Fauna, Flora, & A New Knife

[Mistwalker]

The little Fiddleback that I picked up at Blade is called a “Hiking Buddy”. So yesterday, when I took a break from work to walk around the general area and check on the progress of some of the wild edibles, I took it on its first hike.

Lots of green

Lots of Queen Anne’s lace

Autumn Olives coming on

Black Berries in need of some rain

Lots of young Sassafras

Nightshade (Horse Nettle) coming on too.

You can see last year’s fruit still around these plants, a definite indicator that it is unsafe to ingest.

Onion seed heads doing their thing.

The growth cycle of the Ocoee fruit (Passiflora and Passion fruit). These pods….

Open into really interesting looking flowers.

Then they get visited by lots of insects.

Then the fruit develops

Wont be long till some are ready t eat.

Still trying to figure out what these are, the heads are the size of baseballs.

Saw a couple of young bucks. These were shot off hand at distances of about 200 and 120 meters respectively, so not the greatest photos.

Found a good bit of fatwood, some really rich stuff.

Not a bad haul

I think the knife will live up to it’s name just fine, I like how it handles.

.

 

[Galemys]

Wonderful pics again and a beautiful knife.
I think your baseball sized fluffy seedhead is a Tragopogon species, good tinder that works even in a fire piston.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[Paradiddle]

Excellent looking knife! Hope it'll keep serving you well

 

[Retired Member southey]

Fantastic pics matey! that's a Cracking flower on the passion fruit, stunning.

 

[Claudiasboris]

Thanks, Mist, fantasic photos as always. Those ocoees are rather spectacular.

I'm liking the look of Fiddleback sharps more and more (it's your fault!), especially their machetes. When I've finished collecting the ESEEs and Beckers and Swamp Rats and Scrapyards, I might have to have a serious look at them.

Did you pick that one up from Blade?

Claudiasboris

 

[Mistwalker]

Wonderful pics again and a beautiful knife.
I think your baseball sized fluffy seedhead is a Tragopogon species, good tinder that works even in a fire piston.

Cheers,

Tom

Thanks Tom.

Hmmm, I wish I had thought about the fire piston at the time, I'll have to remember that next time, thanks.

Excellent looking knife! Hope it'll keep serving you well

Thank you, it's my fourth one by Andy, and all indications from the others are that it will.

Fantastic pics matey! that's a Cracking flower on the passion fruit, stunning.

Thank you, I always find them both beautiful, and alien looking

Thanks, Mist, fantasic photos as always. Those ocoees are rather spectacular.

I'm liking the look of Fiddleback sharps more and more (it's your fault!), especially their machetes. When I've finished collecting the ESEEs and Beckers and Swamp Rats and Scrapyards, I might have to have a serious look at them.

Did you pick that one up from Blade?

Claudiasboris

Thanks Boris, it is a really unique flower.

All my fault lol? That's ok, take your time there are a couple more I want anyway

Yep, saw it Friday morning, couldn't get it out of my head, texted Andy that evening and told him if it was still there to hold it and picked it up first thing the next morning.




Thanks for the kind words guys.

Brian

 

[Galemys]

Thanks Tom.

Hmmm, I wish I had thought about the fire piston at the time, I'll have to remember that next time, thanks.

For fire piston use of Tragopogon seedheads:
Only use the umbrella-shaped discs and discard the little stalks with the actual seed. Use some of the 'umbrella's' to form a fluffy ball and insert into the tinder cavity, then light them as you would with any other fire piston tinder.

Well that's how it works with Tragopogon pratensis here in Holland anyway , you might have a different species in the US but it's worth checking out as it is a good natural tinder for a fire piston.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[Mistwalker]

For fire piston use of Tragopogon seedheads:
Only use the umbrella-shaped discs and discard the little stalks with the actual seed. Use some of the 'umbrella's' to form a fluffy ball and insert into the tinder cavity, then light them as you would with any other fire piston tinder.

Well that's how it works with Tragopogon pratensis here in Holland anyway , you might have a different species in the US but it's worth checking out as it is a good natural tinder for a fire piston.

Cheers,

Tom

Thanks Tom, a friend sent me a fire psiton a year or so ago and I have enjoyed experimenting with it. I will definitely have to keep this in mind.

 

[GordonM]

Very beautiful pics Brian! My favorites are the two velvety bucks and the Ocoee pics. The Fiddleback knife is a sweet looking one.

Gordy

 

[Totumpole]

That is a sweet looking blade, looks like a nifty size!

 

[Mistwalker]

Very beautiful pics Brian! My favorites are the two velvety bucks and the Ocoee pics. The Fiddleback knife is a sweet looking one.

Gordy

Thanks Gordy, I love snapping shots of all the deer here when I get the chance, and always look forward to the blooming of the Ocoee so they are some of my favorites too. Yep, Andy makes some nice knives, and I really love this one. Not too big, and not too small.

That is a sweet looking blade, looks like a nifty size!

Yep, 8 cm blade and a 10.5cm handle, so really handy