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Spring Greens That Sting
Apr. 12th, 2016 11:54 pmThe rain tapered off in the night and this morning Rainbow Dash had risen early to clear away the clouds. I think she has Wonderbolt reserve duty for the next few days. So when I stepped out I was greeted by blue skies, low mists and everywhere the sparkle of dew. I went back in, got my saddlebags and packed them with books, fur-leaf, crystal corn meal and some of the aromatic herbs from the Crystal Empire raised bogs. It was a good day to go calling on Zecora!
Apparently Zecora thought it was a good day to go out as well. I got lucky and met her along the path to her cottage as she was prospecting for spring growth. The Everfree Forest is having its usual slow start to spring and everything is still rather brown and covered in fallen leaves. There are no ponies here to rake up the leaves or to stimulate the plants, but Zecora did find some skunk cabbages just pushing up out of the leaf litter. Skunk cabbage wouldn't be too high on my list of things to eat, Zecora had to pull delicately on them with her teeth to avoid getting the stinging juice on her tongue. She also dug up the rhizomes. The spring shoots can be eaten after being boiled twice, if you can stand the smell, and the rhizomes have several medicinal applications.
At Zecora's cottage, as she put her skunk cabbage on a shelf and prepared some tea, I unpacked my saddle bags to give her the things I'd brought for her from the Crystal Empire. We chatted about the spring over mugs of something hot and spicy, I told her all about the crystalling and how the raised bogs of the Crystal Empire are teaming with life this year. She thinks there's a connection. I think she's right, but which connection? The wild clouds freezing the bogs when the Crystal Heart shattered? Something Flurry Heart did before a damper was put on her magic? Our magic flash during the Winter Festival?
Zecora told me that Applebloom is braving the Everfree Forest to come learn more about potion making under her tutelage. She's in good hooves here. I haven't had her or her friends over for "Twilight Time" in quite some time, not since they finally got their cutie marks, all at the same time. I guess they've moved on.
Zecora started preparing the skunk cabbage, while it was fresh. I didn't stay for lunch. That stuff smells lethal!
Apparently Zecora thought it was a good day to go out as well. I got lucky and met her along the path to her cottage as she was prospecting for spring growth. The Everfree Forest is having its usual slow start to spring and everything is still rather brown and covered in fallen leaves. There are no ponies here to rake up the leaves or to stimulate the plants, but Zecora did find some skunk cabbages just pushing up out of the leaf litter. Skunk cabbage wouldn't be too high on my list of things to eat, Zecora had to pull delicately on them with her teeth to avoid getting the stinging juice on her tongue. She also dug up the rhizomes. The spring shoots can be eaten after being boiled twice, if you can stand the smell, and the rhizomes have several medicinal applications.
At Zecora's cottage, as she put her skunk cabbage on a shelf and prepared some tea, I unpacked my saddle bags to give her the things I'd brought for her from the Crystal Empire. We chatted about the spring over mugs of something hot and spicy, I told her all about the crystalling and how the raised bogs of the Crystal Empire are teaming with life this year. She thinks there's a connection. I think she's right, but which connection? The wild clouds freezing the bogs when the Crystal Heart shattered? Something Flurry Heart did before a damper was put on her magic? Our magic flash during the Winter Festival?
Zecora told me that Applebloom is braving the Everfree Forest to come learn more about potion making under her tutelage. She's in good hooves here. I haven't had her or her friends over for "Twilight Time" in quite some time, not since they finally got their cutie marks, all at the same time. I guess they've moved on.
Zecora started preparing the skunk cabbage, while it was fresh. I didn't stay for lunch. That stuff smells lethal!
