Up at this elevation the bug didn't infect the firs.  This was a comforting thought but a fleeting one because soon to follow was the impending knowledge that some day, in the not so distant future, the climate would warm just enough for those bastards to make their ways to these healthy stands.  

For me wild crafting is a ritual.  Its a study of myself & what it means to be part of the natural world.  In a nutshell, it means I go into the wilderness, whether it be the grand wilds of America or the local ones in my backyard, & I get dirty.