SEO For Artists

Every day there is a new arrival or event to celebrate. Along with field sparrows and the common yellowthroat, I heard one of my favorite birds today, the phoebe. Though its color is an indistinct gray, there’s no mistaking its telltale call of its name, “phoe-beeee!” Bird watching would be so much easier if all birds were as accommodating, I think.

There was another very welcome call not too far from my home. Though I couldn’t see them, there was no doubt that sandhill cranes were in the marsh. Standing nearly 3 feet tall, these birds are quite impressive. They also have a unique mating ritual, involving calls and dancing. It is quite the show too to see these gangly-looking birds do the dance. One of the most memorable moments I’ve had in bird watching was observing a pre-dawn dance on a misty morning. Incredible!

Spring is also putting on a show in the woods. Bloodroot was in bloom today. This plant is fascinating on many levels. Bloodroot is found in rich, undisturbed woods. Undisturbed is the key as it takes 10 years before the blooms appear. It is also appropriately named. The stem when broken oozes a reddish orange sap. Native American used it for dying and as a face paint. The plant was also used as a love charm. One only had to put some of the sap on one’s hand and then shake the hand of their beloved. Marriage follows in 5-6 days.

Bloodroot was also used medicinally. The sap would be put on a lump of sugar for use as a cough medicine. This must be where the saying “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…” comes from. As with much of the folklore, there is a bit of truth in its uses. Compounds derived from the plant have showed antiseptic, anesthetic, and anti-cancer activity. In any case, it’s such a pretty flower, with its showy white flowers and a treat to find in the woods.

We also noticed bedstraw coming up on the trail. Bedstraw was once used to stuff pillows and mattresses. The plants have an unusual sticky quality that keeps the plants in tight bunches. Now just another of the many understory plants, at one time, it was used by cheese makers to curdle milk. Its fruit was used as a coffee substitute and tea made from it, to treat skin diseases.

Spring is such a wonderful time of the year here in the North Country and the perfect time to get in touch with Nature.