Burning Bush

I've been into the nettle patch behind the sheriff's deputy's house for about two weeks now, picking weirdly early new nettle tops.

About a week ago, I'd picked up a big bag of nettles and then went out gathering scallops and clams on the beach. Oddly enough, Dan and I have discovered we're not really crazy about shellfish. I like finding 'em, but I'd rather hand 'em over to some other gatherer. So I wandered over with my little bucket of finds and offered 'em to the Quilleute lady and her grandson who were gathering chitons and sand clams on the reef.

We got to talking about the nettles. She said that her people used to eat them, but she didn't know anybody who did now. But when I described 'em -- "better than spinach" -- she said she wanted to try them. So I added a baggie of nettles to the shellfish.

Later on they showed up at our place, and asked if they could wash their hands. No problem -- and they asked if we liked fish. Oh, yeah. Fish we like.

The next thing we knew, we had a fillet of bright red-fleshed silver-sided steelhead in hand.

Whoa. If you think salmon or trout are good... and steelhead is something I'll probably never catch or eat -- too many regulations for an over-fished animal anyway. Didn't want to add to the pressure. But the First Nations, of course, have always included it in their diet. So if two of 'em wanted to share -- we weren't turning it down!

(Actually, this is a gift culture out here -- turning down a gift is -- well, imagine turning down a gift from a Japanese. On that level).

A couple days ago, the sheriff's deputy's wife, Angie, and her mother saw what I was doing and asked what the heck was with picking those stinggy plants ("stinggy" -- it's a word. People use it).

So I described how to steam them like spinach, and rub them on arthritis. Angie wanted to try, so I gave her a little plastic baggie of the nettles, warning her that she had to drop them into hot water or hot bacon fat before touching them. They will sting.

Today I was walking past her house, and when she waved, I asked her if she wanted any more nettles.

She held both hands out.

Well, it's a southern family -- and you know southerners and their greens. Her mom even pulled up a few nettles to take home and plant in her garden! Hilarious -- because Lewis county is full of nettles anyway.

We've decided that our nettles are juicier and more buttery.

Wow. Nettles aren't just good for making greens and fishing line and curing arthritic pain -- they're good for making friends.

And catching fish.

Technohicks.

Doing layout for the next book AND smoking salmon out in the cinderblock pit at the end of the driveway. Technohick again. Over bits of driftwood. It's not very good salmon -- pretty much spawned out -- but anything's good when you smoke it.

Dan's at the beach, reading a Tony Hillerman mystery.

So any of you out there who are supposed to have gorgeous sunny weather, and are wondering who stole it -- we did.

We are going to have such a drought this summer. Everybody is out on the beach or in the woods or otherwise enjoying the sun -- and every last person is saying, "Oh, man, are we going to be in trouble this summer. There is going to be no water in the reservoirs."

I hear San Diego has our rain. Please send it home.

A reader sent me a godawful huge surf pole -- now I'm itching to go try it on something. I dunno what. What comes into the surf that could be this big? Most of our big fish are out in the deep holes -- and I don't have a boat. Not that I really need or want one. But if somebody ever wants me to go along on a fishing trip, I have a pole!

Been out riding with Teresa on Lightning again. That boy is getting into shape. No more sweating and wheezing just because he walked up the hills too fast. Lots of deer out in the woods right now.

Oh, if you need to ask about local herbal medicine or food plants, go to www.ozettewildcraft.blogspot.com Ed Wilbur's been studying our woods for decades. He does walks and tours and lectures, too -- you have to email him to ask for a schedule at wilburs@olypen.com The guy knows everything.