The calm of the Forest

Day two after Vaccination. Rich told me I had to rest and relax and chill.

I told him I was fine. He argued that I wasn't. Our vacation from MDD is on its way out. He is entering another black zone. It creeps up quietly and it ebbs and flows. Things are worse when you combine MDD and dementia. Anyway I won't write about it here much. I'll drop my thoughts in The Long Road later.

First thing I did was go searching for the trees that could possibly help me find morels. According to the experts, Ash Trees don't produce tons of morels. I will beg to differ with them. The ash trees in our woods have always produced as they die from the emerald ash borer.

Below is the inside of the bark I found at the base of the tree where I find the first of the morels each year. There is a stand of trees that are slowly dying off and ... well, if we get rain, I should have more morels. Well, that is the hope.

I did pick the one I found and cooked one single one for Rich. Seems a steak and morels always make him smile.

I found this tiny bee working on a dandelion in the pasture. My pony and the goat just adore the dandelions blossoms!

For your entertainment. Goat and Pony at work in the Junk Yard section. MIL's car is there. Hubby is sure there is stuff he needs to get out of the trunk. He is sure it runs. He is adamant that nothing is wrong with it. So having it hauled away is proving to be an issue....but I digress...

I did find Black Tulip Fungi while seeking out trees. They are related to the Red Cup Fungi and is a sure sign that spring is here. 

These two were growing nearly side by side in a tiny grove of dying trees.

They were growing close to some forest lilies that are very small. It was here that I sat on a log and watched the wrens flutter about picking nesting materials. I really think I could have stayed there all day.

I did go back to the house. Rich went back to bed and slept for most of the morning. I decided it was a good morning to wash the porch windows, screens, and then the siding on the porch. Then I cleared the porch off and sorted everything.

A rinse was in order. Perhaps it was my spring cleaning of the porch! 

I'll wash the ceiling of the porch later this year. I have to work on plants to put along the front of the porch. I haven't decided what I want yet. Something colorful and very heat tolerant. 

The year I had zinnias, cosmos, and sunflowers was so fun. I could watch the bees and the birds from close up. The other half didn't like it. 

Photo from my 'porch' garden two years ago:

I spent the rest of the day doing stuff, like grooming the mules and cleaning up the spring flower gardens. 

It was exciting to watch a storm cell come in and we actually had rain for a bit!

[Infrared shot of the storm cell coming across the pasture. The clouds and sky really pop out with IR.]

This weekend I plan on finishing up pulling and piling dried burdock to get rid of and put the 'kids' out in one of the wooded pastures.

And that is it.

I have a hiking date today to show Bill how to get to the bird blind to watch cranes and geese nesting in the ponds.

Late this afternoon, I plan on working on my Forest Garden. Thank goodness for spring and all the work I can do in the forest.

 

The Hunt for Morels

What can I say? I like hunting for Morel Mushrooms.
There are a few things that a person really needs to be successful.
Yes.
Know your trees.
In our area, know your hillsides too!

Most of all. Do not be in a rush. You must have a lot of time.
Time to squat near a place to just let your eyes roam about to look for the pattern of the Morel.

If you find some, the advice is ... don't move. You may be stepping on them. I found that to be true enough.

Slow is better. Take time, don't hurry. Be relaxed and listen to the birds. Enjoy the fresh air.
Or the gnats and bugs when it gets warm. [Not quite as enjoyable]
Don't pick the False Morels.
I've had people tell me you can eat those reddish ones.
Nope, I don't think so. It isn't worth the risk now is it?

I found enough early Morels to make a 'mess' for us the other morning.

Homemade Bread and Morels.
What better spring treat can there be?

These were the early ones. If we get some rain, the other trees further up the hillside ought to produce...


I'd put up a trail camera near one of the trees ---- what an active place it is!

Hmmm.
The person in the photo is someone I know and I sort of figured he'd drop over and check out the big tree that produced so much last year. I missed out on a rather large crop of Morels because 'someone' had picked them!

He's a good guy really but it is a bit irritating. I don't search his property for Morels.
I am conflicted in a way. About 7 years ago he called us to ask if we liked Morels and Rich said we loved them! He told us about another tree that on our place just over his fence that he had picked nearly 10 lbs at!
He offered to bring the Morels over and we just told them to keep them.

Since he lets me walk and take photos around his creek bottom I feel compelled not to start something. After all, I know I can call him if I need his help in an emergency.

I do have a surprise waiting for him under the tree though.

Evil laugh.

No, it will not be harmful. Just curious to watch his reaction on the Trail Cam.

Those are not real Morels, they are Candles made to look like them!

:)

Hunting Morels and flowers

They are very good at hiding! I do love hunting Morel Mushrooms. Partly because it is the springtime and mostly because I can wander as long as I'd like to look for them and...just dawdle if I want to.
It gives me a good excuse to look at the spring flowers and sit and watch squirrels chase each other around trees...
to listen to birdsong...
to listen to the creeks...
to scramble up deer trails and explore...

To just Be.

Squirrels!

Trillium

Ginger

Bishops Caps

Pinks

Blood Roots

Everything at Once

All sorts of news

Do you hear the presses running?
What a wild week I had.

Okay, it wasn't really wild, but it was a very productive week.
The rains have kept coming but on Thursday I did get out after 3/4 of an inch of rain and I found so many Morels.

Bonus!

We saw a Pulmonary Therapist on Friday. Rich hadn't wanted to go but we thought we'd follow through and see what he had to say.

The results of the Pulmonary Test that Rich had on Monday were available to the Therapist. He asked a lot of questions and then pulled up the test results. He asked Rich if he wanted to know his numbers. Rich sort of just looked at him.

Jim [the therapist] made a quick mental note and then said, "Do you really want to know? Hmm, maybe not."
Rich responded. "Look, I am dying anyway. I just want to be more comfortable. Numbers don't mean a thing."

Jim nodded. "Fair enough."
Next came some testing of physical abilities. Rich had to walk towards a wall and back. Then it was a two minute walk while carrying his pulse travel oxygen.
When he got back, he dropped into a chair and Jim took his 02 levels.

I'm going to skip the technical stuff and skip to the discussion that Jim had with Rich. He told Rich he was remarkably strong for 'his' condition and he thought that some Pulmonary Therapy would not only help his moods but help him to be able to get outside.
He was going to suggest a continuous airflow and not the pulse air for when/if he felt like going outside. He was straight forward. Rich was never going to get 'off' oxygen, but there might be things to make him feel a bit more alive.

Would he be open to Community based Pulmonary Therapy? It would help bring back his leg strength and help him feel more confident. Rich said he would but he didn't see where he'd be out ...doing things like he used to.

Jim chuckled and said he knew guys that had their continuous air flows 02 mounted on their Harley motorcycles.
His script for airflow may have to be upped.

So the good news is Rich will do PT locally if it gets approved. He will try it. I say it is helpful for him to get out of the house anyway. AND if he can enjoy anything at all outside that would be a bonus.

His good mood carried over through the weekend with our Kenosha Gang visitors. I took them to hunt Morels and we spent a good part of the day in the woods with our dogs. I loved the shouts of joy when they found those little beauties.

The rain held off early in the morning and then quit just about the time we were ready to hit the woods.

My last note.
I really don't know how to thank my good friends for all of their help with my 'to do' list.
The orange panels are moved. A pen was put up. The A/C is set for the season. The Jeep was aired up and started.
Old stakes were pulled up. Old Dog houses moved, log chunks were moved...the 4 Wheeler got an oil change....

These were all things I could have done myself over a period of time, however it was nice to have the extra hands.

Charlie however was totally wiped out from all the running around.
After all, supervising is such hard work...

Whirlwinds...

Just this and that...

I've been hunting Morels like a mad woman.
Well, that and mowing the yard, trimming with the little mower and using the pony and goat for those impossible areas to get to.

Sven is in this photo near the light colored mule on the outside of the fence. He is trimming what I couldn't get with the mower.

I've been going to see MIL in the nursing home. She is sure that she is going home the very next day. She is fairly non compliant with the things she needs to do for her leg edema which is getting worse as her legs are starting to leak.

Our visits have been good, but it just means I need to pack more into the latter parts of the day.

Rich has been okay sort of. He is maintaining an slightly better attitude. I feel badly because I am running around like a mad woman outside doing as much maintenance as I can to catch up on these dry days.

This includes taking Charlie and Sven on Morel Hunts.

In two days I've gotten enough for two meals and have dehydrated some for use this winter.

I have been crazy busy this week.
But spring is quickly changing the woods...

And I have to remember to stop and take a breather and enjoy it once in a while....

And....
I'm off and running again...

Goodbye April

The end of April is here and the weather is cold and rainy with gray skies. All the makings of a dull day.
I took one of my Grandmother's spring colored handkerchiefs, a daffodil, and tea cup and put them on an old wooden box.

I thought I'd entertain myself while waiting for FedEx. There was a package I was going to have to sign for and I didn't want to miss it. I'd had issues with the postal person deciding not to deliver to my house for one reason or another.

Anyway. I thought I'd entertain myself by doing some indoor Still Life with some fresh daffodils.

I'd heard that black felt was good to carry in the field to isolate flowers from anything else in the back round. So I draped some felt from my fold up clothes hanger in the living room and set flowers in a tiny vase in front of it.

It worked nicely.

And because I was in the mood for something fun...I thought...

Morel Hunting season is just around the corner.

Goodbye April you were an interesting month.