35°f/1.7°C, mostly clear.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
Wait, that line has already been taken. But it sums up today. A beautiful day for our 2-hour drive to Huntington to the VA medical center for Larry's pre-op appointment with an internist (carpal tunnel/trapped nerve surgery coming up). And then he couldn't find his wallet. Last place he remembered having it was in his pocket when he was brushhogging up on the ridge. Oh boy.
We have been through this before, twice, when he lost his wallet while plowing. We found it both times. Today, we had to leave without it, so when we got home we began a search of the field, with Buddy on a lead in case he might happen to smell it (the dog has a heck of a nose). A 15 minute search and the wallet was found! I do believe the man has finally learned his lesson: do not carry the wallet around this place!
Still, it was nice, actually, to walk that field. It has honestly been years since I have done so. It has grown up badly. The neighbors were cutting it for hay and I just didn't pay much attention to it, but this fall they didnt cut it, so Larry took the brushhog up, and my goodness, those neighbor boys--well, men--have been letting the brush creep in all around it. So it is a mess. We don't need the hay, honestly, but we love the way it looks when it is cut, somehow we will try to keep it as clear as we can for as long as we can. It is very steep, and tricky to cut. By steep, I mean some of it is probably 60% slope or more. This section where I was walking is actually better than most of it. This is looking up the hill, from about halfway down it.
The first photo in this post is zoomed a bit, because I just loved the silhouette of Larry and Buddy.
One more view as I walked...trudged is a better word...back up to the road.
About wild mushrooms: several people commented that they would be afraid to eat wild mushrooms, and that is certainly understandable. Many wild fungi can make us sick, or can even cause death.
Foraging any wild food is an undertaking that requires a depth of knowledge. I remember once years ago I picked what I thought was Queen Anne's Lace, but turned out to be something quite dangerous. Cow parsnips, I think? I cant recall now as that was over 50 years ago, but I do remember the smell of those plants in the car making us feel ill.
As for wild mushrooms, there are only a few I know well enough to eat: models, chanterelles, Chicken of the Woods, Bradley's, honeys, and now the pear-shaped mushrooms. I feel confident that I could identify puffballs and pheasant backs too, should I ever find them. But if I am not 100% sure, I wouldn't touch them.
Prior to the internet, the only way to really know what fungi were safe was to have a knowledgeable, trustworthy in-person guide. While books are great there is nothing like that hands-on learning experience, which is how I learned about morels and Bradleys. Then came Facebook, with mushroom-hunting groups and fantastic photos, and websites like the Forager Chef. I found a fantastic book too, with full color photos and in-depth information. With so many resources, identification is much easier and surer, but again, unless I am 100% sure, I leave wild fungi alone.
