Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19980820220004.007a49a0@paradox.net>
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 22:00:04 -0400
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
From: shawn goodman <browndog@paradox.net>
Subject: Re: [baidarka] willow
In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19980821003014.006de21c@tscnet.com>
In response to Steve Yahn, I'd say to ask folks where you live to point
some willows out. I just put willow ribs in my first baidarka and found
that Wolfgang Brink was exactly right (not that I had doubted him!): stay
between 3/8" and 1/2" peeled, and you'll be fine. I harvested my stock on
Grand Island, near Niagara Falls, and found a few patches of green shoots
that were pretty straight with minimal taper. But I did have to look
around a bit for good stuff, and I came out of the woods a bloody itchy
mess (many thorn bushes). Also, it was dusk and I dropped my shears in a
scum covered culvert (backwater from canals) and had to plunge my arm elbow
deep into muck (only 2 leeches!) to retrieve them. The positive end of
this story is that, after digging around in the woods in the dark looking
for willow, I can almost feel now where it might grow. I see excellent
patches along roads and highways, and will most certainly loot them next
time instead of the other place with thorns, leeches, and mosquitos. So I
wish you better luck than me.
Shawn
:30 PM 8/20/98 -0700, you wrote:
>What does willow look like when it's growing and alive? I live in western
>Washington state and there is supposed to be lots of it growing like weeds.
>I tryed to look up on internet and it is supposed to grow near water and
>swampy soil. Does anybody have some experience to share? I know where it's
>supposed to be but not what it looks like and which is the best for
baidarka's
>Thanks Steve Yahn
>