Having gathered the intelligence needed on the previous recon of the area, and going back in near pitch black darkness under the canopy this little sample harvest was not much like frolicking through the woods gathering goodies...more like a pre-dawn assault with surgical precision. The basket came into the picture after I got home. The darkness did impose some visual limitations, but also made things more interesting.
When I was up around these fields and woods the other day I had come prepared to clear trails, whittle, and take photos, but I was, unfortunately. ill equipped for gathering things of a fragile nature. When I had left the truck that day I had a knife, a machete, a spoon, a piece of sandpaper, and a camera and that was about it.
After getting home and thinking about it a while I started wondering if I could maybe plant some of the grapes and Ocoee on my own land. I wanted to go grab some samples, and knowing how much competition there is up there for wild edibles I wanted to go soon...the problem was that Lisa had an appointment in the city this morning at 8:30 and it's right at a 40 minute drive each way to the general area where the plants are. So...I decided to go early. The gates at Prentice Cooper open at 5:00 so knowing exactly where everything was located I thought that I gave just enough time....and I was right
So...a quick breakfast of biscuits and gravy, and a cup of coffee at the Waffle House at 4:45, then an iced tea to go and off I went. Oh, and once again with a low battery...figures, I really need to take the time to go get another one.
I got to the general area about 5:45 and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the morning watching for the sky to lighten a little. This was a 20 second exposure of the pine trees in the area a few minutes before 6:00 am. The tips of the prairie grass stalks that were blowing in the breeze look like ghosts in the bottom of the picture.
Then, once again geared up with a machete, a Knife, a flashlight and a camera...and this time some ziploc bags...I headed into the fields. I went after the Ocoee first, and i only found one of any size. The picture sucks because the fruit was lit by both the flashlight (which btw the SOG LT-1 really puts out some light) and the flash of the camera at the same time...I learned to move quickly with getting the flash light beam out of the way as I went along.
I thought I might as well grab a sample of the thorn apple while I was there too...just for studies and NOT for eating. I can tell you these things definitely discourage picking, even green the little spines are hard and sharp.
Then it was off through a patch of woods to another field about a half mile or so away to get some of the grapes. It was funny how I saw things in the dark I hadn't even noticed in the light. I had walked within 5 meters or so of these the last trip and completely missed them...must have been looking up at the time. But when the light went across these leaves I knew what to start looking for.
Not the biggest muscadines in the world, but pretty sweet.
Then soon I found even more grapes than I had seen before.
Then I made it back to the truck just after seven, you can see the haul in plastic bags on the hood.
Then I just chilled for a few minutes, secured the gear...all except the camera and then snapped one last pic as the sun started painting the world with color... then battery light started flashing.Then left at 7:15 exactly on schedule to be home by 8:00.
So, back at home I grabbed one of Lisa's baskets to snap a quick picture of the harvest.
I like how these shots makes nice "what's wrong with this picture" pictures...I may have to use one as part of a future give-away contest.
.
When I was up around these fields and woods the other day I had come prepared to clear trails, whittle, and take photos, but I was, unfortunately. ill equipped for gathering things of a fragile nature. When I had left the truck that day I had a knife, a machete, a spoon, a piece of sandpaper, and a camera and that was about it.
After getting home and thinking about it a while I started wondering if I could maybe plant some of the grapes and Ocoee on my own land. I wanted to go grab some samples, and knowing how much competition there is up there for wild edibles I wanted to go soon...the problem was that Lisa had an appointment in the city this morning at 8:30 and it's right at a 40 minute drive each way to the general area where the plants are. So...I decided to go early. The gates at Prentice Cooper open at 5:00 so knowing exactly where everything was located I thought that I gave just enough time....and I was right
So...a quick breakfast of biscuits and gravy, and a cup of coffee at the Waffle House at 4:45, then an iced tea to go and off I went. Oh, and once again with a low battery...figures, I really need to take the time to go get another one.
I got to the general area about 5:45 and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the morning watching for the sky to lighten a little. This was a 20 second exposure of the pine trees in the area a few minutes before 6:00 am. The tips of the prairie grass stalks that were blowing in the breeze look like ghosts in the bottom of the picture.
Then, once again geared up with a machete, a Knife, a flashlight and a camera...and this time some ziploc bags...I headed into the fields. I went after the Ocoee first, and i only found one of any size. The picture sucks because the fruit was lit by both the flashlight (which btw the SOG LT-1 really puts out some light) and the flash of the camera at the same time...I learned to move quickly with getting the flash light beam out of the way as I went along.
I thought I might as well grab a sample of the thorn apple while I was there too...just for studies and NOT for eating. I can tell you these things definitely discourage picking, even green the little spines are hard and sharp.
Then it was off through a patch of woods to another field about a half mile or so away to get some of the grapes. It was funny how I saw things in the dark I hadn't even noticed in the light. I had walked within 5 meters or so of these the last trip and completely missed them...must have been looking up at the time. But when the light went across these leaves I knew what to start looking for.
Not the biggest muscadines in the world, but pretty sweet.
Then soon I found even more grapes than I had seen before.
Then I made it back to the truck just after seven, you can see the haul in plastic bags on the hood.
Then I just chilled for a few minutes, secured the gear...all except the camera and then snapped one last pic as the sun started painting the world with color... then battery light started flashing.Then left at 7:15 exactly on schedule to be home by 8:00.
So, back at home I grabbed one of Lisa's baskets to snap a quick picture of the harvest.
I like how these shots makes nice "what's wrong with this picture" pictures...I may have to use one as part of a future give-away contest.
.
