Small Pleasures 8.

Wild! Morel Mushrooms.

Friday's treasure. Found beside foot path near Gibbons Park.

I don't have exact numbers, but when I'm out walking or running I look at the ground before me about 85 per cent of the time. The rest of the time I look at the sky, others on the pathway (including hundreds of Canadian geese), or straight ahead. And on Friday I just happened to spot a morel mushroom in the grass and leaf litter to my right as I approached Gibbons.

I quickly stopped. In my mind I saw pages of a calendar flipping backwards, then whole calendars opening and closing, then a pile of calendars fell upon the floor. I'd last seen and eaten a morel - fried in butter atop mother's stove - about 55 - 60 years ago. I was 12 or younger and wearing a scruffy T-shirt.

I picked the morel, searched for more, and eventually found another before continuing with my walk. And after turning around a park bench somewhere near the centre of Baldwin Flats I headed back home... but stopped at roughly the same spot on the path, searched for more morels, and - 15 minutes later - had found another pair. What good fortune!

They were delicious, fried lovingly in butter with a pinch of salt.

I wanted more. But would lightning strike twice?

Saturday's Photographs from along the way -

 Magic Mushrooms as Wild Art

Interesting species, but not what I am looking for today.

 The photo is not out of focus. That's one wily 'shroom.

 I pass an empty spot where a lovely bridge used to be,

on my way to Baldwin Flats.

Saturday's treasure (!) - carefully washed, halved, for suppertime.

Yesterday, I walked the same route and found two more - fairly easily - in the same spot on my way north. On my way south I searched a wider area for almost an hour but had no more luck. 

But two morels, lightly fried, is still a major treat for me.

Please link to Small Pleasures 7.

Photos GH