Hunting with strangers (Bay Area)

Jon and I have been hunting for edibles all season and just yesterday we were alerted to some blewits under the cedar lined parking lots of a nearby school. I didn’t enjoy that foray, there was too much trash, and signs of disturbance, which is exactly why blewits are popping up, because they can, because it has been cleared and is free of duff.


It occurred to me today that on a recent foray I had been hunting, in a foggy forest, with strangers. Hunting with no target, nothing goal driven, and as Terry S. (the trip leader from the Mushroom Society of San Francisco, MSSF) who posts weekly trips claimed, no promises. The mushroom hunt was more of a rambling. For me it was pure freedom. We set off of the path to wander under the fir, and madrone and like neon road signs in a unlit forest we noticed polypores galore, and just past the firs we discovered an edge habitat with shrimp Russulas in distinct stages of maturity.


Each fungi offered an opportunity for Terry to unearth the Latin name, the meaning behind the names and reasons to look for a stiff chalk like stem or a staining red or yellow mark. After investigating you soon realize that you don’t do ALL the tests for all the species, just the ones you may confuse with look alikes, or in the case of edibles, the undesirables. So the Cortinarius were out, the Suillus slimy, the Polypores were trailing on the logs; some cedar, some pine, and we sat in the sun drenched meadow in Marin for my first picnic of the year, albeit, minus mushrooms, with a few strangers.


I recommend hunting with strangers. There is no commitment, no race for the prize, and most importantly, no cleaning and cooking necessary.

Oh to Ride the great Mules ( Mexico)

Scenes from Christmas ( Mexico)

Animals in the driveway


the young , green one

sunrise on Christmas morning from the back, waiting for warmth

(?)Que Hago? (Mexico)

There I was, high on the slope of yet another canada, being led like an infant uphill. Our mule guide, Chente ( whom I’ve decided to call 'el oso' because of his massive hands), was towing me. He was on his horse and had a machete in one paw, and loaded rifle attached to his saddle. My tow-rope was in his other hand. He called my macho a lazy Mexican and yanked as hard as he could as we traveled in a switchback fashion ripping past towering cardon cactus, and a few thorny biznagas.

The tricky part was the prickly brush and palo adan in my face not to mention the joy of redirecting the beast left when Chente was really pulling the rope straight above me. There was no up, only curve after curve with the stubborn animal stopped dead after each hump. Somehow it collapsed, my macho, face on the dirt and body stuck in a hole. Chente missed the cue to stop. I yelled “Que hago? Que Hago?”. Chente seemed to tell me (all in Spanish of course) to stay put. He claimed the animal only wants to stand. I was unsure, but I had no real place to go if I did get my feet out of the stirrups and my legs out from under the thick layer of leather called armas and butt off the saddle. Actually getting off didn’t appear easy. I was not stuck, but I was fatigued. There was no panic in his eyes and beyond my yelling and heart pounding all was still. The mule straightened up, Chente mumbled a few words of encouragement and we were back in motion again; trudging uphill to see the next cave with pinturas repustres in the Sierra de Guadalupe.

It only looks easy (Mexico)

This is an on going course. Every year I make attempts to learn the art of tortilla making in Baja California and my friend Delia is an expert at all things. She marvels me with her skills and grace. At home I have my very own comal, and palo, yet inspiration seldom strikes. Improvements in this arena are unnoticeable yet my documenting efforts have reached youtube worthy status . This was a fine batch of thin ones. The ranch had a crowd for the holidays. I challenged the youngsters to make a few and the 17 yr old son displayed great talent. The day before we made New Year's day bunuelos (a royal pain) and ate them with the morning cafe.

Sheila makes Tortillas
	2 min 26 sec - 14 hours ago Sheila makes tortillas at Rancho Carpintero on New Years day. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISKCksj8y9Q

Shamba/Baobob house building update!!

I left Tanzania with the house not yet finished but everyone was geared up to finish the walls, both inside and out. Here is a picture of a big work crew on one of our last days.




BEFORE: sent from Teri in December 2009. Arches for doorways and windows are complete, now all are awaiting the roof. Maybe 2010!!



AFTER

2010 New Year's update from Kyle... interior firebrick walls visible and cap placed on walls. You can see the half wall for the outside, graywater shower system started. Im not sure how the design will work in regards to privacy. We simply had buckets and used banana leaves for cover. Oh the long lost days of air drying!

(If you want the real details..click on the link on the right that says Rotary Club Sideshow)