I have enjoyed reading this thread. I haven't been around much, I have been busily wild crafting herbs, rose hips, elderberries and mountain ash berries, some more mullein and Yarrow too. Just got a batch of my herbal astringent/topical I call Ultra Heal, going. We are also scoring some mullein plants to see about the resin. Not sure how that will turn out. We had a killing frost a week ago and even though I covered my beds, everything is gone. : / I don't like that part.
My son found an old abandoned apple tree. Good apples! We made an apple picker out of a pop bottle and a mop handle. We will see how it works soon.
We had ducks, just a pair, years ago. They imprinted on me and so everywhere i went they were with me. If I went in the house, they stayed on the porch and cried (and pooped a lot). When they were a year old, I finally had enough and found them a home with a very enticing pond. I keep expecting them to show back up on the porch looking for their "Mama".