Expedition Unknown
My son and I have a favorite show to watch together called "Expedition Unknown". The host, Josh Gates, is an archaeologist who travels around digging into ancient mysteries and folklore and attempting to find evidence to prove/disprove the stories. It's a fascinating show, despite the fact that they never actually prove anything. But they find just enough intriguing evidence and ancient artifacts to keep us watching.
Okay, they are not the prettiest looking cookies. But despite them looking like little lumpy messes, they are tasty, and I am proud that they are quite healthy too! No sugar, just sweetened with bananas and figs and they are delicious.
A little home grown splash of joy-pinks and purples from our backyard.
The berries are from our "beautyberry" bush. I looked these berries up years ago when my then 2 year old son decided to put a few in his mouth and chew. I was pleased to find out that they are actually edible and people will make jelly and even wine out of them, as well as use the leaves for insect repellent. I have not tried any of those uses yet. For now, they make a lovely addition to a bouquet.
More colorful sweetness:
The flowering trees are slowly losing their blooms as Autumn rolls in...
...but some are holding on for a little longer.
Hold on tight little flowers...don't leave us quite yet.
Well, today we went on our own little expedition. There is a certain trail in the woods that we hike from time, and all along the path are masses of fossilized seashells/marine animals. This part of the United States was covered with ocean some millions of years ago, so there is blaring evidence of that all over this trail. We always say we should bring shovels and excavate, and today we did just that.
There are masses of them all around-teeny tiny shells to quite large ones, and that is only on this one part of the trail. The ancient marine creatures are all over these woods!
My son felt really official. While digging, he would declare in his Josh Gates voice, "You will not believe what I found over here!" Then he would give his expert opinion on what it was and how old it might be. I mean this stuff is old. I can hardly wrap my mind around it. They were swimming, floating, eating and doing whatever else mollusks like to do, millions of year ago! And we are touching them. Mind. Blown.
The juxtaposition of sea and forest is just so cool too.
We found several of these whole clams fossilized shut. We thought about the possibility that there is a very pristine pearl inside.
The rest of this week's good:
All summer we have been receiving fresh figs from a generous coworker as well as gathering them from a fig tree in town. I froze a bunch with the plan of making fig newtons. I have been putting it off, but I finally made them yesterday!
There are masses of them all around-teeny tiny shells to quite large ones, and that is only on this one part of the trail. The ancient marine creatures are all over these woods!
My son felt really official. While digging, he would declare in his Josh Gates voice, "You will not believe what I found over here!" Then he would give his expert opinion on what it was and how old it might be. I mean this stuff is old. I can hardly wrap my mind around it. They were swimming, floating, eating and doing whatever else mollusks like to do, millions of year ago! And we are touching them. Mind. Blown.
The juxtaposition of sea and forest is just so cool too.
We found several of these whole clams fossilized shut. We thought about the possibility that there is a very pristine pearl inside.
The rest of this week's good:
All summer we have been receiving fresh figs from a generous coworker as well as gathering them from a fig tree in town. I froze a bunch with the plan of making fig newtons. I have been putting it off, but I finally made them yesterday!
Okay, they are not the prettiest looking cookies. But despite them looking like little lumpy messes, they are tasty, and I am proud that they are quite healthy too! No sugar, just sweetened with bananas and figs and they are delicious.
A little home grown splash of joy-pinks and purples from our backyard.
The berries are from our "beautyberry" bush. I looked these berries up years ago when my then 2 year old son decided to put a few in his mouth and chew. I was pleased to find out that they are actually edible and people will make jelly and even wine out of them, as well as use the leaves for insect repellent. I have not tried any of those uses yet. For now, they make a lovely addition to a bouquet.
More colorful sweetness:
The flowering trees are slowly losing their blooms as Autumn rolls in...
...but some are holding on for a little longer.
Hold on tight little flowers...don't leave us quite yet.
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