Hello my lovelies! How has your past week been? Mine has been wonderfully full of hiking, mushroom hunting, watching squash and peppers in my garden grow, and finding a beautiful, unexpected flower that I didn’t plant growing in one of my raised beds.

I’m pretty sure it’s a Black Eyed Susan, what do you think?

The best part about this week, however, is that I started the Herbal Academy’s Online Introductory Herbal Course! This is a really exciting opportunity for me, not only because of how much I love herbs, but because of the awesome reputation that the Herbal Academy has. I’ve only done the very beginning lessons so far, but I already love it!

Although I’m already a somewhat experienced herbalist, this course has really exceeded my expectations. I have purchased two books by Rosemary Gladstar to accompany my course, Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide and Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. I may end up getting a couple more books on the subject as well. I love herbal resources! I plan on keeping you updated on my course studies throughout the program, with an herbal recipe (or two!), and a full review at the end. But please, give the Herbal Academy a look whenever you have the chance, as they really have a good thing going on!

Early on in the week, Joel and I got the rare chance to go on a hike together in the Siskiyou National Forest. Right off the bat, we found some oyster mushrooms on a rotting stump.

There were only a few, and this set the stage for us to obsessively search for more (there must be more!), but alas, no others were found. Sometimes that’s how mushroom hunting goes. Because of this, we decided to let them be. Someday we’ll come upon the oyster mushroom motherlode, I’m sure! We also came across a big patch of wild red currants along the way.

Most of the currants were still green with only a few red ones here and there… which means I’ll be back in a few weeks! Same story with the elderberries, although it was quite exciting to find the first ripe(ish) berries of the season.

Back at home the spaghetti squash in the permaculture swale bed are starting to really take shape. They get bigger every day! Luckily, we happen to love nature’s spaghetti.

Cosmo the kitten has also been growing about as fast as the squash! He loves to explore the garden these days, eating bugs as he goes.

And that’s about it! We’re loving these summer days, as hiking, foraging and gardening really make us feel human. Not to mention herbs and how to use them! The Herbal Academy course and an unexpected flower had really made this past week extra special! Hope your week was as good as ours, and that the next week is even better!