Graditude

I take my dog for a short walk nearly every morning around around the property. This time of year it is exceptionally beautiful with the wild flowers and the green pastures. I brought a bag and some shears with me this morning and harvested some wild lettuce.

It is not only edible but it has some lovely healing properties; one of the names it goes by is opium lettuce, and although it is not an opiate it does work on pain. It is an anti-inflammatory among other things. So I gather up enough to make some tincture and I will dry some for tea.

A little further on I see some sow thistle so I gather it up as well.  Sow thistle looks kind of like a dandelion, but it gets bigger and has several flowers at the top.

It grows well at my place, mostly in places I mow. So now that I have harvested enough to make tincture I can go ahead and mow.

I move along and come to a large space full of plantain. I make an infused oil out of this for bug bites and rashes. It works rather well on poison oak and mosquito bits.

Plantain is easy to spot because of the way the veins run the long ways along the leaves.

Up the hill I go to a spot of lovely scotch broom in bloom. I pick enough for a bouquet for the house. I love the colors and for some reason I'm not allergic to it!

Sadly I haven't found any healing attributes for this plant, except for the joy the flowers bring me.

A little further on I get the the canal that meanders through my property. It's flowing nicely and I know my reservoir is full.  A little further on than that I am back out into the open and stop and enjoy the stunning view.

I always take a moment here and give thanks for the day, and the beauty around me. Today I thanked God for all the cool stuff I got on my walk. Life is good and I am very blessed.