THE PREHISTORIC SKILLS

  Over the years I have heard many folks say they would like to get closer to the earth. But they don't know how. Well it is right under your feet . All you need to do is take some time off from TV and watching sports and step into the desert or the mountains and woods. Very little effort on your part . Now that doesn't mean you can run naked into the wilderness and nature will take care of you cuz it can kill you, also  without the knowledge of some basic skills you could be just another victim that would get you closer to the earth but not in the way you might like. 

  As a naturalist and a practitioner of primitive skills I urge you to seek out some classes , instructors are all over the country . I feel one of the best ways to start is by learning the wild edible plants from

a qualified and known instructor , most are easy to track down and you might be surprised just how fast you can learn many wild plants but it will take some effort on your part meaning dedication . You will be out in the wild and having a good time while learning and gathering some wild food. Some of the best salads and meals I have had have  been in the wild . Not only are you  eating healthy  it is really good as well. Now you are getting closer to to the earth by partaking in a class and the ancient practice of a tribe.

    Please dont be intimidated by taking a wild plant class most I have been involved with have been fun and mostly a great bunch of people all interested in the plants , you will learn  plants that you might have seen over the years but had no clue what it was now your reaction will be hell I can  eat that. After a while you will ID plants from your car at 65 miles an hour and drive everyone with you nutz. And you will  find those sports don't give a damn that you are not sitting at home watching them because at this point they will seem tame and mundane, now you are living your life and not theirs . I call that freedom .

  From the plant classes you might move onto learning how to make fire by friction  how to construct a primitive shelter  learn to track critters and many other skills . Pointing out here that your age wont matter much. I feel that we all should be students and learn right up until we die .  Soon you will be a prehistoric critter stalking through the bush .  

 by Dude  McLean

A Fish Tale

  Some parts of this story might be true, other parts are going back over 75 years ago so I might not have it all as it was. My daddy died over 20 years ago so I can’t fact check.

 I was with my daddy and he bought a new pole and reel. The next morning at zero dark we headed to a lake up by Bishop Ca. We set up and sometime after sunup this man showed up and asked my daddy if he had a fishing license my daddy said he wasn’t fishing he was catching. He pulled his line

out of the water and said see I caught a worm. Well even as a little kid I knew that was pretty funny, but the game warden didn’t even smile. So my daddy said son pull up your line so I did. My daddy said well look at that he caught a grasshopper. No smile, but the mean man told my daddy he was going to write him a citation for no fishing license. My daddy said well the clerk at the store never mentioned a thing about a license nor was there Anything in the box the pole came in or in the box the reel it came in.

 Somewhere about here the game man got mad at my innocent daddy. I recall my daddy said “well sir you are not going to make me look bad in front of my son, he could grow up to not like game wardens”  “Your actions could affect him for the rest of his life”. After that things are a little unclear, but no citation and a lot of mumbling by the mean game man. My daddy thanked the mean man as he walked away still talking to himself about some people are just not worth educating. I knew he could not be talking about my daddy cuz he knew everything and always answered all my questions. I knew he knew more about catching fish than that mean man.

by Dude McLean

Are You Present?

   

   Not being a wise guy here… but are you here in the right now, or are you always planning on doing a project or going on an adventure in the future and not living right now in the present. Nothing wrong with planning for anything at a later date, but do not forget the now of your life. Although it is prudent to plan things in advance, but that advance isn’t here yet is it. Hopefully it will be, but in the

meantime, you have a present life to live and enjoy. Just the simple things are still a wonder to me; watching a raven fly over me, looking at a pretty butterfly or a flower, talking with a friend, walking with my dog, feeling the morning air, the sun on my face, smoking a fine cigar in the evening, (although finding a fine cigar that I can afford has become a real challenge) but it’s all in the present and the trick is to enjoy it all! Pretty simple and we can all do it, all it takes is being aware this what life is… a bunch of little simple things all tied up in a bow for us to enjoy if we know how to live in the present.

  That’s it no big message, except not to forget to live right now.

by Dude McLean

Face Down in the Dirt

 

The other day a guy says to me “well you ain’t nutin but a tree hugger” So I thought for just a second, and yep I am that and; a cactus huger
a rock hugger
and a dirt hugger
a whale hugger
I m a hugger of any critter that is about gone from the earth.
a turkey vulture hugger
a pro-gun hugger and a pro hunter hugger, but I don’t like trophy hunting. Why would you take out the top DNA of any species? That makes no sense to me.
a hugger of any of the few uncontacted tribes, leave them alone.
I m a hugger of primitive skills. There is more to hug, but my brain is tired now you get the drift.

    by Dude McLean

Signs Of The Times

Here are a few things I don’t like, or they scare me or both or I just do not understand them.

 Let’s take a look 

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE what do they mean? Scares the hell out of me.

DRONES the private little ones sent by a nosy jerk.

who the hell do they think they are just cheap spies swooping down on you sending back your picture to who?

FENCES

I have used fences myself, but I don’t like them and the signs that go with them! NO

TRESPASSING AND KEEP OUT how about;

 NO SMOKING signs

 BEWARE OF DOGS what kind of dog? Here bow wow eat this steak

 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY okay that means us you and me

 OFFICIAL USE ONLY I am official at all times.

By Dude McLean

Wildwood Wisdom

In the scheme of things, not so many years ago, we went from hunter gatherers to settlements and to being farmers. That move shifted at lightning speed to the industrial revolution bringing much of the life we have today. History calls it progress, but I believe it was not so good for mankind. We lost so much of our ability to be at one with the earth and nature in general,

The ancient ways were forgotten and, in many cases, perhaps lost forever. Few today can ID an edible plant. Do you anyone who can tell you ten plants that are safe to eat that grow in the wild? The ability to move and be like a recent ancestor identifying the gifts found growing in the wild is a rare thing. To be able to walk in those ancient footprints should bring joy to those who can follow the footprints.

 Real wildwood wisdom is a thing only a few ever get to witness or be a part of in the world today, I’m a lucky man because I know a few of these folks. I have traveled a few paths with them as I strive to learn the earth and the ancient ways no matter what part of the world they come from. We are all connected somehow. We all cannot live in the past and that is not what I’m saying here, but to learn the old ways is a fine goal I believe. To live a simple life and enjoying the bounty of the earth seems to be a mighty fine thing in my humble opinion.

I have tried to surround myself with the kind of people who are living like this, and as I get older it seems to be more important that the skills be passed on. For your consideration

   by Dude McLean

Earth Skills

                                                                EARTH SKILLS by Dude McLean

  The concept of the tribe was lost once we started to farm and live in one place. The hunter gatherer life was over, and the skills involved died out leaving only a few elders to remember. Once they died so did the wisdom of a hunter gatherer lifestyle. If you are among the lucky smart ones you may have taken some plant walk classes with Christopher Nyerges. Count yourselves as being part of a tribe, if only for a few hours. This is what it used to take to eat well, the tribe working together gathering the gifts from the earth with a leader showing the way, some might even say a medicine man. Earth wisdom in a classic setting led by a true elder who has gained the wisdom of what it offered in the dirt.

 Very few have the deep level of knowledge of plants as my Friend Christopher owns. I have been on his plant walks for 25 years at least. He is honest and humble about what he knows. When on the plant walk as he teaches and harvests plants, you are taking part in an age-old tradition as ancient as it gets. You are a member of the tribe or even a pack if you will, I consider it a gift to be a part of the walks every time I go, and it never gets old.

 So all the skills and wisdom is not lost but it is rare. Now track Christopher down and take a class or two and start to learn the plants for your life.