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Sunday, June 30, 2024

Knots Worth Knowing...The Bowline©

 

 


Learning knots is like learning plant identification, not the most exciting thing in the world, but absolutely important.  And the bowline is one of the knots worth knowing!

 

The bowline is often called the “king of knots”.  A bowline is also called the “bowling” or “bolin” knot and is identical in form to the sheet-bend knot, but instead of joining two different ropes, it joins the free end of the rope to itself, making a no slip loop.  It is an important knot to know, because it makes a loop which, according to the Building Strong Bodies, “neither slips nor jams”, and is always secure and easily untied. 

 


There are various ways to use a bowline knot.  At sea, it is used to tie a boat’s painter to a mooring ring, it was tied around a sailor’s waist, as a “monkey rope”, if he had to be lowered over the side, it is used to moor ships by making a loop and throwing it over a bollard, to secure a bosun’s chair, or it could be used as a “running bowline” to create a noose. 

 


On land it is used to tether horses, cows, dogs, or other animals so that they won’t choke themselves, or to tie a tow-rope to a car.  It can be tied as a “running bowline”, to break a horse of the habit of halter pulling.



If tied on-a-bight, it can be used to lower an injured or unconscious person safely to the ground.

 


Tying or throwing a bowline...

 

So how do you go about tying, or throwing, as it is sometimes called, a bowline?

 


Tying a bowline-on-bight...

 

To tie a bowline on-a-bight, start by making a good-sized bight and tying the knot as you would on a single strand of rope.

 


Bowlines are important rescue knots.  Imagine you are up to your waist in the water or in a bog and someone throws you a rope.  You grab the rope, and tie a bowline around your waist, because you know the knot won’t slip and you can be pulled back to solid ground!  To watch a video on how to tie a bowline around your waist, one-handed, go HERE.

 

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

 

Ashley, Clifford W.; The Ashley Book of Knots, [Geoffrey Budworth, Kent, England, 1993], https://www.liendoanaulac.org/space/references/training/Ashley_Book_Knots.pdf, accessed January 25, 2022

 

Blauser, Israel Park; Practical Uses of Rope on the Farm: Knots, Hitches, Splices, November 1925, Circular No. 301, [University of Illinois, Agricultural Experiment Station, Urbana Illinois, 1925], page 22, https://books.google.com/books?id=MaVRAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=uses+of+a+bowline+knot&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjDpd3fyfKGAxXpFFkFHYwrAFMQ6AF6BAgNEAI#v=onepage&q=uses%20of%20a%20bowline%20knot&f=false, accessed June 29, 2024

 

Boy Scouts of America, Knots and How to Tie Them, [2002]

 

Campbell, D. M., Ed.; Veterinary Medicine, Volume 21, [Veterinary Magazine Corporation, Chicago, IL, 1926], page 140, https://books.google.com/books?id=F1ImAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA140&dq=bowline+horse+halter&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjv493JuoGHAxUwL1kFHdI_ADQQ6AF6BAgJEAI#v=onepage&q=bowline%20horse%20halter&f=false, accessed June 29, 2024

 

Dunn, Donald; “The Bowline-On-A-Bight”, Cruising World, Jul-Dec 1988, page 90 to 91, https://books.google.com/books?id=dZvBxcbd1gkC&pg=RA3-PA90&dq=bowline+on+a+bight+used+to+lower+unconscious&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiAjIHSrYGHAxWEVjUKHWLkAH4Q6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&q=bowline%20on%20a%20bight%20used%20to%20lower%20unconscious&f=false, accessed June 29, 2024

 

Headquarters, Department of the Army, Survival, FM 3-05.70 (FM 21-76), [Washington, D.C., May 2002], page G-3, https://irp.fas.org/doddir/army/fm3-05-70.pdf, accessed January 24, 2022

 

Hutchinson, Woods, M.D.; Building Strong Bodies, [Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, 1924], page 162, https://books.google.com/books?id=hzBMAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA163&dq=%22knots+worth+knowing%22+bowline&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjUhonP8--GAxUbFVkFHaBuDi0Q6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=%22knots%20worth%20knowing%22%20bowline&f=false, accessed June 25, 2024

 

Marco Products, The Camper’s Knot Tying Card Game, [USA, 1986]

 

McLean, Ridley and Van der Veer, Norman Reeve, Lt.; The Bluejackets' Manual, United States Navy, 1917, [Military Publishing Co., New York, NY, 1917], page 264, https://books.google.com/books?id=0q9EAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA260&dq=uses+of+a+bowline+knot&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjDpd3fyfKGAxXpFFkFHYwrAFMQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=uses%20of%20a%20bowline%20knot&f=false, accessed June 29, 2024

 

Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization, United States; Federal Civil Defense Administration; Technical Manual: TM-14-1, [United State Government Printing office, Washington D.C., revised June 1959], page 12, 14 and 67, https://books.google.com/books?id=y6FIAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA69&dq=bowline+on+a+bight+used+to+lower+unconscious+person&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjTz9THxYGHAxUBN2IAHYZYC1QQ6AF6BAgJEAI#v=onepage&q=bowline%20on%20a%20bight%20used%20to%20lower%20unconscious%20person&f=false, accessed June 29, 2024

 

Tustison, Francis Elwood; Job Sheets for the Practical Electric Shop, Issues 1-35, [Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin], page 95, https://books.google.com/books?id=qShEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA45-IA1&dq=uses+of+a+bowline+knot&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjDpd3fyfKGAxXpFFkFHYwrAFMQ6AF6BAgKEAI#v=onepage&q=uses%20of%20a%20bowline%20knot&f=false, accessed June 29, 2024

 

Weber, J.E.; “Throwing a Bowline”, Motor Boating, July 1966, page 38, https://books.google.com/books?id=0yXNIcE7uxYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false, accessed June 29, 2024

 

Sunday, June 23, 2024

Tracking 101: Tracking is like Reading a Story ©

 

 


Mystery animal tracks!  What could it be? 

 


Do you know what it is?  Here is a closer look.  Any thoughts yet?  What’s the story that the tracks tell?

 


No, how about now?  That’s right, it’s a horse of course! 

 


Horse tracks are usually seen in pairs, and the marks of the hind hooves are generally longer and narrower than those of the front hooves.  

 

Reading tracks is like reading a story, you just have to know how to read the signs.  So, what story can these tracks tell us?

 


Well, first off, we know that there were two horses, because there are two lines of tracks, side by side.

 

But what else can we learn from these tracks?

 

A practiced tracker can tell a lot about a horse from its tracks.  You can tell with a glance if the horse is walking, trotting, cantering or galloping, or when the horse is tired. 

 


So, what story can we read from the tracks?

 


We know that two horses with riders trotted down the path.  We know they had riders since they moved in a straight line and didn’twander.  We know that the horses were shod, since we can see the marks of their shoes and nails in their tracks.

 


In fact, it was two sheriffs and their horses, who were patrolling the area around Cazenovia Creek, near Buffalo, New York, on a Sunday evening.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Knots Worth Knowing: the Bowline©”, where we will talk about how to camp in the winter wilderness and stay warm and safe.

 


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; Handbook for Scout Masters, Boy Scouts of America, [Boy Scouts of America, New York, NY, 1914], page 37, https://books.google.com/books?id=pEcqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA36&dq=horse+tracking+scout&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj7pJKwjO6GAxVWEFkFHZcrCLA4ChDoAXoECAsQAg#v=onepage&q=horse%20tracking%20scout&f=false, accessed June 18, 2024

 

Boy Scouts of America, The Official Handbook for Boys, [Doubleday, Page and Company, Garden City, NJ, 1915], page 227, https://books.google.com/books?id=sHB_n6LDF_wC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The_Official_Handbook_for_Boys&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjOx5e4je6GAxUAEVkFHZ9cDicQ6AF6BAgNEAI#v=onepage&q=The_Official_Handbook_for_Boys&f=false, accessed June 15, 2024

 

Dollar, John A. W. and Wheatley, Albert; A Handbook of Horse-shoeing, [David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1898], pages 21, 75 and 147, https://books.google.com/books?id=ybswAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=horse+hooves&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwix1u3YmuWGAxWEm4kEHZ48B1UQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=horse%20hooves&f=false, accessed June 18, 2024

 

Editor of the Phrenological Journal; The Phrenological Miscellany, From 1865 to 1873, [Fowler & Wells Co., New York, 1887], page 319-321, https://books.google.com/books?id=Fw0uAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA319&dq=tracking+indian+ponies&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizuYaM5eKGAxUqg4kEHXbyBYs4ChDoAXoECAoQAg#v=onepage&q=tracking%20indian%20ponies&f=false, accessed June 17, 2024

 

Farrow, Edward Samuel; Mountain Scouting: A Handbook for Officers and Soldiers on the Frontiers, [Edward S. Farrow, New York, NY, 1881], pages 232 -233, https://books.google.com/books?id=fec-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA233&dq=horse+tracking+scout&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjgrvGYouWGAxVQjokEHbf6AjY4MhDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=horse%20tracking%20scout&f=false, accessed June 18, 2024

 

Royal United Service Institution; The Cavalry Journal, Volume 2, January to October, “Extracts from a ‘Lantern Lecture’ on Tracking”, page 506, [C-Gilbert Wood, London, 1907], https://books.google.com/books?id=m58jAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA506&dq=horse+tracking+scout&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixwJHxneWGAxUwrYkEHY3AAX84ChDoAXoECAoQAg#v=onepage&q=horse%20tracking%20scout&f=false, accessed June 18, 2024

 

Whitehall, Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, Volume 61, Issues 1-2, February and May 1916, [J. Keliher & Co. Limited, London, 1916] pages 384 to 386 and 388, https://books.google.com/books?id=OzMwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA384&dq=horse+tracking+scout&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj0oavyoOWGAxVEAHkGHW-LBmI4HhDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=horse%20tracking%20scout&f=false, accessed June 18, 2024

 

Sunday, June 16, 2024

Hog What! The Perils of Hogweed©

 

 


Giant hogweed, heracleum mantegazzianum, is cow parsnip’s bigger, badder cousin and it packs a great big wallop!

 


Just like cow parsnip, the sap of the giant hogweed contains phototoxic furanocoumarins (fyur-a-no-coo-MAR-inz), which will cause phytophotodermatitis and burns, when UV rays from the Sun, touch any skin that has come into contact the sap (for more on furanocoumarins, read Cow Parsnip...Watch Out!©, HERE).  What is worse, according to the New York State DEC, is that even after the burns heal, your skin can be discolored, and you can have an increased sensitivity to sunlight, which can last for years!

 


So, how do you know if the white flowering plant that you see is the invasive (originally native to central Asia) giant hogweed, which has now spread to much of Europe and parts of North America, or if it is just cow parsnip?

 


First off, it is giant!  Hogweed grows to between 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters) tall, cow parsnip is only 5 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.5 meters) tall.  Also hogweed has purple splotches on the stem, which cow parsnip doesn’t have.

 

If you do see this plant, stay away from it, take pictures and contact the environmental authorities in your area, so that they can come and safely destroy it, before it spreads.

 

For more information on Giant Hogweed, click HERE and HERE.

 

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

 

 

Brunning, Andy; “The chemistry of Giant Hogweed and how it causes skin burns”, August 3, 2017, [© 2024 Andy Brunning / Compound Interest], https://www.compoundchem.com/2017/08/03/gianthogweed/, accessed June 7, 2023

 

Cornell Weed Identification; “Cow Parsnip”, [©2024 Cornell University], https://blogs.cornell.edu/weedid/cow-parsnip/#:~:text=This%20can%20affect%20sensitive%20individuals,for%20at%20least%2048%20hours, accessed June 8, 2024

 

LaFrance, Paul; “Hikers beware: Cow parsnip can inflict pain on those who don't take precautions”, Anchorage Dailey News, June 16, 2016 (Updated: June 30, 2016), https://www.adn.com/adventure/outdoors/2016/06/16/hikers-beware-cow-parsnip-can-inflict-pain-on-those-who-dont-take-precautions/, accessed June 7, 2024

 

New York Invasive Species Information; “Giant Hogweed”, [© New York Invasive Species Information 2024], https://nyis.info/invasive_species/giant-hogweed/, accessed June 15, 2024

 

NYS DEC; “Cow Parsnip” https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/cow-parsnip#:~:text=Cow%20parsnip%20is%20not%20considered,from%20sunlight%20for%2048%20hours, accessed June 7, 2024

 

Polly, “Steer Clear of Dangerous Plant That Causes Painful Burns & Permanent Scars”, [© 2024 Big Frog 104, Townsquare Media, Inc], https://bigfrog104.com/steer-clear-of-dangerous-plant-that-causes-painful-burns-permanent-scars/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral, accessed June 14, 2024

 

Read More: Steer Clear of Dangerous Plant That Causes Painful Burns & Scars | https://bigfrog104.com/steer-clear-of-dangerous-plant-that-causes-painful-burns-permanent-scars/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral"

USDA; “common cowparsnip”, https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=HEMA80, accessed June 7, 2024

 

 

Sunday, June 9, 2024

Cow Parsnip...Watch Out!

 

 


It’s late May, or maybe late June, and you’re walking along a shady stream bank, or a meadow, when you see a tall leafy plant with a big spray of white flowers.  Do you know what it is?  You’d better know, because if you don’t you might get burned!

 


It’s cow parsnip!  People often confuse cow parsnip for its larger, nastier, bad ass cousin, giant hogweed!  However, the stem of cow parsnip does not contain the purple blotches that are found on giant hogweed stems.  And while it is not as dangerous as the invasive (originally native to central Asia) giant hogweed, it is still not a plant to mess with.

 


Cow parsnip, also known as common cowparsnip, cow parsley, or heracleum maximum W. Bartram, is a native, herbaceous, biennial to short-lived perennial plant of woodlands, grasslands, pastures, riparian (streambank) areas, and roadsides that is native to most of North America.  It likes shady and wet environments and does well in cold areas. 

 


Cow parsnip flowers in its second year and has a stem that may grow more than 6 feet (1.8 m) tall.  The flower, made up of many small white flowers, is about a foot (30 cm) across.  Cow parsnips leaves can be almost 2 feet (60 cm) wide.

 


Cow parsnip, just like other members of the heracleum family, has a sap that contains phototoxic furanocoumarins (fyur-a-no-coo-MAR-inz).  Burns occur when the sap from the cow parsnip gets on your skin and is then exposed to sunlight and UV light with a wavelength of 320-380 nanometers.  This combination of UV rays from the sun and the furanocoumarins in the sap, cause phytophotodermatitis, or skin irritation, inflammation and blistering.  It can also cause blindness if it gets into your eyes.  And it is not just people that are sensitive to it, animals with thin fur, including recently sheared sheep, can also be burned by it.

 


If you think, or know, that you have been exposed to the phototoxic sap of the cow parsnip, cover the affected area immediately to keep sunlight from the area and to prevent the reaction and wash the area with cool water and mild soap.  Keep the affected area away from sunlight for at least 48 hours1.

 


But cow parsnip isn’t all bad.  The cow parsnip only developed this form of chemical warfare, to keep bugs from feeding on it.  The leaves of the cow parsnip are an important food source for cow parsnip thrips and parsnip webworm moth larvae.  Also, the flowers of cow parsnip attract many bee, wasp, fly, and butterfly species.  Additionally, cow parsnip is a valuable forage for livestock, deer, elk, moose, bear and the inner pith is a traditional Native American food.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Hog What! The Perils of Hog Weed©”, where we will talk about how to tell if that plant in the forest is cow parsnip or giant hogweed.

 


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 “Cow Parsnip” by Cornell Weed Identification

 

Sources

  

Brunning, Andy; “The chemistry of Giant Hogweed and how it causes skin burns”, August 3, 2017, [© 2024 Andy Brunning / Compound Interest], https://www.compoundchem.com/2017/08/03/gianthogweed/, accessed June 7, 2023

 

Cornell Weed Identification; “Cow Parsnip”, [©2024 Cornell University], https://blogs.cornell.edu/weedid/cow-parsnip/#:~:text=This%20can%20affect%20sensitive%20individuals,for%20at%20least%2048%20hours, accessed June 8, 2024

 

LaFrance, Paul; “Hikers beware: Cow parsnip can inflict pain on those who don't take precautions”, Anchorage Dailey News, June 16, 2016 (Updated: June 30, 2016), https://www.adn.com/adventure/outdoors/2016/06/16/hikers-beware-cow-parsnip-can-inflict-pain-on-those-who-dont-take-precautions/, accessed June 7, 2024

 

NYS DEC; “Cow Parsnip” https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/cow-parsnip#:~:text=Cow%20parsnip%20is%20not%20considered,from%20sunlight%20for%2048%20hours, accessed June 7, 2024

 

USDA; “common cowparsnip”, https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=HEMA80, accessed June 7, 2024