No, not that brain, the other one!
Yes, that's the one!
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The walnut trees have already yielded their Fall bounty of those sweet nuts.
Below the caninus vomitus, we will discuss the walnuts' finer points.
I work part time at a golf course west of Portland, Oregon. It was once a farm and a half dozen walnut trees still line the east edge of the course. Their spreading limbs often frustrate golfers, but these trees still crank out impressive walnut harvests every other year.
When the ripening walnuts fall from the trees, a green husk coats the shells. The husk soon turns into a sticky, inky goo. In the wild, that deters predators (read squirrels) long enough for some of the nuts to take root.
I let the nuts run through that cycle and harvest them after the goo has come and gone, and the Fall rains have partly washed the shells. If you wait too long, some of the walnuts darken, although their taste doesn't suffer.
The walnut trees battle competition for nutrients by emitting a phyto-toxin called juglone in all parts of the plant. Deposition of the walnut's twigs and leaves greatly inhibits plant activity underneath the tree.
Walnut tree nut production runs in cycles, with bountiful production occurring every second or third year.
The county road cut off the half-dozen golf course walnut trees from the larger orchard. That meant the gold course trees are far more exposed to harsh winds, and when the torrential rains turns ground soggy, one by one, the walnut trees are toppling.
I salvaged one and a buddy chain sawed it into slabs for me. You can see the contrast between the grains of the English (white) and black walnut species that were grafted together.
Here is a piece that I sanded and varnished. It spent a winter outside and needs another sanding and recoating.
Some traditional medicinal beliefs hold that plants can cure ailments in the body parts they resemble. This is called the "doctrine of signatures" and is wildly incorrect.
However, walnuts always struck me as appearing incredibly brain-like. And hey, recent studies say that walnut consumption could be good for the brain.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/...
It may help fight Alzheimer's, due to walnuts' high levels of antioxidants, and omega-3. I'm having some right now.
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Thank you for reading. I'll work this morning so I'll respond to comments before lunchtime, PDT.