Forest and Farm

 No matter what I have harvested before, as my first New Mexico Deer hunt approached, I began to feel like, "this is the real deal!" When draw results were released, and I found out I had drawn a deer tag in the northwest corner of our state, I was ecstatic! And then I was nervous.  This is what I had been working towards, but was I really ready? Was I really a huntress,or just kidding myself? Every time I wrestled with these questions, the answer I felt inside myself was, you are ready, this is real, this is you .  When the actual weekend of my hunt was upon me, I felt it all, excitement, nervousness, pride, trepidation... And then it was Friday afternoon, my workday was over, and the time had come. I had been building towards this moment for so long, I couldn't wait. As with most things involving children, getting out of the house took forever. Nick had gone ahead, and found a campsite. I packed up for myself and the kids, and dropped them off at a friends house. Then t...

At this point in time I felt pretty on top of my small game, well, game, I guess.  I successfully have harvested grouse and jack rabbits, challenges I felt proud of meeting, and food I was so happy to put on the table.  When we planned a trip to Hawaii, to visit my family, I decided I needed to make hunting a part of the trip. In the mountains of the Big Island of Hawaii, there are herds of feral sheep, happily grazing on the fertile volcanic grass that covers the slopes of Mauna Loa, above my birth town of Kona.  These herds can prove to be problematic for many landowners, and most do not mind hunters helping to control their population.  Until I was a young girl, my grandfather's ranch extended upwards of 10,000 feet in elevation, on the slopes of Mauna Loa.  He sold this land when I was young, but I have been told stories all my life of the adventures had there, many of which included sheep hunting.  This trip, we were fortunate to be extended an invitat...

Today was a pretty special day. Our kids are on fall break, and although we tossed around different plans for epic adventures, we ended up deciding to keep it simple and hang at home for most of the break. I,  however, was craving a family day in the mountains. We loaded up and headed into the woods. It always takes a little time away from electronics for our kids to detox and return to their wonderful selves,  and today proved no different, but we soon settled into a relaxing mood that included watching the aspen leaves fall and scanning the hillsides for grouse.  As you may have read in a previous post,  A Walk in the Woods , I have been out searching with my husband for some grouse, but have yet to actually find one to even attempt shooting.  I have been after my first grouse for some time now, having decided it was time to step into a more active role in our family’s food production. For years I swore I would never hunt.  Hunting is a part of our f...

Following my hubby through the woods. I bought a hunting license this year. That statement may not be shocking to most of you, but it is if you’ve known me in my younger years.  I grew up in a family of ranchers, although we stopped ranching when I was a little girl, and beef was always on the menu.  Hunting, however, was a foreign concept.  There were certainly members of my extended family who hunted, but it was not something I was ever exposed to.  In high school I became very attached to one of the steers we were raising for meat, and I swore off red meat.  Several family members love to tell the story of Chrissy the Vegetarian, but I was far from it.  I never gave up chicken or pork.  Especially not bacon, because, it's bacon.  Enough said. When I met my husband I had no understanding of why someone would hunt, and although I didn't really think it was wrong, I didn't think it was something I would ever really support, let alone partic...

Today My husband and I were lucky enough to add another mushroom to our arsenal; The lobster! This incredible mushroom is different than any other mushroom we’ve found. The unique color and texture of a lobster mushroom is due to the fact that it is actually a fungus that has attacked and taken over another mushroom, changing it’s appearance and texture until it is unrecognizable! I find the whole process incredibly interesting, and altogether fascinating! Here is a link to more information about this crazy shroom: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypomyces_lactifluorum Here in the southern Rockies the lobster mushroom can be found around 9,000 ft in Ponderosa forests. They pushed up through the thick layer of pine needles like buried treasure! Once you brush away the dirt and needles the beautiful mushroom is easy to cut. Be sure to cut it and not pull the whole thing out.  Here is a mushroom I found in the process of changing into a lobster. So cool! ...