In which the moiling continues: we're surrounded by acres of gold

Mushroom season isn't over yet!

This chanterelle is about as big as my face

The true rainy season is just beginning.  This year, Patty is ready!

Patty's coat is the latest version of the Dragonwalker

High-quality Gore-tex, lots of pockets, sealed seams

Sewn right here in Washington State.
And it's PINK!

Details about Dragonwalker Coats are HERE

Today it wasn't raining, so she left the pink Dragonwalker back at the vehicles.  We headed out to Chanterelle Hill, of course.

The Fish Creek horses had vaccinations yesterday, so they stayed home
this morning, and the riders went on foot--except me!

I gathered chanterelles with the gang for about an hour, and then Fiddle and I headed out on a quick 6-mile loop.

Blue sky : quick!  Take a picture!

Approaching Bear Meadow.  We did not see bears.

She feels strong out on trails now--her gait is regular, and her ears are happy.

At the end of our loop, we met up with the Suspects and helped them pack out the loot.

We thought about sending Jim a message that we were coming home
sad and empty-handed, but we figured he wouldn't believe us.

Cleaning the mushrooms out on the back patio, we attracted an admiring audience.

Evita, Hattie and Violet:  "Hmmmm.  We could steal some of these things from the bag?"

Our dining room table often turns into a drying rack for produce and mushrooms.

Acres of chanterelles

I grew up here in the Puget Sound region, and part of my heritage is the music and poetry of the Pacific Northwest.  One of the better known regional raconteurs was Ivar Hagland (March 21, 1905 – January 30, 1985) :  folk singer, restauranteur, civic leader, punster and practical joker.

Ivar's signature song onstage was "Acres of Clams" (he opened a seafood restaurant named after the song in 1946).  When I saw the mushrooms spread out on the table, I knew what to call it...but Jim and Monica didn't recognize the reference.

Here's a good rendition of the song, written by Francis D. Henry in 1874, and performed here on YouTube with a visual nod to Ivar by Lloyd Vivola.

Enjoy!



Tonight we will feast on roasted vegetables and garlic from the garden, topped with acres of golden chanterelles.

Life is GOOD.