Desert Plants and the Creosote Bush
The first paragraph of Desert Plants had me captured. There is no pretentious
demeanour and yet they describe a story and their experiences. The author
states no “facts,” merely what they found interesting and their observations
about it on their empirical experiences. I think this is a well written piece.
There was a
two paragraph section on the second page where the author eats a mesquite pod
atole that really caught my attention. The elderly lady serving this to our
author states that it is easy to make and quite nutritious, but the reason it
is not made anymore is due to laziness. The current generation thinks “…food
must come only from the [big supermarkets].” At first read of this I thought, “what
a typical old lady,” but as I read further I was enlightened by the authors
comment “It is easy to dismiss such remarks as typical of any oldtimer
unsettled by the younger generation’s enthrallment with the trappings of the
material world.” I immediately realized I had passed judgement on this without
thinking as to the author’s next paragraph which continued to describe that
this lady does not hate modern society and what it has brought her. She
utilizes its many of today’s luxuries such as medical care, transportation and
electronic communications. This elderly lady was merely trying to state that as
a society we have lost our resourceful ways by profiting from what is around us
– which I may add, is exactly right. Kudos to those who grow any of their own
food.
I found it
interesting later in the reading when the author is speaking of these few
select desert plants and says they helped shape and succour cultures in the Sonoran Desert. I think every culture had a few
select crops or plants native to that region that helped them survive that
particular environment. It was neat to see this particular cultures catalyst. How
neat is that?
I also enjoyed the link between plants and the people’s
homeland and past “…serving as a conservative element to slow change,” and how
looking into a family’s kitchen will determine their ethnic origin. This
thought lead into nutrition which I also took great interest in. I especially
liked Nicholas Hildyard’s quote because, you know what? It is true that nutritionists
are needed in those societies whose culture has broken down. Exactly where
those who have lost touch with how their culture used to thrive off of the land
they were situated on. à
This chapter had to be one of the best readings yet.
“Winter” did not start off with the bang that Desert Plants
did. I was expecting a similar story with more interesting adventures, but the
opening did not produce. I did not realize there was so much to write on
creosote. It was interesting in a sense because I have only known creosote as
the harmful chemical that prevents wood rot (and is not legal anymore) for use
on docks and whatnot. I did not know why creosote was used for this, I assumed
it was a synthetic chemical only to find out it is natural and deters pests and
herbivores (though I’m sure the commercial creosote has other additives).
Apparently only the grasshopper can handle it, way to go little dude! Although
it was used for curing worms, syphilis and used in other remedies for humans. I
thought this stuff was poisonous? The later paragraphs prove me wrong, though I
did note that it may have detrimental effects on the kidneys leading to my
final verdict: No I do not want to use this plant. This portion of the chapter
I found much more interesting than the beginning.
The testimonial at the end of
this chapter sounded a little farfetched, but then again, I am a great sceptic
when it comes to miraculous healings. But you know what, if it works for her
then why stop? (Even if it is a placebo effect) The mind is a powerful thing -
especially when it comes to health.
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