The Medicine Woman's Roots

This month’s blogparty is all about staying cool this summer, and it’s hosted by Alchemille’s Garden.

I’ve always loved summer, I was born in early July in the deep South and have ever since thought of it as my own personal season. When I was very little I lived for a time on an island and spent much of my time jumping in and out of the Atlantic, eating fruit and running really fast to let the moving air pull the heat off of me. The hot, heavy nights were filled with the sweet scent of Japanese Honeysuckle and hummed with the buzz of houses full of window fans.

Now that I live in the mountains of NM, I’m always amazed by how much the nights cool off and that by three in the morning, I’m pulling up the down comforter, even in June! Nevertheless, the days are scorchers and the afternoons move like molasses, thick with the wall of heat that inundates everything. The soaring temperatures only seems to enhance and deepen the music of the river, making it that much more seductive and appealing. In the stillest, hottest time of the day I can stand on the hot mesa rock while hummingbirds whirl around my head and hear the river calling – a slow, liquid song that sounds like a lover’s voice, like the rhythm and flow of the earth’s dance.

My number one non-herbal recommendation for staying cool in the summer is: make friends with a river. It’s not just the cold water either (although that in itself is just wonderful) but the whole cool, wet atmosphere complete with plant friends, shade and birdsong. When the activity and heat of summer wears you out, a river can be deeply restorative and a much needed refuge.

Herbally, I suggest a river in a bottle. This consists of a small spray bottle filled with some cool herbal tea or diluted herbal vinegar, and a little fan (one of those little batter powered ones will work, or you can just use old fashioned arm power). Herbs that are nice for this purpose include Rose, Peach, Chamomile, Lavender, Mint, Elderflower and many others. It’s very simple: you get hot so you spray yourself down (or at least you face, wrists and the back of your neck) and then fan yourself. In a pinch, it works great, is simple to put together and can be used just about anywhere or anytime. And if you don’t happen to have any herbs with you, most kinds of herbal teabags can work nicely as well. Or just use plain water.

Food-wise, think fresh. Fresh, juicy foods of all varieties are lovely this time of year. The juicier and more cooling the better. Melons, watercress, cucumbers, summer squash and berries are all great choices. I’m especially fond of all kinds of berries just now, I think I could live on Nettles and Strawberries just now. Well, and maybe some chocolate too.

When it gets unbearably hot here, Loba and I resort to soaking all our clothes in the river, wringing them out a little and wearing them that way, usually with a wet sarong on our shoulders or over our heads. This works very well and is helpful when there’s no way to avoid getting hot in the first place. We also dress very lightly, and in all natural materials, especially silk and cotton. Loose, long skirts or sarongs keep the mosquitoes and horseflies off while allowing for airflow. Whatever you do, avoid tight, binding clothes that restrict movement, circulation and air.

Hair goes back and up, anywhere off of the shoulders. I have super thick, heavy hair and if I forget to pull it back I’ll be melting and miserable in no time. Oftentimes, two long braids pinned on top of the head is the coolest, neatest way to go. Go barefoot whenever possible, or at least wear open, comfortable, non-plastic footwear. And whenever you can, immerse your feet, hands and/or head in cold water, it helps in a big a way.

And whenever the heat starts to really get under your skin and make you crazy, think about how much fun summer was when you were little, how even the heat was just another opportunity to play in the sprinkler, skinny dip in a pond or indulge in frozen juice pops. Make an effort to celebrate the season by getting to a beautiful natural place where you can play in a body of water and savor the beauty of this special time of year.

For more tips, here’s a post I wrote last year this time called How to Survive A Summer in the Wilderness: Remedies from a Thorny Land.

Feathers & Fur, or Where the Wild Woman Sleeps

We have very nice cabins here, hand built and homey and warm, fully equipped with wood stoves. And I love them, they’re beautiful and full of hand-carved figurines, bear skin, Wolf’s amazing art, full bookshelves and hanging plants. But I don’t really want to sleep in there, it’s just strange to me on many levels to sleep without knowing what’s going on around me, all insulated and separate. Now if I lived in a noisy ghetto again I might feel differently, but most likely I’d just sleep in trees like I used to. As it is, I don’t really mind the baby skunks climbing over me at night of the wren that has her next right above my bed, it adds a sense of interconnectedness and homeyness.

What you need first is a nice mattress, I don’t recommend those funny type with springs and weird stuff inside because mice really like to burrow in that kind of thing. I suggest solid material of some kind, futon mattresses or memory foam or the like. Now you need a place to put the mattress, you’ll want some place that’s sheltered and cozy but with some kind of nice view. Here, we built a slanting roof onto the side of the house. The side chosen is very important though, so that the bed’s sheltered from most of the rain and wind and sunlight. You could also use a natural stone indentation or shallow cave, an open porch or an easily built lean-to. The important part is to have something over your head and at least one wall to put the bed against.

You don’t want to lay your mattress directly on the ground because this will lead to dampness, increased insect problems and quick decomposition of any organic matter. We built a wood platform for the mattress, but even a sheet of plastic would help a lot. Next, you need a secure way of covering the bed during bad storms because even with an overhang and shelter on one side, there are times you need more. So a high quality tarp can be quite useful here, or even better, you can built a big door that can be closed during bad weather or left open otherwise. The door hinges attach to the wall your bed is against and can be latched against the slanting roof. It can be as simple or complex as you have time and interest for. The more you sleep outdoors though, the more time and thought you’ll want to invest in this.

For bedding, it totally depends on your climate. The Saliz Mountains are capable of getting quite chilly so there’s about five layers of quilts and wool blankets on the bed, and then two layers of down comforters. Down comforters are AMAZING and can keep you toasty warm even at five below with the wind whipping over the top of you. In the summer, it gets stripped down to a quilt and a fuzzy blanket. If you live in a humid climate with lots of mosquito action it’s smart to have seasonal mosquito netting that you can tack up to hang over the bed.

In the winter, to stay really warm you need to be prepared. Don’t let yourself get chilled close to bedtime, get yourself nice and warm next to the stove first. Unless you have a bladder made of steel, you’ll probably have to pee in the middle of the night, so do yourself a favor and be prepared for that. Here, with no indoor plumbing we go far away from the cabins to pee so there’s the potential to get quite cold if not careful.

My favorite nighttime outfit involves pull on sheepskin lined boots, a flannel robe/dress of some sort and a wool poncho. All easy things to get on and off while half asleep. I don’t like to sleep with clothes on, so it’s important that I can hop out of bed, and pull everything on in just a second. You really don’t want to have to deal with any kind of pants in this situation unless you’re able to just run inside to pee on one of those strange water filled contraptions civilized folks use.

If you’re sleeping alone and tend towards the cold side, you might want to consider hot water bottles or warm stones from the hearth well wrapped in (fire-proof) cloth. They won’t last all night but they’ll damn sure get you settled in nice. A small cup of hot Ginger tea right before bed can also help keep you warm.

My bed faces Northeast and has the added benefit being positioned just right for the sun to wake me up each morning. Mighty nice, what with the birds singing and the elk splashing through the river and the plants standing up and dancing at the foot of the bed. Not much better in the world then crawling out the end of the bed to pick some Purslane for breakfast. Course I might wake up three hours late because it’s so overcast and have a foot of snow that blew in on the bed too. I do love being woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of clashing elk antlers or the scream of a mountain lion in heat.

There’s really no way to avoid some night time contact with bugs, mice and other critters, so you should be ok with that before embarking on this (ad)venture. Certain fragrant herbs like Bee Balm and Sage do deter many insects and some rodents to a degree if you hang them by the bed. You should clean the area regularly too, to deter spiders from building homes in the corners of the bed. As much as I like black widows, I always feel like its a good idea to move them when they build webs near the bed.

Oh yeah, you might want some pebbles or something to throw at the chipmunks when they stand on the bedside table in the morning and chatter at you because you won’t get up.

This is the beginning of series of posts that will act as a guide for living on the land in a way that’s good to you and good to the land.You may ask how this applies to herbalism, but if you’ve ever spent any amount of time in the woods wildcrafting you’ll know just how much it DOES apply.

Skins and Leaves, or What the Wild Woman Wears
Now, synthetic materials certainly have their place for some people, but I strongly prefer the feel and practicality of natural fibers. Wool, silk and cotton are my favorites. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer, they also dry quickly and are easily washed. In river country, like the Gila, you won’t be wanting any leg-hugging, hard to get over your shoes jeans. Nor will you want shorts that leave your legs exposed to a million ravenous horseflies that prefer your juicy legs over any other part of your body. Instead, I recommend a lightweight, durable, nearly ankle length skirt. Not only are they pretty, but they can be easily hiked up to your thighs for river crossings, kept close to your legs for bug protection and can be worn wet in case you get so hot you can’t stand it. Ones with a comfortable, draw-string waist seem to work the best, though eventually the cotton drawstrings will fall apart and need to be replaced. These kind of skirts are simple to hand-wash in the river, and can also be layered for warmth. They’re also available in every imaginable color, weight and size. In the winter, heavier skirts of wool can be layered with silk skirts to insulate you and make for quick temperature adjusting.

Sarongs are amazing, multipurpose garments that can act as skirts, dresses, towels, blankets, headwraps and any number of other useful things. We have lots and we’re always wearing them out. I highly recommend having at least one if you’re coming to the Gila.
Wool stockings or leggings are great if you get cold legs, you can just wear them under your skirts and roll them up if you need to cross the river. Wool socks are lovely too. Underwear is a general waste of time in the wilderness in my opinion, but that’s just me

For tops, I prefer a wide range of stretchy, comfy tank tops in the summer, with a couple of light colored, light-weight long sleeved shirts for sun protection. In the transitional seasons where temps often change with little warning, I like to layer my tank tops with cozy, cotton long-sleeved shirts. In the winter, thermal undershirts can be a blessing, with a tank top at the very bottom and layering up to tightly woven wool sweater and a good sheepskin lined leather coat on top. Shawls can really be incredibly useful too, for cool summer nights when you’re too warm to wear a jacket but too cool to be comfortable. Also nice for cool mornings before you get a fire going. Leather, lined vests are perfect for wood-chopping or other vigorous activities where you need your core to stay warm but your extremities get a bit steamy from the exercise.

Head warmth can be imperative in the winter, especially if you’ve been in and out of the river recently and you don’t like your hair to freeze. I like cotton scarves wrapped around my head, but Loba prefers stretchy little wool hats that keep her ears warm.

Footwear is a common concern among guests and students, and I usually prefer to go barefoot whenever possible myself, but when not practical for the individual, I wholeheartedly recommend Chaco type sandals. These sandals have boot soles for rock climbing and a good grip on slippery river stones but let you feet breath while being pretty damn easy to get on and off one’s foot. The down side is that river gravel inevitably gets trapped under the arch of your foot. I do find that preferable to icky river slippers that give you blisters and slide around on everything or hiking boots that weigh you down and hold water like a pond after one river crossing. In winter, it’s nice to have a pair of solid, insulated leather hiking boots that are easy to get off and on for river crossings. I like buckskin moccasins too, but they’re harder to get off and on, and will eventually fall apart, especially in the Mogollon Rim’s volcanic rock terrain.

In general, you want to do yourself a favor and avoid fabric and seams that fall apart at the first tug. Pretty things really can be durable, you just have to look for them. Also, lace is lovely looking but it gets easily caught in plants and such, so beware. And I think that wearing white is asking for a mud puddle or soot prints, but Loba loves it and just deals with the stains, and resorts to dying things when they get really dingy. I prefer to dress to blend in with the land I’m on, so often wear lots of blues and greens for most of the year.

Gloves are also quite wonderful, get ones that really fit your hands and allow you to feel what you’re doing while still keeping your hands nice and warm. You want ones that Nettles can’t poke through and that protect your hands from wood chopping blisters. And a handcrafted leather belt is invaluable for carrying a knife or tucking your skirt up into when you’re scaling fifteen feet of sheer rock to get the season’s last chunk Alum Root or Wild Valerian. Don’t worry, we’ll get to harvesting tools in another Wild Woman Primer post that’s coming soon.

For outerwear, the above mentioned sheepskin lined leather coat is wonderful for really cold days, as is a good beaver fur coat if you can find one. But what we wear the most is wool ponchos, yes they’re very 70’s but they’re SO useful. They can be layered on top of anything, are super comfy, come in all shapes and sizes, keep out and the rain and snow and cold but won’t suffocate you or steal your movement too much. Just don’t cook over a propane stove while wearing one with a long fringe.

So there you have it, Kiva’s guide to clothes. Who would’ve thought??!! :p

caption: There’s me in my “Artemis outfit” from this year’s Medicine Woman’s Gathering…. a lovely woman named Tania took the picture. The short skirt goes against all bugbiting rules, by it’s so much fun to wear!