SOFA-Society of Old Farts of America

SOFA-Society of Old Farts of America SOFA - The Society of Old Farts of America We're over 55 and love spending time in the wild outdoor

Founding members include Jack Drury, Doug Fitzgerald, Mitch Sakofs, Greg Smith, and honorary member John Foshay (He's too young to be a real member)

12/17/2023

WARREN MILLER fans.
Last night I attended the 2023 Warren Miller film. For the first time ever I was disappointed with the event and the film. The first half of the event was filled with Outside’s promotions, advertisements and voting for nonrelated independent videos, then a lengthy intermission before the actual Warren Miller film was finally shown.
This year’s film was also disappointing. It was composed of outtakes of previous WM films from the last 73 years. There seemed to be no new film footage. The outtakes were entertaining, but they got tedious after a while. Without new footage the production was likely cheaper to create than a traditional WM film. I give Outside failing grades on the event and although I have attended WF films annually I will certainly hesitate to attend next year. If you have yet to attend a showing of the film, you may want to consider sitting it out this year.

GeoMysteries-(Where was I?): However, before the Mysteries, let’s have a drink of High West Double Rye. It is richly f...
02/07/2021

GeoMysteries-(Where was I?): However, before the Mysteries, let’s have a drink of High West Double Rye. It is richly flavorful but, rather than ‘tasting for’ the sumptuous aromas of rye & barrel, I suggest you get a glass for drinking and simply pour two fingers, neat. Now sip, relax and enjoy. As for the GeoMysteries: Covid Cabin Fever set in, passed, set in again, passed again… and is back, etc. So I was looking at pics from past travels. In this post, pics lend themselves to layers of detail. ?What’s pictured and/or where was I? Be as general or specific as you like. Pics 2 & 3 go together as do Pics 4 & 5 and Pics 6 & 7; Pic 8 may be the most difficult.

Winter Green: Winter in CT is usually cold and brown (and sometimes snow-white).. This year... This December... This day...
12/15/2020

Winter Green: Winter in CT is usually cold and brown (and sometimes snow-white).. This year... This December... This day... This morning... This hike... it was 50 F and green. I know weather is not climate… that said…Cognitive Dissonance: Knowing about global warming And liking the beautiful green winter forest is s guilty pleasure. (Pic 1 Sunlight streaking through hemlock canopy and spotlighting emerald green moss and fern covered rocks; Pic 2 Winter Green (Yes, the plant that flavored candies. I include it because it’s another winter green found on the same trail, same hike, etc. PS: a snow storm is coming.)

On a walk, three finds of note: Two fine, one not. The walk began with just this and that: Dark-eye Juncos in the bush...
11/23/2020

On a walk, three finds of note: Two fine, one not. The walk began with just this and that: Dark-eye Juncos in the bushes. A Red Bellied Woodpecker on a tree trunk; deep in the woods a Pileated Woodpecker called (as did a Downy); a Belted Kingfisher chattered as it crossed the pond. Then, three finds.

Pic 1. Turkey tail fungi (Trametes versicolor). Beautiful and colorful. Thanksgivingish. And medicinal too! (This is a fine find.)

Pic 2 & 3. Another fungi: Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) mid-way up a standing hardwood. That evening... and after relocating the beetle residents to the lawn... the caps were sliced thin and sautéd in olive oil & garlic with a touch of tyme. And while some might characterize the mouthfeel as chewy, I found it enjoyably reminiscent of abalone. (Another fine find.)

Pic 4. The ‘not fine’ find. My thought is simply this:
“Maddy.
Chuck & Beth
Don’t do this anymore.
Please.”

See what IS…I will use my search for rose hips to illustrate: I find them in areas receiving more sun than shade, e.g.,...
10/19/2020

See what IS…
I will use my search for rose hips to illustrate: I find them in areas receiving more sun than shade, e.g., edges of forests & fields, even ocean sand dunes. Some are large, some small (Pic 1), but all rich with Vitamin C and, when harvested, can be used in many ways.. including dried to make a tea. Picture (2) Looks like a bounty of rose hips but… on closer examination (Pic 3... see 2 magnified circles... one with redder and one with paler fruits), (P4) Rose Hips & (P5) Bittersweet seeds interspersed among the rose hips. If you’re not seeing “what is,” you may mistakenly collect Bittersweet seeds along with the hips. The two fruits are not identical but sometimes excitement & carelessness take over and harvesting mistakes are made. The ‘hips’ differ from Bittersweet seeds in several ways with, among other things, Bittersweet having a bright red interior with a beautiful orange covering (P6). Also, Bittersweet grows as a vine while roses are shrubs. Oh… and while wildlife enjoy Bittersweet seeds, it may be mildly toxic to humans— but… whether it is or not, you’re not collecting what you intended. So… be careful and see what IS.

Unobtrusive & ubiquitous, in vast numbers Mugwort hides in plain sight in fields, forest margins and waste areas. Used ...
10/13/2020

Unobtrusive & ubiquitous, in vast numbers Mugwort hides in plain sight in fields, forest margins and waste areas. Used as a substitute for hops in primitive beer-making, it is related to the wormwood used to make absinthe. Subtly aromatic, it is dried and consumed as a tea, burned in a smudge or as incense, smoked as a to***co substitute, and made into an aromatic pillow to induce vivid dreaming. One more thing: It often grows alongside ragweed and has a similar but different leaf shape. Pics show: 1) a patch of mugwort on a trail near a pond, (if plants were not bending over they would stand 3 to 5 feet tall), 2) a closer look at mugwort showing how the flowers form among the leaves), and 3) ragweed, with the spike of flowers circled. Zooming in on leaf shape and flower location will help you distinguish between mugwort and ragweed, as will the pleasant aroma of mugwort (ragweed has none).

And speaking of grapes (last post): They are made even more special when transformed into wine and shared with family. ...
10/07/2020

And speaking of grapes (last post): They are made even more special when transformed into wine and shared with family. A recent wine night hosted by my son and daughter, who generously opened bottles of very special wines, further elevated the fruit to great heights: On a chillyish and mosquito-free evening, with Mars and Jupiter shinning bright in the night sky, we sat around a warming fire and enjoyed Schafer’s ‘Relentless’; Swift’s ‘Machete’; And Mollydooker’s ‘The Boxer’. Win! Win! Win!

I’ve been eyeing Sassafras to make filé (pronounce Fee-lay). Sassafras is a beautiful tree with 4 distinct leaf-shapes,...
09/23/2020

I’ve been eyeing Sassafras to make filé (pronounce Fee-lay). Sassafras is a beautiful tree with 4 distinct leaf-shapes, i.e., left & right mittens, no lobes and 3 lobes; it grows 50+ feet tall but is commonly found as low-to-the-ground saplings that originate from extensive shallow root runners. All parts of the tree are aromatic, e.g., roots taste like Old Fashion Root Beer!!! And chewing fresh green leaves coats the mouth with a not-too-unpleasant slime. (I know that doesn’t sound great, but, if you are parched, it provides a welcome relief.) Another use of the leaf is to make filé… a powder made from the dried leaves that is used to thicken gumbo & add subtle earthy flavors. Weeks ago I picked and air-dried young leaves… however, after a little research, I was reminded the FDA classifies safrole, an oil found in sassafras, as carcinogenic. And while studies suggest this oil is not found in the leaves, I’m thinking filé may not be for me (probably). Oh well... whether or not you make your own filé, sassafras is a tree worth knowing. (Pics show leaf shapes as well as the bark of a mature tree... with pileated woodpecker activity.)

Chillin in back yard. Cuz. Ya know. Wayfair Pure Garden firepit on a perfect somewhat chilly fall eve. Crickets chirpi...
09/19/2020

Chillin in back yard. Cuz. Ya know. Wayfair Pure Garden firepit on a perfect somewhat chilly fall eve. Crickets chirping. Fly catcher (sp) making a living on a branch overhead. Delicious Robert Mondavi cab punches above its weight class (price point). Natural history to follow tomorrow.

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