Waysideriders

Rattlesnakes on your way

Simon — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:59:49 +0000

After I have provided you with some information about finding scorpions, I felt that I should also tell you how to spot one of my favorite wild animals: the rattlesnake. Going on hike for observing rattlesnakes can be much more fun than searching scorpions because these snakes are just much easier to find.

Rattlesnakes photographed by Sylvia Rosenberg 10x8-merged-comp-snakes-darker001 © by mikebaird

Sometimes a rattlesnake is almost a flamboyant piece of the landscape: it often lies sunning itself on a rock. This happens especially on sunny days during late morning. If they are not lying on rocks they might be under them. They also often hide beneath logs, rock piles and bushes. On the surface you will find them in fields that are inhabited by a large a amount of small mammals. Rattlesnakes usually stay away from cold, shady or moist locations. So you better don’t try to find them in thick woods.

Once you have found a snake that you think might be a rattlesnake, have a close look. Does it show a narrow head on which a broad and triangular head is sitting? Does it have elliptical pupils? Than it is probably a rattlesnake! You can be absolutely certain if you can spot its rattle at its tail’s end. However, sometimes rattlesnakes lose their rattle. This means, that a missing rattle is not a clear sign of being a different species. However, the rattle gets a new segment if the snake sheds its skin so that the rattle will eventually grow back.

As always: be careful! Rattlesnakes are very venomous. Never touch them!

Finding scorpions

Simon — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:56:03 +0000

Not many people will share my enthusiasm, but I love seeing a scorpion crossing my way. Well… I must admit that this happens rarely. Usually, a hike during the night will give you much higher chances to encounter a scorpion. But if the scorpion does not find you, you can still go searching for him yourself. Let me share with you some secrets about scorpion hunting.

scorpion © by kevinzim

During the day scorpions usually hide under rocks or in small holes that they dig. That means that searching scorpions means turning a lot of rocks. If you are extremely lucky, you might find a scorpion family. Young scorpions usually stay with their mother for a while. The form a group that consists of up to 15 young scorpions and a mother scorpion.

However, as scorpions are nocturnal you will find them more easily during the night. You can then use a flashlight with a blacklight LED. The UV will illuminate the scorpions because they are fluorescent. This way you can see them from several feet away. The highest chances of finding them are on a night without moon and 2-3 hours after dark.

Be aware though, that scorpions can be very venomous. Sometimes they can be fatal, sometimes they can be harmless. If you are not a scorpion expert you should regard all scorpions as fatal. So be extremely careful when turning stones and don’t try to touch the scorpions! Always turn the stone towards you so that the stone is between you and the opening!

Drive-Ins

Simon — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:49:17 +0000

In my last post I presented the glorious history of the American diner to you. The drive-in was a new development that started to replace a lot of diners throughout the 1950s and 1960s. However, they also disappeared in great number due to the rise of the drive-through.

Mel

Today, there are still far more drive-ins left than diners. This reflects the growing demand of quick meals. A drive-in enables you to not even leave your car for dining. They started to become popular in the 1930s when so-called “carhops” delivered the food to people parking in their car. Those carhops usually were nice looking girls in fancy uniforms. Some of them even rode roller-skates. So Hooters weren’t the first.
Throughout the 1950s drive-in dominated the roadside. They often showed flamboyant and spectacular architecture. Because of this, drive-ins have always been a pleasant alternative to the monotony of the road. Gradually, the carhops were replaced by electronic ordering devices. Some were simple intercom systems, others featured buttons to choose the desired meal.
Originally the drive-ins offered quick meals but no fast food. People still had to wait for a while until there meals were prepared. In the late 1950s fast-food drive-ins became prevalent. These were called drive-through to illustrate the even faster delivery of the meals. Consequently, drive-throughs started to replace more and more drive-ins. However, there are still a few of them to be found. Go find them and share your findings here!

American Diners

Simon — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:17:16 +0000

Once your trip gets longer and longer one of the most important things you might find on the side of your way are diners. In their earliest appearance they were only wagons drawn by horses and placed on the roadside. Later, the classic American roadside Diners started to become popular after WW I, when automotive travelling began to grow rapidly.

Garfield Diner diners © by Muffet

Along the highways diners were built to cover the demands of hungry tourist. Around 1930 there was already an early stage of mass traffic to be experienced on American roads making diners an absolutely essential part of long distance routes.
After a short decline during WW II roadside diners became an ubiquitous roadside phenomenon during the 1950s. They offered full menus including breakfast, lunch and dinner. The quality of the meals was supposed to be of decent quality while still supposed to be cheap. Whoever needed a fresh, quick meal was able to find it there, from the poor to the rich people.
The diner’s rapidly evolved from simple eateries to elegant and decorated restaurant-like places. A special phenomenon among the diners could be found in all-in-one-package diners. Those diners were readily assembled as prefabricated houses and then transported to the place the new owner bought for it. This way, a whole diner could be pop out at a new place over the course of a few days.
Nowadays, most traditional diners are gone and replaced by drive-in-restaurants. So, if you find one don’t miss the chance!

Ribwort

Simon — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:08:21 +0000

The ribwort is quite inconspicuous so you might have not seen it yet. If you know what to look for you, can even spot it in the early spring when it is recognizable through its long narrow and spear-like leaves.

photo © 2010 Peter Stevens | more info (via: Wylio)

The ribwort is an important remedy against cough and also works very well in wound healing. If you have been injured in the wild and can not find something to disinfect and cover the wound, it helps to chew a few ribwort leaves and apply them to the wound. You can then use another leaf to cover the whole thing.

The ribwort is native throughout Europe. It also occurs in Asia and nowadays in America, but it not native there. It can be found along roadsides and meadows, in ditches and even in barren land. In the spring lance-shaped leaves grow from the root of the perennial ribwort. From the ground these leaves grow directly upwards. They are narrow and show a pointed tip. The leaves show five leaf veins.

In May, the angular stem grows straight upwards without any branching. On its tip it carries at a brownish flower that is shaped like a spike. This spike later develops fruit capsules, each containing two seeds. The ribwort can be collected in very dry weather in places where no busy streets are nearby. Only gather as much that the plant population does not suffer. It is very important that the leaves are dried quickly and very carefully. Thread the leaves on a thin string and let them dry in an airy place as quickly as possible. When the drying of the leaves takes too long, they tend to get black spots and are then useless.

The ribwort has a wide range of medicinal effects. However, the main areas of application are the respiratory system and skin. Against coughs, asthma and other respiratory illnesses you can prepare a ribwort tea, either pure or in a tea blend. The leaves of the ribwort are expectorant, effective against pathogens and reduce inflammation.

The ribwort is not only helpful for the respiratory system, it is also supporting digestion, it stimulates the metabolism and it helps losing weight. You can extract the juice from the leaves and apply it against abrasions, minor burns, small wounds, insect bites, bruises, boils and haemorrhoids. The freshly pressed juice can also be used to remedy digestive disorders. It helps against enteritis, stomach pain and regulates digestion. Even skin diseases can heal faster if you drink the ribwort juice.

Yarrow

Simon — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:23:27 +0000

Did you ever encountered a yarrow? Well, this how this herb looks like.

photo © 2009 anemoneprojectors | more info (via: Wylio)

This is a wonderful little plant. Its latin name is Achillea. It is part of the Asteraceae family of flowering plants. You can find them in Europe but also in some regions of Asia. There are even some in North America. The leaves of this plant are very aromatic but hairy. If it is blossoming the beautiful flowers are white, yellow, orange, pink or red.

The name is derived form the mythological Greek warrior Achilles. It is written in Homer’s Iliad that Achilles’ soldiers applied yarrow to their wounds. And indeed, it is a popular medical herb that helps to remedy several diseases. It can be used digestive and gynaecological problems. If applied externly, it can be used much like chamomile.

To spot it, you have to look in meadows, pastures and along roadsides. It prefers a sunny and dry location. The Yarrow is a perennial plant, so that a part of the leaves remains above the surface even during winter. To collect it, cut off the whole flowering herb about three inches above the ground. Then binds it to small bundles and hang them upside-down in a dry, shady place. Once dried, cut the plant to pieces and keep it cool, dry and dark.

Yarrow can be applied as a tea or as a tincture. Particularly noteworthy is the yarrow’s ability to support the flow of blood in the veins back to the heart. Thus, it improves the circulation and can positively influence venous disorders such as varicose veins, swollen feet and circulatory disorders of the heart.

Especially valuable is the freshly squeezed juice of the yarrow. The juice has to be very fresh and must not be fermented. To use it, take three teaspoons a day diluted in a glass of water.
One can also use the yarrow externally for bathes, washing or compresses. In bathes, yarrow tea helps against neuralgia, ulcers, slow healing wounds and psoriasis.
Traditionally, yarrow was used to tread injuries caused by iron cuts.

The expensive essential oil of yarrow can be diluted and then used for massages, compresses, footbaths and in the fragrance lamp. If is diluted and applied on the forehead and neck, it also remedies headaches.