What a difference a day makes

Howdee all,

It was a bit scary yesterday here in NC with all the storms going thru. 

Storm clouds in the distance…

I was alone, Jeff was in Boston, My Sicksta and her husband were at work. I was watching the weather radar and saw the storms approaching…I took my prized possessions, Cameras, computer, binoculars and my Cat from our homey and went next door to the house.

The plan was to pile into the bathroom with the two dogs and cat if the radar looked ominous. I watched the radar for a few hours and turned on my weather radio. It was pretty ugly on the radar..but luckily nothing but thunder, lightening and rain here.

It was very sad to find out that lives were lost and homes and businesses destroyed.

What a difference a day makes…

Today was sunny and beautiful.

I made rocks today…to finish this pathway to the patio that we made a few years earlier…One bag of cement~some peat moss~water…

Walkway finished…

The Great-crested Flycatcher returned today..and was wreeeeeping around the yard.

I went across the street into the woods to look for Morel mushrooms..

I do find other things in the woods..like…

This snake that blocked my path and would not budge…The remains of a cardinal..

Most likely eaten by the resident Coopers Hawk…

I need to speak to him…I much rather he take a few Brown-headed Cowbirds that have been pigging out at the feeders…

Ferns unfolding…

And mushrooms that aren't Morels…

This looks like a Russula ..

NO MORELS

So I left the woods and back in the yard..

The Chickadees that live in the moon have little ones..

I see them both going in and out with goodies for the kids…

There are more flowers starting to bloom in Sickstas garden….

After a busy day…of Rock making~bird watching~mushroom hunting…

I made dinner for three…we watched the birds as we ate…

After Dinner

…Sicksta does her walk around…and while she was walking around she found these…

What are they?Strange looking bugs????

And another day comes to a close………………

I will listen for the Whip-poor will tonight..and watch the Flying Squirrels before closing my eyes…

I hope those affected by the tornado will have some peace.

Sweet Dreams…

Bluff point, Groton, CT

Image via Wikipedia

Howdee all,

Its Autumn here in Connecticut. Blustery, stormy days interspersed with sunshine and windy days.

Bluff point is our favorite place for a four mile round trip walk..not to far from Mom and Dads.

This was an evening walk.

   Windy with no rain.

Just getting dark…

We brought our bins on this walk..but the wind kept most birds down.

We did see a Great Egret.

  Lots of Cormorants, Gulls and Yellow-rumped warblers, Song sparrows, Eastern Towhees and Blue jays.

otherwise..it was pretty quiet…

I am always looking for mushrooms…We found a few gems on this trip.

This is some sort of Lepioda mushroom

I have never tried any Lepioda mushrooms..too many poisonous look alikes.

  Puff ball city..

  Some puff balls are edible

If I don't know a mushroom well, I don't eat it unless I am out with an expert.

I try to stay with the safe mushrooms..ones I know inside and out.

If these are edible..this would make a nice mushroom soup.

Instead..I will use the mushrooms I froze and dried last fall in Oregon…

Chanterelles, Lobsters, Matsutake, Porcini, Chicken of the woods.

   The colors are changing..the leaves are falling..and the Birdies are going souther..

A lovely time of year…  

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Turkey Tail

Image via Wikipedia

Howdee all

Hope you all are having a wonderful fall season.

       Jeff and I are in Connecticut now, parked in my parents driveway.

We plan on being here until the beginning of November,then will head south to warmer weather.

On our quest to stay healthy we do a daily walk at Bluff Point on the coast in Groton. A four mile loop…the first part thru woodlands.

I am always on the lookout for mushrooms…and found this beautiful specimen.  Turkey Tail mushroom or Trametes versicolor

“Turkey tails are possibly the most common mushroom you will find. They are saprobic growing everywhere on dead or rotting stumps and branches. As "versicolor" may suggest, they are very variable in color. Their uses are mainly medicinal and decorative. They can have great beauty. They dry easily to become leathery tough. I have seen them used by artists in various assemblages and even as jewelry. They also can be used to make blue and green dyes for wool and other fabrics.

There has been quite a bit of research done on these for their medicinal value as adjunct cancer treatment including colorectal cancer and leukemia. A protein-bound polysaccharide called PSK (Krestin) has been developed in Japan for cancer therapy.”

from http://mushroom-collecting.com/mushroomturkey.html

I found a few informative videos online.

 “The turkey tail has bioremediation potential, according to mycologist Paul Stamets. T. versicolor biodegrades a variety of pollutants. It is eaten by the caterpillars of the fungus moth Nemaxera betulinella.”

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trametes_versicolor  

"In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Turkey Tail is used to clear dampness,
reduce phlegm, heal pulmonary disorders, strengthen the physique,
increase energy and benefit people with chronic diseases (Yang &
Yong, 1989, Ying et al., 1987). Chinese medical doctors consider it a
useful treatment for infection and/or inflammation of the upper
respiratory, urinary and digestive tracts. Turkey Tail is also regarded
as curative to liver ailments (including hepatitis B and chronic active
hepatitis) and is used to treat general weakness of the immune system
(Ying et al., 1987)

Krestin (PSK), a proprietary anticancer drug approved in
Japan, is extracted from the Turkey Tail mushroom and accounted for
25.2% of the total Japanese national expenditure for anticancer agents.
Nakazato et al. (1994), reported that 262 gastric cancer patients
treated with PSK as an adjunct to chemotherapy showed a decrease in
cancer reoccurrence and a significant increase in disease-free survival
rate. Kobayashi et al. (1995) reported that the protein-bound
polysaccharide PSK reduced cancer metastasis. Sakagami et al. (1993)
reported that PSK stimluted interleukin-1 and interferon production in
human cells. Other researchers have reported that PSK appears to be a
scavenger of free-radical oxidizing compounds. Unlike many conventional
anticancer drugs, PSK produces few, if any, side effects and shows no
immunosuppressive activity." from http://wildbranchmushrooms.com/turkey-tail

Video on the Medicinal Properies

 

“Healing Properties
Its main effects are to strengthen the immune system, particularly by enhancing the workings of one of the most critical cells, known as T helper cells. T helper cells tell all the other cells in the immune system what to do and to what degree, and when to stop.
In cancer, the runaway cells often secrete compounds known as cytokines that give false signals to immune cells to stop working. This further enhances the ability of the cancer to survive. An unfortunate side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy is that they further damage the immune system, in part by inadvertently killing T helper cell” read more here …from Discovery Health

 

So..I am thinking of collecting some to make a tea.

I will dry it and powder it…and use it to build up my immune system during this flu and cold season.

“Preparation and Dosage
The usual dose is 2 to 3 grams of dried, powdered turkey tail mushrooms three times per day, either mixed into food or put into capsules. Specialized extracts known as PSK or PSP (which focus on single polysaccharides in the mushroom, to the exclusion of all other potentially beneficial compounds) were the actual form of this mushroom studied and are given in the same amounts as powdered turkey tail.
However, these extracts are quite a bit more expensive than the whole powdered herb. Crude turkey tail mushroom has been used successfully in traditional medicine for thousands of years, so it is unlikely these special extracts must be used for it to be effective.
Storage
Turkey tail mushroom generally stays potent for many years, regardless of its form. The constituents don't break down easily. Keeping it away from heat and light will help extend its useful shelf life.” From Discovery Health

Disclaimer..I do not recommend using or eating any wild mushrooms unless it has been identified by a professional.

Birds, flowers and mushrooms in our Yard

Howdee all,

Sometimes the things you are looking for are in you are right in your own backyard.

Most springs you will find us parked for the month of April at my sister Adele's and her husband Craig's home.

We set up our feeders and wait for the birds to come.

I set up the scope inside and took a few photos.

Now that it is warm I will set the scope up outside and do some digiscoping.

The American Goldfinch shows up soon after we put up the feeders.

We are always excited to see the migrants come back.

Here's our Blue Grosbeak that arrived a few days ago.

We are expecting to see the Indigo buntings any day now. The Rose-breasted Grosbeak usually shows up after the Buntings.

The Brown thrashers are singing. The Carolina wrens are singing a bit too much for me….non stop over and over…sometimes..I just want to turn off its switch.

The feeder is always full with birds.

I love our little squeaky toy Brown-headed nuthatches…

The Chickadees are now nesting in the moon. I will take a video to show you their new home.

We also find wonderful birds in the yard that don't go to the feeders. Eastern Bluebirds, Vireos, Cedar waxwings, Blue-gray gnatcatchers', Kestrels', and others.

Birdie life is good here.

Yesterday, I looked across the street and saw some Tulip Poplars….they keep whispering to me….so before dinner, I walked over to to see what they had to say..…

and

Look what I found. I walked around for a half hour and found five beauties. Today I will search again.

Most evenings after dinner…Adele, the pups and I go for a walk around the yard.

Adele, an avid gardener, is always looking to see what is popping up out of the ground…what is blooming…and what plants didn't survive the winter.

You can click on the photo album to see more.

View Full Album

Its fun walking around our Yard…wherever we are.

Sometimes we drive to a “special place”….when, really, the special place is right here in our own backyard.

Have a great day ….

And

Take time to smell the flowers…and look around in your own backyard for

treasures.