Weeping Willow - Salix babylonica

The Weeping Willow Tree

The Weeping Willow Tree

This incredible Weeping Willow tree lives at Camp Rockmont, where I am attending the SE Women's Herbal Conference. I had a class with Suki Roth today. She talked of the powerful medicine in the Weeping Willow.  We talked about how Weeping Willow vinegar can be prepared from the new spring leaves. 

Rebecca

Pear Tree - Pyrus communis

The Pear Tree

The Pear Tree

This amazing tree that lives beside my house gave us many pears this year.  They were delicious!  We enjoyed them in smoothies and in salads and on their own.  They were green and light brown with some spots, and were mostly pear shaped.  They tasted crisp, sweet and juicy; as of today, they are all off the tree now.  We waited for each pear to fall on its own and then we picked them off the ground.  There are two left in my kitchen. 

I have been taking a class this week about Ecologist Aldo Leopold.  This evening the class went out into the woods to do a lesson in the Aldo Leopold style.  We sat and listened to the night.  We started out and read his essay, Choral Copse, and then just sat in silence and took in the night.  We all talked about what we heard tonight.  The sounds are so very different at night in September then the sounds of summer.  Tonight, the sounds of insects filled the air.  We also heard owls and crows and acorns falling on the ground.  Take a moment yourself and go outside and listen.  Really listen.  What do you hear? 

Rebecca