As said in the previous post of these series, I went out to the forest to look for good soil for the patches, hoping to improve them before the crescent quarter Moon arrives. Unfortunately, with the constant wind these days everything looks very dry and under those conditions it all just looks like dust. I usually tell good soil by it's color and structure when moist but can't do for now.
However, I thought that whatever was under logs would be a safe enough bet so I went for this one:
It was actually pretty sandy so probably not the most nutritious stuff, yet very important to improve the structure of the patches, so I took it. There was also some pretty broken up manure near so I took that as well.
Before heading back, I spotted some digueñe mushrooms (cyttaria spinosae) on some trees. I find that there are two stages to these shrooms: when they are very young and good for stirfrying them, and when they are rightly mature to eat right off the tree. In the second stage they are sweet and juicy like a fruit.
The ones with the orange colored openings are already too mature and best not eat them. However, I found a really perfect one, it looked like a golf ball.
A peak inside:
It even looks like a fruit. It was curious for me to find out that this considered a disease for the tree. However, I think it's more of a symbiosis because I've been gathering them from the same trees year after year, and the trees remain strong and healthy.
Back on my way from gathering soil from the forest I stumbled across this scenery. Damn it, I really try to get my faith on humans back up but some of them make it really hard. What exactly goes on the minds of people who do this? Do they say: "oh look, a beautiful forest! It needs some trash to balance out"?
Anyway, after the angry moment and the hate starting to take over, I went back to the thought that saves me from bad moments: "two choices here, either whine about it or use it to your advantage". So I'll be opening the bags later, sorting out the trash by the different types and seeing how I can recycle the most amount. At least that thought took away the dense energy from me.
Back to the patch area I dropped the sandy soil on top.
It looks really dry but it's because of the sand.
As I begin tilling you can see the moisture appearing in the further end.
Either way, I watered the patches to ensure more moisture. For me it's not an easy business to water as I don't have any system to do this. I have to go with a bucket to the stream (my only source of water) and then distribute with another bucket that has holes in the bottom. I don't mind really, but it leads me to watering as less as possible.
Actually, I love going to fetch water to the stream, it's full of mint and relaxes me immediately.
And then to the holed bucket:
And the other patch:
Hope any of this was helpful or inspires you in some way. Thanks for your time and support, till next one.
