Front Porch Chit Chat

[Pearl]

Good morning! It's rare to find a pearl of great value this early...

I'm an early pearl

 

[SheepDog]

Yes, but you forgot to add, "of great value".
Like those beads from the oyster we all have value. Some more than others.

 

[WVDragonlady]

Now that my husband is retired, I have to set up a time to go somewhere with him.
He's always busy now.
Today he's been running all the trimmings from the trees through the chipper and he was down in the woods moving a tree that fell over the roadway/path.He also moved a large container for me so it gets more sun this year. That bobcat sure is handy.
Tomorrow he's going over to a buddy's place and help him work on his army truck.
Then that buddy is coming over here so they can figure out whats wrong with the gravely tractor and to see if they can get the engine off.
After that he has his routine of going to the different gun shops to shoot the ****(ha ha pun unintended) and fondle the guns.
He's a busy fella now.

I want him to come along while I hunt down more things for the garden and so he can lift any heavy bags I may buy. Also if walmart has the half barrels again I plan on buying some more.
I have a list and I'm checking the sales papers online to see who has what

I think I saw him more when he was working 40 hours a week

 

[Pearl]

Yes, but you forgot to add, "of great value".
Like those beads from the oyster we all have value. Some more than others.

I figured you had that covered!

 

[SheepDog]

I tend to be a pearl that is kind of rough and flawed. I have value too but it is harder to find.

 

[Terri9630]

The species you have "Usnea arizonica", covers most of the southwest. There 300 species world wide, they vary in appearance but are used the same.

Here is a thread on usnea that grows in the southeast.

https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/usnea.1278/

I've never seen your species so don't know how to describe it. I'd recommend you research your species for the particulars. How it looks? How and where it grows?

I will say this, "Deer Moss" is very common and it's commonly mistaken for Usnea. Below is deer moss, not usnea. Easy test, crush a handful. If it smells like creosote its deer moss. (It makes great tinder for a fire)

Deer Moss


View attachment 81767

I'll get a picture of some when I go out to feed the cows. It doesn't look like that.

 

[Terri9630]

Now that my husband is retired, I have to set up a time to go somewhere with him.
He's always busy now.
Today he's been running all the trimmings from the trees through the chipper and he was down in the woods moving a tree that fell over the roadway/path.He also moved a large container for me so it gets more sun this year. That bobcat sure is handy.
Tomorrow he's going over to a buddy's place and help him work on his army truck.
Then that buddy is coming over here so they can figure out whats wrong with the gravely tractor and to see if they can get the engine off.
After that he has his routine of going to the different gun shops to shoot the ****(ha ha pun unintended) and fondle the guns.
He's a busy fella now.

I want him to come along while I hunt down more things for the garden and so he can lift any heavy bags I may buy. Also if walmart has the half barrels again I plan on buying some more.
I have a list and I'm checking the sales papers online to see who has what

I think I saw him more when he was working 40 hours a week

Sounds like my husband!

 

[Terri9630]

Here's some of the dry stuff the snow and sleet didn't hit.

 

[Terri9630]

And some that it did.

 

[Peanut]

I call what you have paper lichen. It's not Usnea.

Paper lichen is common here also.

Here's some of the dry stuff the snow and sleet didn't hit.

 

[Peanut]

Oops didn't know you weren't finished posting...

Now this is Usnea in this pic... I circled it in red.

You can make a tea with Usnea,but it's so far past nasty that I don't have the words.

 

[Terri9630]

Its the same stuff. Its dry like the first two pictures until it gets wet and then it looks like the second two pictures.

 

[Peanut]

Below are two different lichens... The one on the left is Usnea the one on the right is a paper lichen.

Check this rutgers university site. It shows 3 different paper lichens across the top of the page. None of them are Usnea.

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1205/
The test is simple, Usnea has tiny stems. If you stretch a tiny stem you'll see it has an even smaller white colored stretchy core. If you don't see the stretchy white core it's not Usnea. I need my glasses to see the core, it's very tiny.

 

[Pearl]

Ok, lichen or not, I'm going to bed, as soon as this line of storms pass! Good night my dear ones!!

 

[Double R]

Ok, lichen or not, I'm going to bed, as soon as this line of storms pass! Good night my dear ones!!

Your not in the path of any severe weather I hope?

 

[Pearl]

Your not in the path of any severe weather I hope?

No, but heavy rain briefly, lots of wind!! We really need rain! I have Patchouli on alert!!

 

[Peanut]

@Terri9630 One more thing about the lichens. I often see different lichens growing on each other. It was confusing for me when I first started learning about them.

Lichens aren't a parasite, they don't feed on their hosts. Lichens are 2 creatures, algea and a fungus in... They just stick to things and grow.

Here, let this guy explain...


Lichen Growth and Development Explained Gordon Ramel February 14, 2020

Like all living things, lichens need nutrients and energy to grow.

Nutrients they obtain from the air (including dust), water and some from the substrate they are growing on. Energy they obtain through photosynthesis, which is the role of the algal partner. They can also be incidentally fertilized by bird and insect dung.

Lichens will and do grow on just about everything, natural or manmade. Different species of lichens prefer, or only grow on different substrates. Thus some species will be found on smooth barked trees, some on rough barked and some on only one species of tree.

So you've no doubt seen lichens that appear as one, sometimes one will stick to a tree, then a different lichen sticks to the first one.

Confused the heck out of me for a while.

 

[Terri9630]

@Terri9630 One more thing about the lichens. I often see different lichens growing on each other. It was confusing for me when I first started learning about them.

Lichens aren't a parasite, they don't feed on their hosts. Lichens are 2 creatures, algea and a fungus in... They just stick to things and grow.

Here, let this guy explain...


Lichen Growth and Development Explained Gordon Ramel February 14, 2020

Like all living things, lichens need nutrients and energy to grow.

Nutrients they obtain from the air (including dust), water and some from the substrate they are growing on. Energy they obtain through photosynthesis, which is the role of the algal partner. They can also be incidentally fertilized by bird and insect dung.

Lichens will and do grow on just about everything, natural or manmade. Different species of lichens prefer, or only grow on different substrates. Thus some species will be found on smooth barked trees, some on rough barked and some on only one species of tree.

So you've no doubt seen lichens that appear as one, sometimes one will stick to a tree, then a different lichen sticks to the first one.

Confused the heck out of me for a while.

Whatever its called I still think its cool when it gets wet and bushes out and looks like moss instead of something dried out and dead looking.

 

[Peanut]

When Usnea gets enough water it'll reproduce, it's sort of neat looking. The ends of the little stems grow what looks like a tiny white disk, a reproductive device.

Your species is slightly more stringy than my species. Some are a mass of long strings.
---------------------------

TICKS! again. I feed the young sheppard in the house, my old dog outside. Anyway I saw the pup scratch behind his ear. Sure enough, I got 4 off him. I'll check the old dog tomorrow in the sun light. He's such a baby, will yelp if I pull a tick then pout for an hour.

 

[Double R]

@Peanut!!!! Creepy crawlies again tonight!?! Burn it all down and move

 

[Peanut]

Decided to try something new. I poured a small dose of colloidal silver onto a piece of bread and fed it to the pup. I killed heart worms in a dog using colloidal silver a few years ago.

But I know for a fact it has an effect on ticks, kills them. Going to see if it has the same effect on the dogs.

 

[Double R]

Decided to try something new. I poured a small dose of colloidal silver onto a piece of bread and fed it to the pup. I killed heart worms in a dog using colloidal silver a few years ago.

But I know for a fact it has an effect on ticks, kills them. Going to see if it has the same effect on the dogs.

Thank you for this! I have never read this before. We use colloidal silver for lots of things. Will be adding that to my books for future use

 

[Peanut]

@Double R I used to adopt retired K-9's. I was asked to take a dog at age 5 that had heart worms so badly no vet would touch her. They were afraid the arsenic used for the worms would kill her.

I used colloidal silver and green walnut husk capsules. It took 4 months but she was heart worm free. She was with me 7 more years, most amazing animal I've ever been around.

I read about it on natural cures website. I knew it wouldn't harm her and the worms were going to kill her within a year or so why not?

 

[Double R]

@Double R I used to adopt retired K-9's. I was asked to take a dog at age 5 that had heart worms so badly no vet would touch her. They were afraid the arsenic used for the worms would kill her.

I used colloidal silver and green walnut husk capsules. It took 4 months but she was heart worm free. She was with me 7 more years, most amazing animal I've ever been around.

I read about it on natural cures website. I knew it wouldn't harm her and the worms were going to kill her within a year or so why not?

I will absolutely be looking for more Information on this. This is so incredibly helpful. We rescued a dog years ago with heart worm. Basically same situation. The treatment was horrific for her. She survived but it was a long time of misery for her.
I always prefer treatments like what you did over the alternative when possible.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Yesterday the wife picked up a large bottle of colloidal silver. It seems to have a lot of uses.

 

[Double R]

Good evening @Patchouli

 

[Patchouli]

Good evening @Double R !!!
It is chchchilly here! What’s up in your neck of the woods? Oh look, here comes the baby in the door at 1:45 am. I mean she’s an adult and doesn’t drink or use drugs so….

 

[Double R]

Good evening @Double R !!!
It is chchchilly here! What’s up in your neck of the woods? Oh look, here comes the baby in the door at 1:45 am. I mean she’s an adult and doesn’t drink or use drugs so….

Always nice when the baby walks in safe and sound.
It’s ca cold. Going to freeze again tonight.
Feeling lonely tonight so hanging around the forum looking for unsuspecting friends to wander by

 

[Patchouli]

At least she brought me chocolate mousse

 

[Double R]

View attachment 81837
At least she brought me chocolate mousse

Now that’s a keeper!