lloydslensphotographyllc

Forage Friday #31 Juniper Berries

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is Juniper Berries On Eastern Red Cedar. The photos in this post were taken just for Forage Friday. All of the photos are my original work and are available as prints by following the instructions at the bottom of the article.

DISCLAIMER : Juniper Berries are one of the plants that I have not actually used. I have done some research for the article but since I’ve not used it myself I’m strongly urging you to double check all information for accuracy. The Web MD article on Juniper Berries lists them as possibly safe. Therefore I wanted to point out that there are some cautions. With that said, we’ll also see that there’s also some traditional uses that would indicate that they’re relatively safe.

One of the more common plants that I have grown up with is the Eastern Red Cedar. It’s an evergreen that’s fairly common in the Appalachian Mountains and because it gets timber sized it’s often mistaken for a type of pine tree. But pine trees have true needles where the juniper has leaves that are more like scales. The eastern red cedar is a beautiful tree that’s often planted as an ornamental if the right soil is available. As kids we always thought of them as Christmas Trees because of the pyramid shape they have.

I have always thought of the red cedar as a utility tree. That’s one who’s properties are more useful as a non-food / medicine. The bicolor wood is absolutely beautiful when polished. It has a creamy colored sapwood and red heartwood that’s pleasing to the eye and wonderful spicy aroma. Because of smell red cedar is traditionally used to make cabinetry. The smell keeps pests like moths from infesting natural fiber clothing and cedar panels are sold for closets. Cedar chips can be purchased by the bale as pet bedding. Early in my life as an artist and craftsman I was commissioned to create a cedar bed frame. I saved as many scraps and as much sawdust as could scrape up to make air fresheners. When I was a kid most #2 yellow pencils were made out of cedar. Even as I write this I can slell the smell of the old fashioned hand cranked pencil sharpener in my third grade classroom.

The wood is usually pretty stable and I could fill the whole post with lists of things you might use it for but this is a #ForageFriday post so lets move on to the food and medicine.

As I stated that the disclaimer there are some reasons for caution. For example, Juniper is known to cause miscarriages and diabetes are cautioned to consult with a medical professional due to the risk of kidney damage. Even a healthy person shouldn’t consume the berries in large quantities or for an extended period. But the berries are used to flavor gin.

The key seems to be moderate use as a spice on wild meats. There seems to be plenty of recipes online calling for small amounts of juniper berries and one marinade I saw called for a total of 3 berries in the mix.

Anyone can have an unknown allergy but juniper allergy is a known thing so keep that in mind.

I’m not really the kind of person who uses a lot of cologne but in the 90s I did have a favorite scent that was made from juniper berries so if you’re the kind of person who has a talent for making scents juniper is one that you might try to craft from wildcrafted berries.

The last little tid-bit that I have tonight is that even though we call it a berry it’s actually a cone that encases a single seed. The part we call a berry is actually scales. And, the white powdery substance that coats the “berry” is a wild yeast that us probably what lead to it’s use in making gin.

A closer look at the berries showing the wild yeast.

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Water Colors

Color Photography

A cool misty rain sweeps through the hills of West Virginia on a late October morning. My schedule is rarely this open so I allow the big blue truck to take me wherever it wants to explore. No. I haven’t upgraded the truck to a robot. I don’t need to in order for it to speak to me. For those who attuned to the road just know what their vehicles are saying. Sometimes they want to race. Sometimes they want to slowly cruise and enjoy the sunshine. But if it’s a four wheel drive it’s likely to be in the mood to explore and maybe throw a little bit of mud into the air. On this particular day my truck suddenly decided to see what was on a side street and took me off the main highway. I struggled to hold him back as we traveled down the narrow lane. Then my big blue truck urged me pull into a parking lot where we found a Sassafras tree in full Fall glory. You may not believe it but four wheel drive trucks have a sixth sense and instinctively know where to find beauty in nature. I pulled up as close to the tree as I could and took out my camera. “Roll down my window down!” The truck urged. I had already planned to shoot from the cab so I could keep the lens clean but I allowed my truck to believe it was his great idea. Then he whispered, “God paints our world with watercolors.” As I observed the mists collecting on the red, orange and yellow leaves I knew what he meant.

I shot several different angles and settings and became so inspired by the beautiful leaves that I created a special one to post to Lloyd’s Lens Photography on Facebook.

Image Titled “God Paints With Watercolors”

I had to remove the post because Facebook deemed it to be spam and as most people who admin a business page knows there’s no appeal. If the algorithm gets you then that’s it. All we can do is wait to see if Facebook decides to take down the whole page. Now, the only reason why I even bring this up is because I have had so much positive interaction with different Facebook groups that I’ve shared with for the past few years. For those who are relying on seeing my posts come up in group feeds there’s a pretty good chance that Facebook will no longer allow me to deliver the blog to you that way. But if you enjoy my blog and my stories then you can sign up for my daily email at the bottom of my Welcome Page. As time goes on I’ll be adding other social media platforms like MeWe.com and putting more effort into things like Pinterest and YouTube and Twitter but for now be blessed and if you enjoy the photos or the stories please leave a comment in the comment section of my blog and let me know where you saw the post.

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Incident On Panther Mountain part 4

Color Photography, Fiction Story

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Among The Boughs” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

If you haven’t read the beginning of this story please use the links below.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

As I backed away from the tree and stared at the mouth shaped wound on the trunk I realized that what looks like drool was actually just resin seeping out of a wound that had never fully closed. The damage to bark was probably caused by another tree being blown over in storm. As the bark healed over it formed the lips of the mouth. That had to be it. No other explanations were logical. As I continued to ponder on the strange looking tree and it’s drooling mouth. My concentration was broken by another round of giggles that seemed to echo from all over and then there was a shushing sound that came from above my head. I spun around and looked up through the branches. But saw nothing. “Maybe I’ve accidentally inhaled hallucinogenic mushroom spores.” I mumbled to myself while searching for the source of noise. I glanced back to the truck and noticed that the fog was pooling in the road so thick that I could no longer see the truck.

Image Titled “Fog In The Forest 101919d”

The top of the hill was still fairly clear and I decided that if I used the fob I could just follow the beeping horn to find it again. I cautiously moved around the hillside looking for a sign of the invisible giggler. I noticed something laying in leaves. The light color of oiled wood standing out amid the rusty brown leaves. The smooth texture told me that the wood had been worked. I walked over and used my stick to rake back the leaves to find a doll. The head was made of a polished wood bead and had a simple face of faded paint. The body was fashioned from burlap sewn up with hemp twine and stuffed with scraps of rags. The doll’s dress was also made from scraps of cloth and sewn in a quilting pattern. The doll was made with simple materials but someone had put a lot of love and effort into it creation. I reached down to pick it up for a better look when a small voice screamed a blood curdling NO! The small voice struck me like a stone and I dropped the doll imeadiatly as frightened birds burst out of their branches. A small girl came rushing out of a hollow tree where she had been curled up in a little ball.

The Hiding spot — Image Titled “The Hiding Spot”.

She had to be no older than 5 years and small for her age. Her quilted dress matched the doll’s dress. She embraced the doll tightly and I heard her whisper “I almost lost you.” I was stunned by her sudden appearance. After a few moments of watching her hug the doll and whisper into its ear I asked for her name. She just tightened her grip on the doll and refused to speak. Knowing that there wasn’t any houses close by I asked her “Where’s your mommy?” “Don’t talk to strangers.” She said in low voice. I wondered what I could do. I wasn’t really keen on the idea of leaving her there by herself but she seemed to be stressed that I was there. Finally I asked “Are you lost?” I saw a tear drop roll down her cheek as she slowly shook her head yes and mumbled that she was playing hide and seek and they left without finding her. I knelt down to her level and said. ” I have an idea. Maybe it’s just their turn to hide and we need to go find them. I have a friend in the police department who can help us.” I stood up and took a few steps back towards my truck. The small footsteps in the leaves behind me let me know that she was following me. To my relief we made it back to the truck without any issues. I opened the door and sat her in the passenger side with the doll strapped in between us. As soon as I got enough bars I called the police department and told them that was bringing her to them. As we drove she didn’t speak. She only looked out of window and pointed to different things that we passed while whispering to the doll. Everything was as normal as stumbling upon a lost child in the forest could be if it were normal. Until we got to the police station. I walked in with the little girl in tow and sat her on a chair in the lobby while I looked for the officer that I’d spoken to on the phone. When we came back to the lobby the little girl was gone and only the doll was there sitting upright in the chair. Except, the quilted dress that matched the little girl’s dress was dirty and looked old. The paint on the wooden head was faded. My friend who was the officer gave me a confused look and we imeadiatly ran outside thinking that the little girl had wondered off again. We searched the rest of the day but found nothing and nobody else had seen her. We went back inside and decided that the best thing to do would be to look through the missing child reports and try to at least figure out her name. The doll was unique and should be something that would be in a report. The internet had nothing that fit the description of the child or the doll. So we began to search through a file cabinet. The officer pulled out an arm load of folders and one slipped out of his grip and scattered on the floor. As we gathered the lose papers he spotted something. The edge of a paper sticking out from under the file cabinet. He managed to slide it out to find a newspaper clipping. His face went as white as a sheet and he held it out for me to see a story about a missing child. The little girl in the black and white photo was holding the doll which was still sitting in the chair out in the lobby and the headline was from 1929. We agreed to pretend that it never happened and I decided to head back home. But as I passed by the opening of the road up through Panther Mountain I saw movement in the trees. I stopped the truck in the middle of the highway and watched as a young woman approached a tree and the little girl in the quilted dress ran into her waiting arms. Then they were covered by a thick fog and disappeared into the mists.

The Ghost Girl is a traditional Appalachian folk tale that has taken on several versions. Most of the time the girl is a teenager who hitches a ride and barrows coat. When the driver tries to retrieve the coat he learns that the girl had passed away long ago. The origin of the tale is not known to me but Incident On Panther Mountain has been my take on it. I have taken quite a bit of creative liberty with the plot to make it fit with the images that I had on file and if course, it needed to fit Halloween and have have a happy ending.

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Incident On Panther Mountain part 3

Color Photography, Fiction Story

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “A Light In The Forest 101519A” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

Please read Part 1 and Part 2 of Incident On Panther Mountain first.

The shadowy figure had topped the hillside by the time I reached where I had seen it. I looked up where I last saw it but by that time the fog was clearing up and the glare of the sun was hitting me right in the eyes. I couldn’t see beyond a few yards. As I squinted to try and spot any movement in the trees I could hear whispering coming from the top of the hill. My first reaction was major relief that panthers don’t whisper. But then I was also overcome with anger because this means that whoever it was had been spying on me. The right protocol would have been to announce your presence when you walk up on a stranger in the woods.

I continued to scan the hillside and trees looking for a sign of who might have been following me.

Image Titled “A Light In The Forest 101519b”

The was no movement at all. But I could still hear whispering coming from the top of the hill. Then the whispering turned into giggles. It was a small voice. It sounded like a child. There are houses and camps nearby but not really within walking distance for a child. And, even if the panthers are an urban legend there’s still bears, coyotes and bobcats in the woods. I didn’t struggle long with the choice. If there’s a child this deep in the I’d better find out who it is just in case someone is looking for them. I retrieved the axe from behind the seat of the truck so I could cut myself a proper hiking staff and a dead Dogwood tree I had just passed was just what the doctor ordered. Most of the rot was on the butt end of the tree so I cut it off about a foot above the ground and sharpened one end so I could dig it into the hillside for stability while climbing. The lose alluvial ground threatened to drop me back down to the road several times as I dug my homemade spike into the mountain and pulled myself up to the top. I looked back down at my truck and clicked the lock button until the truck respond with a beep of the horn to confirm that the lock engaged. I was blocking the road but if someone came up behind me I’m sure that they would understand why I’d done it. I scanned to the West first since the sun was so bright. There was no sign of a child to the West or the East. The woods were thick but not so as to hide in unless the child was behind one of the trees. I decided to wait them out a little and sat down on a stump where I could see the truck and the surrounding forest. I would sit there until either I heard movement in the leaves or someone else came up the road and was blocked by the truck. It wasn’t long before I heard the whispering and giggles again. It was coming from directly above me. I looked up the trunk of the tree I was leaned on. That’s when I noticed that this tree had a mouth and it appeared to be drooling.

Image Titled “The Hungry Tree”.

For a moment I wished I had not left the axe in my truck below. Thoughts of Tolkien and the Ents came to mind and I fully expected to be plucked from the forest floor and hurled for some distance. “There’s no way I’m seeing this.” I thought as stepped back for a better look.

To be continued on Part 4

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Incident On Panther Mountain. Part 2

Color Photography, Fiction Story

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “A Foggy Morning On Panther Mountain 101919b” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

If you haven’t read Part 1 of Incident On Panther Mountain click here.

The mist continued to thicken as I stood on the edge of the road looking down into the foggy valley below. A few of the trees are already bare but there’s more than enough foliage to hide anything smaller than a house. I could hear a steady thumping that seemed to come from everywhere. The thick fog made me a little claustrophobic until I realized that if it was thick enough to hide whatever was out there then it was hiding me too. I briefly considered dropping over the edge and allowing the edge of the road to be my cover but all it would take is one mistake and I would slip into the valley and fall for hundreds of feet. I fumbled with a fob on my key ring. If I clicked on the unlock button the door would unlock but the lights would also come on and let half of the mountain know my exact position. But if I waited until the last second I could open the door and be safely locked in before anything could zero in on me. I looked back down the road behind me and saw that nothing was there yet but the thumping was getting louder. Why can’t tell which direction it’s coming from? I thought as eased back to the truck. After a few steps I realized that it was my own heartbeat that I heard. Pounding in my ears like a drum. Just a few yards before reaching the door but before unlocking the truck I had a terrifying thought. I was on Panther Mountain. Not butterfly mountain. Not puppy mountain but Panther Mountain. The old timers would tell about the large “Devil Cats”. Jet black and able to move as silent as the fog across the leaves. What else was it that they said? I searched my memory for the tales and yarns that were told around campfires. If ever there was a real monster it was an 80 pound predator able to carry a full grown buck up to the treetops and devour it there. That was it! The Devil Cat is an arboreal hunter. I remembered my great uncle Teddy saying that when he was a kid people would walk with sharp sticks taller than they were to keep panthers from leaping out of a tree onto their backs. All I had was the monopod for my camera but it was kinda pointed so opened it up and shouldered it like I was marching. In those last few steps I watched the trees for any sign of movement and only took my hand off the stick to unlock the truck. Just as I predicted the headlights came on and cut through the fog. The trees were empty. I breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled at my own senseless panic. No panthers had been confirmed in this spot for at least a generation. But there was still the strange silence of the birds. It’s not unusual for there to be holes in the noise that gives you way to track people and animals that are out of sight but for the whole forest to suddenly became devoid of sounds is very odd. I turned the key in the ignition and the big blue truck purred to life. I have a choice to make. I can go forward and push beyond the fog in order to find a place where I can turn around or I can attempt to back the truck down the very narrow path.

Image Titled “A Foggy Morning On Panther Mountain 101919c ”

I shifted in drive and began to move deeper into the foggy woods. I had decided that it was all in my head when a shadow slipped through the trees on the hillside to my left. It happened so quick that I couldn’t tell what it was other than a dark mass.

To be continued on Part 3

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