Silicon, Calcium and The Near Tragedy of the Damselfly Lovers

I was super-brave today and went into the shed for the first time since "The Wasp's Nest Incident" as it is now known at Aimo's House. I wanted to get out the comfy garden chair.  Which I did, but was then too scared to use in case the queen wasp has somehow infiltrated the padding.  One step at a time - I'll try using the chair sometime tomorrow.
But that's by the by, what I really wanted to talk about is horsetail. AARGH! Sorry - a hoverfly just startled me with its uncanny resemblance to a wasp.  Nature and her dashed camouflage tricks!  They wouldn't think their disguise so clever if they knew how trigger-happy I am with the wasp-spray these days.  I nearly took out a pair of damselfly lovers this morning as they flew past me in an embrace.  It would have been a rather Romeo and Juliet ending if they'd died flying in flagrante.
Anyway, back to the horsetail.  It seems a bit dull after the near-tragedy of the damselfly lovers, but life goes on.  I have a lot of horsetail in my garden.  You could say that's because of a disgraceful lack of discipline in the weeding department or you could say its because I enjoy the plant world in all its splendid diversity.
Nica Bentley always used horsetail to polish her pewter, but it's a long time since I polished my pewter (or even gave it a little tickle with a feather duster).  Perhaps you would say the same.  Being more practical, you could exploit the high calcium and silicon content of horsetail.
Kitty Little in her Book of Herbal Beauty says: "A high percentage of silicon is available in horsetail.  Silicon promotes the growth of protein and helps to keep your skin from becoming flabby as well as contributing towards good eyesight." and "People who feel their eyesight is deteriorating often suffer from a shortage of silicon."  Also in diet for strengthening nails she says that the calcium in plenty of horsetail tea "is the finest remedy I know for red puffy hands and cracked and peeling nails."  Calcium is also essential post-menopause.
So all in all it seems that horsetail is the very thing for a menopausal woman with deteriorating eyesight, flabby skin, red puffy hands and cracked nails.  Myself, I'm just drinking horsetail tea for pure research purposes.

N.B.  I would just like to state for the record that no damselflies were harmed in the making of this blog.

Here is a summery picture of Button Sarah: