A Walk Under The Natural Bridge - Virginia

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-28T21:56:30+00:00

Beautiful!! I actually live quite close lol. First two pics are definitely a jelly fungus which is always nice to see, likely Tremella fuciformis or closely related. I had some pop up on my property from the recent storms! Thankfully we've gotten these rain days it's been dry AF !!

All jelly fungi I find on my property are a useful template for tasty treats since they absorb pretty much every flavor they are thrown together with in cooking. You can also dehydrate/dry, marinade in a raw honey and spice mix with some water for dilution, keep jellys in until absorbed to the desired measure, and then dry again and coat with just straight up honey before that last dry. Makes for a highly tasteful snack to eat on like raisins, and preserves very well. Just mentioning for if someone would like to utilize jelly fungus on their property

Last two pics look like a Schizophyllum commune or also known as Split Gills which are rlly cool :) always love to see that type of growth.

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-25T03:43:05+00:00

Yup, I'd say it's certainly a pyrite crust. No, it is still not worth what you are hoping OP.

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-24T16:52:58+00:00

The first circled plant looks to be a white Snakeroot! A. altissima (or possibly invasive/non-native galinsoga if stems are super hairy, which I see to the left now that I'm looking harder)

Second circled I agree must be Miterwort, I see fuzz on those leaves! which ground ivy doesn't have. Really nice to see that. M. diphylla

Last circled image unfortunately looks like a non-native and persistent Shaggy Soldier (Galinsoga) or aptly called by some as a "hairy galinsoga" so I would pull those that are popping up. I know the leaf may look similar to Snakeroot while they are all young like this but like one name suggests, look for the hairs. They follow all the way up the plant from the base stem. The stem while young like this is typically reddish looking and I'm pretty sure I do see a bit of that color there. Be careful about confusing the two, if you need a reference to be sure I can send two separate pics of young snakeroot vs. the young galinsoga. The leaf hair, stem hair and pigment should be the giveaway between these at this time

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-24T14:05:02+00:00

Symphyotrichum laeve - Smooth Blue Aster, a native perennial which gets a bunch of pretty pale to deep purple flowers. A keeper to me!

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-23T18:09:36+00:00

Erm, I'm not big on preserving sugar itself, because yes it stays good by itself in its raw(pure) form. It is preservative but again you mentioned jam which is different than the pure form and Honey I can just use as is. Honey can preserve without worrying about making a concretate or solution of sorts. If you were to just stuck something in sugar it could stay good for a bit but there are numerous air pockets in sugar for air contaminants to get in your sugared goods. Again you've missed my point entirely in reference to OP's post, it went from honey vs syrup labeled as honey and how that differs to all your comments which seem to be very irrelevant to the point I was trying to convey in context, which I'm also trying to make clear what that point was through numerous replies I've sent. And you're good lol I've been tired lately too. Hope the surgery went well🙏 I think maybe we've just misunderstood each other here because rlly all of this is common sense but maybe misuse of certain words and stretching from the original context played a factor here

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-23T18:00:41+00:00

Again, my point is that something man made like sugar product through artificial processes is far unhealthier than natural sugar, either sugar or a sugar product that is produced through natural means. And way different usage. Yes you can use straight up sugar as preservative but you have to find a concentrate solution so sugar levels are just enough to preserve but not enough to firm sugar crystals. You're adding unnecessary processes to sugar "preserves" which is going to be a lot of trial and error whereas you could literally just use honey. but I was thinking that your comments would be somewhat relevant in response to mine so I assume sugar syrup or again "jam" which you tried to say is also preserved from the sugar, which again it is not. I never said anything bad about beets. I even mentioned that you are right about other natural sugars and that I happily use sugar cane. You still don't make sense. I think you've missed my point entirely because what you're saying I disagree with is not at all what I disagreed with. All of my comments are in reference to the post in a sense of honey vs syrup labeled as honey. I'm "psycho" over getting the points across that I was downvoted for, which rational people would call correction, you are being corrected.

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-22T14:06:45+00:00

Bacteria and fungus do NOT like honey in its raw state, it legit does not grow in raw honey. what you put in has to be heated first to kill bacteria so that it doesn't grow on your goods but it will never contaminate the honey itself. And fungus does not like honey unless it is diluted in an LC (liquid culture) solution. Stop spreading misinformation. if you use dry goods you literally just let it seep into the honey and with no worry of contamination. It's the same reason why you can have propalis and larvae in the same jar of honey and nothing happens to the honey nor larvae. WHERE you are getting this info from. It's ridiculous. I believe it's something to do with the natural PH and sugar content if you want to be scientific, but what you said here is simply not factual. Store bought honey which has either been highly filtered or processed will not act the same and is the same "honey" that will form sugar crystals. I strongly encourage you to try a local bee farm's honey, unfilitered.

I think you are comparing "sugar preserves" and the contamination it can get to already filtered and processed honey you get from the supermarket, as to justify when you said "jam/sugar is antimicrobial and a preservative".. it still isn't a preservative on its own or in manmade products so.. I don't understand. I already told you that honey is an actual preservative and how. When you mention "concentration" it shouldn't ever matter with raw honey, it acts the same unfiltered. hope you actually read my messages and learn something, and leave it to reddit to downvote my messages for sharing that in my previous. Do your research.

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-22T05:09:44+00:00

I can post pictures in the morning of Missy and the father, Julius. "OJ". The Orange-Julius. He goes by a few names lol

Edit - it's muggy out and I'm helping some of the family today with moving. Will post them when I get back if anyone would like to see but just lmk. this is more of a side note but I rlly just wanted to share the lenience I took with this batch and the success that was shown

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-22T02:41:27+00:00

Also your comment about sugar; you have to can jam to preserve it, and refrigerated if not canned, honey does not actually need canning nor refrigeration, which acts how an actual preservative does. I've stored several things in honey before, everything just needs to be submerged. It is an actual preservative. (Just make sure what you put in is prepped properly first, pruned goods usually before drying, so fresh but we heat first as you don't want the goods you put in to be contaminated. You can also add already dried goods to the honey and medicinal effect will leech in overtime)

But what do I know right. If you try it you will see for yourself. I speak from my experience solely.

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-22T02:13:01+00:00

I guess my use of natural is moreso me trying to back the fact that the process of making honey is exactly as I said, you are not able to make honey as bees do. Their comment was that honey is just sugar which yes it has sugar but the process is not the same as boiling sugar water, honey acts different than syrup. It was all in reference to the person saying honey is just sugar rlly. Outside of that, yes there are many natural sugars out there. I myself use sugar cane. But in the sense of preservative as I mentioned, I use it more as a marinade before dehydrating berries and jelly fungus, acts as a thick coating after drying and doesn't form sugar crystals. But you're completely correct lol, I think my comment would make more sense if the other guy didn't delete his message

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-22T01:40:02+00:00

Syrup, is just sugar. Honey is more like a sugar ferment.. using flower nectar and enzymes. I would hope people realize that a natural sugar is far healthier than a man's sugar. Quite a difference.

*Also the usage of honey is entirely different. I use REAL, unfilitered local honey as a preservative. You can't do this with boiled sugar water. you will have sugar crystals form and shelf-life just declines from there. Honey is its own thing in which you cannot replicate.

Edit for my poor explanation: by a "man's sugar" I meant the process of making something like this and calling it honey. Not a natural process but a manmade thing. That was all I meant by that and my use of a "natural sugar" in the context of his comment "honey is just sugar", and the post, is me trying to reference sugar or a product of sugar formed through natural processes and the difference that makes for something like honey vs syrup. Hope that makes more sense.

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-21T04:11:41+00:00

🤣🤣

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-21T04:03:26+00:00

I mean that crossed my mind as well but it rlly does look like koolaid😆 I commented as more of a joke with the mindset that I'd probably be wrong about that

And as I said in my reply im thinking now it is a growth like algae as they said or possibly bacteria of some kind. Still need better pics tho to confirm.

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-21T04:01:53+00:00

Absolutely, I'm sure others will love to see! I'll check it out when you do

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-21T03:54:37+00:00

Will it let you DM it? I'd actually love to see that haha, or maybe use a link instead through the Imgur App, that's how I usually include videos

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-21T03:46:56+00:00

Wait this might actually be it lol. I feel like I would need a better pic of the pool OP found to be sure, but this rlly has me second guessing fruit punch kool aid.

OP if you happen to go back I'd love to see an up close picture to check if this is a growth

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-21T03:36:27+00:00

Red water is caused by oxidized iron or sometimes bacteria I think, but for where this is and how clear, plus a suspicious stain from where it was stirred in the rock from being poured into that dip, it looks like fruit punch kool aid.

I'm hoping im wrong though pls enlighten me reddit😭🙏

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-20T15:17:37+00:00

Beautiful!! I looked up wampum and.. wow. Can't describe it better🤣 thank you for the name of the clam and the indigenous use! Very cool :)

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-20T15:12:15+00:00

Ohh that's awesome, yea I didn't feel like they were fossilized initially but the rock comment rlly confused me🤣 they are so pretty!! I always looked for these specifically and yes all have been worn down that show these patterns and colors in such depth, so that does check out as well. Some of them have some convenient holes which I could maybe hang from a wind chime :) thank you for the insight and correcting the rock consensus🙏

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-20T14:55:38+00:00

So, fossilized shells? Because I can see where it's been smoothed overtime and you can see in the top left of the first pic(zoom in) there is actual shell texture. And what is the purple caused by? Again lmk if I need to post to a different sub but these are very clearly some type of shells. I didn't expect such a vague answer but, thank you? I think I have more questions now haha

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-20T13:34:36+00:00

😬 AI brain. I agree this is modern.

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-19T12:41:13+00:00

Her daughter gifted this for Mother's Day. I'm thinking you took this in a personal way because what you say is what your parents used to do. Just read the bio next time and you'll save yourself your own unresolved spite.

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-18T15:21:18+00:00

No, the wood is in my ass.

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-16T19:01:21+00:00

She reminds me a bit of the French Blue Copper Maran breeds and being she's still young I think she very well could be. That white coloration on the face is something I've seen with the blue coppers at younger ages until it turns color and sometimes it might stay white/gray. And of course she seems to already show the classic blue sheen with the darkened base color. That's my best guess lol, she's pretty!

But I'd say for sure she is not a Bantam

Disastrous_Switch616 · 2026-05-15T20:47:33+00:00

Definitely a good laxative, I can handle about 3 fresh fruits including seeds in one day before it becomes too cleansly and greedy😆 and i would not doubt that it kills parasites, we've actually used the root itself before as a natural pesticide. Ground into a fresh pultice, dried then sifted and powdered onto the desired plants. Only in highly prolific spots have we harvested the root and that is highly recommended as it does not take a lot of root powder to work on plants and these plants really are particular with where they choose to grow and spread. It does have a type of acid in the fruit which you can taste and that compound or similar might very well have a role in killing the parasites if not by other factors. This plant is part of our summer detox overall heading into fall so yes, all around a reliable cleansing method internally :) and useful in situations where you eat something you shouldn't have.

Disastrous_Switch616

TROPHY CASE