wind farm portends is almost an act of penance for a thousand acts of violence perpetrated by both sides in the years that brought us to this time and place. No terrorist - modern or ancient will find purchase here again.

The Whisper of the wind speaks freedom and peace in a thousand tongues.

~ Wayne D. King

Two Important Conservation Projects

A Campaign to Raise $2.5 Million to thwart Northern Pass

Every generation has a chance to create a legacy.


McAllaster Farm. Photo by Jerry and Marcy Monkman, EcoPhotography.

For every generation, there is a moment that defines us. A moment when we have a choice about what our legacy will be. A test of our willingness to stand up for our values.

Today is such a moment. Today the Society for the Protection of NH Forests has an opportunity to defend the state's greatest asset, our scenic working landscape, from the biggest threat of our generation.

The Forest Society is working with four landowners in New Hampshire's North Country to permanently protect more than 1,500 acres of forests, fields and views through permanent conservation easements. These lands lie directly in the obvious intended path of Northern Pass, and thus disrupt the project's ability to move forward with that route.

http://www.forestsociety.org/howyoucanhelp/special-projects.asp#sp32

Hazelton Farm on Newfound Lake

Reminiscent of earlier centuries, the picturesque and historic Hazelton Farm is a well-known local landmark in Hebron. The land features extensive frontage along the Cockermouth River, and its forested hillsides on Tenney Mountain are visible from Newfound Lake and the surrounding hills and shoreline.

The Hazelton Farm contains approximately 35 acres of open hayfields that have important agricultural soils, as well as 235 acres of forested hillsides on Tenney Mountain. Photo by Brian Hotz.

thcentury,” with gravity-fed water, no plumbing, a crank phone, and a one-room schoolhouse. The farm was left to Paul and his brothers a few years ago by their parents, and they hope to preserve the land as working forest and farm for future generations of the family.

http://www.forestsociety.org/howyoucanhelp/special-projects.asp#sp38

The Carrion Flower Plant

Alice and I were walking the local railtrail yesterday and found a gorgeous plant  with tight blue berries. I've discovered it is Carrion Flower which doesn't bode well  for how the fruit is likely to smell but there are a lont of entrees on the Native American  Ethnobotany page of Univ of Michigan. Haven't tried it yet but according to both the UMich ethnobotany site and Plants  for a Future Database the entire plant of the Carrion Flower is edible and has  many uses including a tasty fruit. Edible Uses                                           Edible Parts: Fruit;  Leaves;  Root. Edible Uses: Gelatine. Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked and used like asparagus[85, 102, 159]. A delicate and palatable vegetable[183]. Fruit - raw or cooked and used in jellies etc[85, 183]. It should only be used when fully ripe[183]. A pleasant flavour[207, 257]. The fruit is about 10mm in diameter[200]. Root - cooked[257]. It can be dried, ground into a powder and then used with cereals for making bread etc[62, 102]. It can also be used as a gelatine substitute[62, 102].

Medicinal Uses Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. Analgesic;  Antiaphonic;  Kidney;  Pectoral;  Poultice;  Salve. Eating the fruit is said to be effective in treating hoarseness[207, 257]. The parched and powdered leaves have been used as a dressing on burns[257]. The wilted leaves have been used as a dressing on boils[257]. The root is analgesic[257]. A decoction has been used in the treatment of back pains, stomach complaints, lung disorders and kidney problems[257].