Rust never sleeps...

Part of a bridge that was built in 1924....in Indiana.

Yummy!

 In about 3 more months, these should be available locally....

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Re Wild Ginger..."Wild ginger has some interesting ethnobotanical uses as well. Native Americans and early Euro-American settlers have used wild ginger as a spice. The root is harvested dried and then ground into a powder.  Early settlers also cooked pieces of the root in sugar water for several days to obtain a ginger-flavored, candied root. The left over liquid was then boiled down to syrup that was used on pancakes and other food items. However, you should be aware that scientists have determined that the plants may contain poisonous compounds and consumption of the plant is highly discouraged."  This is from an article of the U.S. Forestry Service.

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And while I am thinking or it....about Bloodroot:  One source says : The red juice from the underground stem was used by Native Americans as a dye for baskets, clothing, and war paint, as well as for insect repellent.

But a book I have in my possession says that the root should be combined with oak bark to make the dye.  According to this book, A Guide to Medicinal Plants of the Appalachia that was published by the US Forestry service, bloodroot is extremely poisonous.  It is a source of morphine.  It has been used as an emetic and a laxative.    because of its expectorant qualities it has been used to treat chronic bronchitis.  It is both a pain reliever and sedative. 

Wild Ginger

 This is another plant that grows in the woods of the Eastern States...