windthread

photographer…Cory Maylett  via Wikipedia

Also,  on the glorious Saturday,  i asked Matthew if he knows any herbalists in town…no,    but  one in Paradise,   he would message me.   and he did.    her website   Wildharvestedesthetics.    I look and is a beauty Full site but most  "beauty" products,  toners and elixers yet,   near the end,    Gumweed Healing Oil.   I search.

first   Native Memory Project :   Indigenous uses       secretions to relieve asthma, bronchitis, colic.   boiled extract of leaves and/or flowering tops relieve saddle sores and raw skin.  Consumed as tea in attempt to cure tuberculosis and again as tea to relieve coughs and as expectorant,  to    treat dizziness.

Next    excerpt from Jim Conrad's Naturalist Newsletter:   on stems 4 to 7 ft tall it produces clusters of green, spherical flower buds about the size of quarters.  The  buds scales (involucral bracts)  end in outwardly flaring spinelike tips that might dissuade a browsing herbavore.  The very unusual thing however is that at the bud's very top there's aways a sizeable gob of very sticky white latex,  like milkweed milk.   This gummy stuff keeeps out bugs that might otherwise enter the bud and eat the all important, tiny composite flowers.  When the flower finally opens,  the youngest immature flowers remain safely immersed in latex.   Only when they mature to the point that they need pollinators to visit does the latex disappear,  leaving normal looking dry flowers.   Treats Poison Oak  

i order .   then call and leave a long message  explaining how i am looking for someone who can make a healing salve like the much valued  one from TakingRoot,  Lani,   that Cynthia  and i love so much,   no longer available.     She returns the call and it is WONDER FULL…she,  so much like the young man Saturday,  the exchange so easy.   She asks many questions  about my toes,  about my experience with Plantain,   we talk about those specifics,  but also the nature of the healing mind of the plants and she is extremely knowledgable in both the  Spirit and the Science of medicinal plants.   it ends in that she will make this salve,  having all the ingredients …EXCEPT  Plantain!,  but she explains how to continue with it  as i have been.   She comes into town sometime this week and will even drop it off!   

i could not hope for more.