Went on a jaunt to Huaskin Lake yesterday... being Sunday,
we thought we'd get a little "family" time in, while running some necessary errands. Tried fishing off the old floathouse,
but only Orion hooked anything edible! The trout were mocking me, swimming close to the surface and creating tempting
ripples... but no bites. A sudden deluge of rain and gust of freezing wind dampened my enthusiasm. So, disgusted,
I gave up (how unlike me). We loaded up the truck for our return to Jennis Bay, cranked up Tom's old gospel CD
and set off. Along the way we stopped to scope out any promising chanterelle mushroom patches. The children's
eyes lit up with zeal whenever we found that bright yellow treasure. "Wow! Mom! Look at this one!" There
were not only chanterelles, but vivid red 'shrooms, brown ones, mustard yellow and soft violet ones! We picked carefully
and selectively, bringing home the varieties we wanted to eat and/or catalog. Even Bravo the dog got in on the act.
Next we lined our haul up neatly on the deck railing and took photos (for posterity, of course). Many were unidentifiable,
so we made notes to do a little further research. The yellow and winter chanterelles, hedgehog, etc. we dusted
off and stored for cooking later. (They make a nice addition to Tom's scrambled-egg breakfast. Sorry, just plain
old porridge for me.)
When we made it home, we were hungry and wet, yet victorious!
The sun was setting and the sky metamorphacized before our eyes from blue and grey to warm gold and crimson. The water
of the Bay was calm and so reflected this riot of color just beautifully.
After a hastily prepared supper, I stepped out on the deck
(alone for a change) and breathed deeply. The air was delicious. Refreshing and alive, it filled my lungs and
sharpened my senses. No dull, dry city air out here, no way. If I could only imprint this one moment, permanently,
on my being, it could carry me through the difficulties we face. But how easily one forgets, just by walking indoors,
or simply by taking the beauty of creation for granted and focusing on the temporal.
Well... enough of my ramblings. There is work to do.
