A Walk in the Woods©

 

 

A “walk in the woods”, the Urban Dictionary¹ says that means “a big waste of time and effort, as in when a when a hunter comes back empty handed”.  I went on a walk in the woods at Chestnut Ridge Park the other weekend, but I didn’t think it was a big waste of time and effort!

 

The flame behind the falls was burning brightly, but it hadn’t rained recently, so the falls were dry, and it wasn’t very photogenic, but I did see some other cool things.

 

A big patch of partridge berries...

 

I found a big patch of partridgeberries (mitchella repens), with lots of ripe, bright red berries.  I knew that they were partridgeberries, not american winter green, because of the smooth-edged leaves, with the bright greenish-yellow leaf vein.

 

For more on partridge berries read “American Wintergreen or Partridgeberry? ... That is The Question©”, HERE.

 

A pawpaw tree...

 

I had never seen a pawpaw tree before, not because they are rare, although the Lake Erie shoreline is at the northern end of their range, but because their leaves resemble the leaves of the spicebush, shagbark hickory, white ash, and magnolia trees.  But just like oaks, beeches, and american chestnut trees, the leaves of pawpaw trees stay attached to their branches until late in the fall, so it is easier to identify them in the late fall than during the summer.

 

Pawpaw leaves are large and oval, and they alternate on the branch, they have smooth edges, and the trunks have bark that is mostly smooth, with a series of small, darker bumps on the bark.

 

An american chestnut tree...

 

Absolutely, the coolest thing that I found on my walk, was a living american chestnut, castanea dentata, tree!  It was only a small shoot growing from the roots of a tree that had died of chestnut blight fungus, cryphonectria parasitica, but it was alive!  The american chestnut is critically endangered, not extinct, because the blight infects and slowly kills the trunk of tree, leaving the roots alive.  This shoot is most likely a third generation sapling, growing from the existing root system of an original tree that had died from the blight in the early 1900s.

 

The american chestnut once grew to truly mammoth sizes, and now they are mostly gone, but several groups are working to find a way to make them resistant to the blight, so maybe someday they’ll be back, growing to their full gigantic size!

 

So, my walk in the woods wasn’t a big waste of time and effort, and I don’t think I came back empty handed, because I found some truly cool plants!

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Clo Values...What? ©”, where we will talk about how warm clothes are and what to wear to stay comfortably cold in the winter outdoors.

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

1 “a walk in the woods -- When a hunter comes back empty handed.  The hunting isn't always for animals, and can mean an effort that didn't pay off. A big waste of time and effort” . HERE

 

Sources

 

Grow It, Build It, The Blog; “The Pawpaw Tree – A Guide To America’s Native Tropical Fruit”, [Copyright 2023], https://growitbuildit.com/pawpaw-tree-asimina-triloba/, accessed November 24, 2023

 

Immel, Diana, and Anderson, M. Kat; “PAWPAW Asimina triloba (L.) Dunale.”, [USDA NRCS Plant Guide], https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/cs_astr.pdf, accessed November 24, 2023

 

Ross, Kathy N.; “Memory of great forests – and hope for restoration American chestnuts once dominated Appalachian region's forests”, August 27 2022, [The Mountaineer] https://www.themountaineer.com/news/haywood_history/memory-of-great-forests-and-hope-for-restoration/article_b4995be6-249d-11ed-a0ca-ff700334e153.html, accessed November 25, 2023

 

USDA, “Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal.  pawpaw”, [USDA NRCS Plants], https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ASTR, accessed November 24, 2023

 

Wikimedia; “A close-up of the gas-lit flame below Eternal Flame Falls in Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY”, by Mpmajewski, May 1 2009, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eternal_flame_falls_7252.jpg, accessed November 25, 2023

 

Baking Bannock Bread for Thanksgiving©

 

 

Bannock, banique, ash cakes, damper... all are a variety of flat, quick breads, sometimes unleavened, and baked and eaten primarily in Australia, North and Central America, Scotland, and British Isles.  The word bannock derives from Gaelic bannach, which means “morsel”, and likely came from the Latin panis, which simply means bread.  It was a staple in the diets of the early settlers and fur traders in North America. 

 

Today is bannock most often made of flour from grains, such as oats, barley, or wheat, but historically, before Europeans, in North America it had been made with cattails, acorns, mosses, lichens and ferns and even black tree lichen!¹  Most Native American nations in have a version of bannock.  The Inuit call it palauga, the Mi’kmaq luskinikn, and the Ojibwe ba‘wezhiganag.²

 

Baking Bannock

 

The first rule about baking bannock is that there are no rules.  A review of the recipes shows a wide and wild variation in the ingredients, amounts of the ingredients and baking times and methods.  Practically any combination of flour and water and possibly some form of leavening agent, that can be baked, fried or deep-fried will work, although the final bread will vary in “eatability”.

 

In its most basic form, it is simply made of flour, water, and sometimes butter, fat, or lard is added.  Sour milk, salt and either baking soda, salteratus, ash-water, or simply hard wood ashes, were sometimes added as a leavening agent, and today sugar is often added, depending on the recipe.  Bannock is traditionally cooked by mixing the ingredients into a large, round biscuit and baking it in a frying pan, on a bannock board or hot stone, wrapped around a branch by the side of the fire³, or in the ashes of the fire, either wrapped in leaves or not at all.  Today, bannock is usually baked in the oven, making a heavy and dense bread, or fried, making a light and fluffy bread; or sometimes even deep-fried.

 

Richard Munn wrote that famed author and wilderness canoeist Sigurd Olson in a letter written in 1962 said that his recipe for bannock was good “...for four, depending on what else goes with it”. His recipe is:

 

Take a pound of flour (3 ¹/₃ cups or 454 grams) of flour.

If you are making oat, barley, or cornmeal bannocks, use one cup (140 grams) of wheat flour to two cups (280 grams) of cornmeal, oat, or barley flour.

Add a pinch of salt.

If you are making “damper” or unleavened bannocks, go to the mixing and baking instructions now.

Add 1 teaspoon (6 grams) of baking soda.

Saleratus, from Latin “sal æratus”, meaning “aerated salt” is potassium bicarbonate, was widely used in the 19th century.  One teaspoon of saleratus equals 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda; baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.  Pearlash (refined potash) is a crude potassium carbonate, as is made by soaking hard wood, fireplace ashes in water to make lye or ash water.⁴  Saleratus was twice efficient as pearlash, so you will need to double the amount of saleratus if you use pearlash⁵.

Mix in ¾ to 1 (187 to 250 ml) cup of water if you are making
“damper” or unleavened bannocks.  If you are making leavened bannocks, use the same amount of sour milk or buttermilk.  Either way, mix the liquid into the dry ingredients by making a well in the center of the dry ingredients and mixing in just enough to make a stiff dough.

You can make sour milk by leaving fresh milk out to ferment and sour in a warm place for a day, often near a stove.  Or you can make 1 cup (250 ml) sour milk for baking by adding 1 tbsp (15 ml) of vinegar or lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1 cup (250 ml).  Stir and let stand for 5 minutes before using.  This will give the right amount of acidity for the recipe.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to form one large bannock about ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) thick and cut it in quarters.  Heat an ungreased griddle or frying pan until moderately hot and cook the bannocks slowly until browned on each side.  You can also roll it out to ¼ inch (about ³/₄ cm) thick for a thinner, more cracker like, bread.

 

If cooking over a fire you can prop your bannock board, your griddle, or a large flat stone beside the fire to cook from the top down.  You can also cook it on a griddle over coals from the bottom up.  Or you can bury it surrounded in a thick layer of hot ashes, wrapped in leaves or not, with hot coals both above and below it.⁶

 

Bannock is delicious and because it is a thick, heavy bread it is perfect for outdoors trips, since it won’t crush or crumble.  Take it to Ren-Fairs, take it on walks in the wilderness.  Serve it hot, spread on bacon grease or butter, maple syrup, honey, or cheese.  Eat it cold.  Eat it with soup, stew, or chili.  Or simply eat it hot with tea!

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “A Walk in the Park ©”, where we will talk about the different things you can see on a walk in the park.

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

¹ “Bannock – First Nations Style”, by Shawn

 

² “Bannock”, The Canadian Encyclopedia, by John Robert Colombo, updated by Brad Dunne

 

³ “The ideal stick is fairly straight and made of non-poisonous hardwood that will not impart a disagreeable taste; good choices include branches of birch, hazel, or willow trees.  The bark should be whittled away from the branch 15–20 cm in from the end, where the dough will be wrapped.  The length depends on one's comfort and the fire's size.  The thickness of the bread-holding end is around 1.5–2 cm.  The thicker the stick, the heavier it is and thus the harder it is to hold.  However, a branch that is too thin will bend under its own weight if it is freshly cut”.

 

From Wikipedia, “Twist bread”, originally from “DANISH BONFIRE BREAD (SNOBRØD)”, HERE

 

⁴ For more information see “Victorian Baking: Saleratus, Baking Soda, and Salsoda”, by Kristin Holt.

 

⁵ See “Baking with Wood Ash? (Part 1)”, by Leigh

 

⁶ For more read “Cooking Ash Cakes”, Jennifer Stanley

 

Sources

 

Colombo, John Robert; updated by Dunne, Brad; “Bannock”, The Canadian Encyclopedia, February 6, 2006, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bannock, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Holt, Kristin; “Victorian Baking: Saleratus, Baking Soda, and Salsoda”, December 30, 2017; https://www.kristinholt.com/archives/13983, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Jamieson, John, D.D.; Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, [Edinburgh, University Press, 1808], “BAN to BAN”, https://www.google.com/books/edition/An_Etymological_Dictionary_of_the_Scotti/H6AmAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=bannock&pg=PP149&printsec=frontcover, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Leigh; “Baking with Wood Ash? (Part 1)”, https://www.5acresandadream.com/2016/01/baking-with-wood-ash-part-1.html, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Leigh; “Baking with Wood Ash? (Part 2)”, https://www.5acresandadream.com/2016/01/baking-with-wood-ash-part-2.html, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Leigh; “Baking with Wood Ash? (Part 3)”, https://www.5acresandadream.com/2016/01/baking-with-wood-ash-part-3-results.html, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Munn, Richard; “Bannock 101”, July 12, 2006, https://www.myccr.com/articles/bannock-101, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Shawn; “Bannock – First Nations Style”, May 6, 2015, [© Eat], https://www.eatdrinkbreathe.com/bannock-first-nations-style/, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Stanley, Jennifer; “Cooking Ash Cakes”, Savoring the Past, [Jas. Townsend & Son, Inc.], https://savoringthepast.net/2016/03/20/cooking-ash-cakes/, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Wikimedia; “Making Oat Cakes”, by George Walker, 1814, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Making_oat_cakes_-_The_costume_of_Yorkshire_(1814),_plate_IX,_opposite_21_-_BL.jpg, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Wikipedia; “Twist bread”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twist_bread, accessed November 18, 2023

 

Wikimedia; “Tea and Damper” by Alfred Martin Ebsworth, 1883, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tea_and_damper.jpg, accessed November 18, 2023

 

“With Just a Bit of Canvas Keeping You From the Elements©”

 

 

Your plane or car crashed, you’re lost or stranded, or there was a disaster (pick one); it is rainy, snowy, windy, cold (pick one, maybe even two), and you need shelter NOW!  All you have is a bit of canvas, or a piece of plastic (again pick one).  So, how are going to use that bit of canvas or plastic to protect you from the elements?  That depends on whether it is square or rectangular, how big it is, and on the weather conditions, terrain, and how creative and good at improvising you are. 

 

Just a small bit...

 

Whether square or rectangular, if you have just a small, twin-blanket sized piece, only 65 inches by 90 inches (1.65 by 2.29 meters), tall and wide, then it will be too small to be made into a tent or lean-to, although you can still use it for shelter.  

 

You could use it to make a wind screen or put it on the ground to protect you from heat loss due to conduction to the cold, wet ground.  Some different examples of shelters are illustrated to the left.

 

Or, you could simply wear it like a matchcoat (for more on matchcoats see “How to Wear a Blanket as a Matchcoat ©”, HERE).  Remember, that proper clothing is your first shelter from the environment, and if you don’t have windproof or waterproof outer layers, you must improvise them.

 

If it’s a little bit bigger...

A larger piece of canvas, or plastic, either square or rectangular, can be used in a lot of ways to make a shelter.  The only limiting factor is how good your improvising skills are, and what else you have to work with, such as line, poles, or other materials.

 

A square 7 feet by 7 feet (2 meters by 2 meters) would be good for a one person shelter and a 10 feet by 10 feet (3 meter by 3 meters) square of canvas or plastic would be good for two people, and even five people in a pinch.  Some different designs are shown below.

 

And you could even use that square of plastic or canvas to create a bender tent.  For more on bender tents, read “A Bender©”, HERE.

 

To tie lines to your tarp, make an improvised grommet with a small, smooth, round rock or pinecone, tied into a folded over corner of the tarp with a slip knot, also known as a tensionless hitch.  This knot is like an overhand knot, with a loop pulled through.  You can also tie an improvised grommet into the center of your tarp, if needed.

 

You quickly decide what shelter to build with what you have at hand, and before long it is built, you have gathered enough wood to last the night, and you are sitting down beside a crackling fire, waiting for rescue.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Baking Bannock Bread for Thanksgiving”, where we will talk about cooking, and eating, bannock bread.

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

Sources

 

 

Boy Scouts of America; The Official Handbook for Boys,  4^th Edition, [Double Day, Page & Company, Garden City, NY, 1913], page 164-170, https://books.google.com/books?id=bFELAQAAIAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PR13&dq=tent+making+made+easy+by+h.j.holden+pdf&hl=en#v=onepage&q=tent%20making%20made%20easy%20by%20h.j.holden%20pdf&f=false, accessed November 11, 2023

 

Curtis, Sam; “Ever Ready Tarp-Tent”, Boys' Life, October 1977, Vol. 67, No. 10, page 79, https://books.google.com/books?id=7FrDPWCDoKoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Boys%27+Life+Oct+1977&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiO3Orn3LyCAxWNElkFHUO7AP4Q6AF6BAgLEAI#v=onepage&q=Boys'%20Life%20Oct%201977&f=false, accessed November 11, 2023

 

Hall, George, Rev.; The Gypsy’s Parson, [Sampson, Low & Marston, Ltd., London, 1915], https://books.google.com/books?id=7Rs1AQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22The+Gypsy%27s+Parson%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwivz5OI2peCAxVlJH0KHXnbC88Q6AF6BAgMEAI#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Gypsy's%20Parson%22&f=false, accessed October 28, 2023

 

Howe, Steve; “Under the Big Top”, Backpacker, June 1994, Vol. 23, No. 133, page 59-62, https://books.google.com/books?id=BuEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA84&dq=Backpacker+June+1994&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi6tKWy9ryCAxWnFlkFHZ9MAbIQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=Backpacker%20June%201994&f=false, accessed November 11, 2023

 

Jacobson, Cliff; “Rig a Rain Tarp in Three Minutes”, Boys' Life, May 1991, Vol. 81, No. 5, page 6, https://books.google.com/books?id=gvgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3&dq=Boys%27+Life+May+1991&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjSmeGS4LyCAxWjVDUKHaCnAV84ChDoAXoECAwQAg#v=onepage&q=Boys'%20Life%20May%201991&f=false, accessed November 11, 2023

 

Newman, Bob; “The World According to Tarp”, Field & Stream, October 1997, Vol. 102, No. 6, pages 98 to 99, https://books.google.com/books?id=x6HMEU2LfTMC&pg=PA84&dq=Field+%26+Stream+Oct+1997&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiag8Txgr2CAxWIFmIAHbz3B584ChDoAXoECAYQAg#v=onepage&q=Field%20%26%20Stream%20Oct%201997&f=false, accessed November 11, 2023

 

Ritter, Doug, “Tarp Shelters – An Introduction”, Equipped to Survive, http://www.equipped.org/tarp-shelters.pdf, accessed November 11, 2023

 

Wikimedia; “Tensionless hitch”, August 13, 2013, by Hadron137, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slip_knot, accessed November 11, 2023