(Good-bye to) One Inspired Summer…

I’ll miss you.  It was too much fun and and work as usual.  But who’s complaining?  The pictures speak for themselves.

The summer began with a hay fort house. Stick becomes art. Men become boys.

In July, the wild fields of my parents’ new land on Washington Island, Wisconsin are filled with Queen Anne’s Lace, Red Clover, Evening Primrose.  Turns out it’s an herbalist’s paradise.

One of my favorite medicinal tea ingredients...a big part of the healing is in its beauty.

Did you know that Queen Anne’s Lace is an old herbal remedy for dropsy (edema), chronic kidney disease, and bladder infections? (It’s a diuretic.)  Also good for breaking up kidney stones.  The seeds help with digestive distress, farts, and chronic cough.  But before you go harvest your own, make sure you aren’t trying to get pregnant, as it’s historically been used to (effectively) control fertility.  Also make sure you have the proper plant, as it’s sometimes confused with Poison Hemlock, the plant by which Socrates met his end.

Steve with Queen Anne's Lace

And then there’s Camp Mather.  We are all so addicted to it’s jumble of beauty and dusty fun.  What could be more amazing than a mountain-watered swimming hole?

I Love this picture of Uncle Jessie’s hat-it just kind of sums up summer…

And who can forget the sun washed landscape of Hetch Hetchy?

Destined for drinking...

Autumn brings it’s own special blend of soft light and crisp nights to the the Bay Area.  It’s actually sunny and hot and nice for us this time of year, and it tricks us into thinking that summer will indeed last forever.   And yet the rains have mysteriously started.  And so have the fall colds…I suppose it’s time to talk about a whole new set of herbs to get us going on staying healthy for Fall and Winter.  Next post.