Oh my goodness I have not been here have I? We have been so busy doing I don't know what; something cause I am one tired lady when I hit the pillows at night.
  A few days ago Chance and I slipped away again to pick mushrooms.This time we took our good friend Ms A with us,she had never been and was up for exploring a new adventure.The day was wet and even though we had all worn good clothing we came home so wet that we could wring our clothes out.The wet did not put a damper on us though I think the thrill of the hunt was over riding swampy feet and and dripping hats.While out Ms A was worried she was slowing down Chance and I since she felt she was not as athletic as we two.Me athletic? That's something I have not heard since I was a teen running around the soccer fields,it made me chuckle.In hindsight I see now that I do have a certain amount of agility when walking in the woods, a certain boldness, a sureness I don't think I walk with in the city. I trust my feet to be where they need to be so I can pay attention to everything else that is around me.
  Ms A quickly caught on that there are some skills one needs for mushroom hunting that take time,knowing where the mushrooms may be the biggest one and then there is this little waft on the air that is the smell of mushrooms.So faint it is hard to sort it out from the general scent of "The Woods" .So mushroom hunting is not about speed or being athletic, it is about carefully looking as you go for those tender morsels popping their heads out from under the duff. You gotta slow down and trust your other sense and yourself.
This round of picking was not as bountiful but we did bring home 4 pounds which we divided evenly so Ms A would have some mushrooms to squirrel away for winter. 
 Today Chance and The Cousin are going bird hunting and mushroom picking.Today the boys will look for my single most favorite mushroom the Hedgehogs. Chance and I don't always get around to finding Hedgehogs,they grow on the other side of the Willamette Valley from us so if Chance brings some home it will be a grand thing.Hedgehogs are a darling little story book like mushroom,the color of a toasted marshmallow and they have little quills on their under sides that give them their names.Besides having the typical musky mushroom flavor ,Hedgehogs also have a mild black pepper flavor which is what makes them my all time favorite.Good luck boys, I know I gave you a ton of ribbing about going with out me,only because I think the day is bitter sweet.Bitter because I am not going,sweet because you two are.But I love you both any way.
  I said this last year when I wrote about mushroom picking but it is so important I am going to say it again.( and I will most likely say it again next year.) Only go mushroom picking for the first few times with someone who really knows what they are doing.Someone whom you trust literally with your life.It is so easy to pick the wrong thing which can cost you your life. And remember this golden rule of my Dad's " When in doubt go without." This goes for any wild edible,period,end of story.

 Other than spending stolen days in the woods life has been busy.I think Chance and I have finally found our new homesteading groove.Things are getting done in a different way, but they are done.I now have an even firmer grip on the thought that baking can be done just before bedtime if it means there's good things to eat.See that goes back to my really old idea that if I did not get the bread dough going and baking by noon I was a failure.What was I thinking? Really? That is so lame. Why did I think that? I threw that one out awhile ago but now it is even more important to remember.
 The rains have returned.I could boo who in my tea cup but that would be a waste of time.There's no avoiding the rain so pull on some good boots and get marching along. Even thought the garden is now a soggy mess I still have not pulled it.Not because of the rain but because Chance has incorporated so much of the jungle-ly mass into his Halloween Spook-ville that pulling it all up will have to wait another week.
  My apples will be here in the next couple of days. I am glad this year that apples will keep for a bit.It may end up I pick up the apples on one of my days off and then stashing them until I have another day.Apple butter is a longer process so I will need a whole day for it.
  Well not much news and it is time for me to get moving.It's time to raise the boys from the dead and get them off to school.We have company coming this evening and I also have a few last minute things to do before I leave for my day at work.
 Rois