Everyone I know is facing some sort of quality of life crisis and I’m no exception. I find it helpful to sort out my thoughts when I can go for a long hike.
The issues I have to resolve have kept me from spending more time in the woods, but most of the nice weather is still ahead of me. So much of what happens is how you deal with things.
I just made a series of decisions that I would have made differently if I had chosen to spend more time hiking. We all lose perspective from time to time.
Still, it’s a great time to be foraging. I was surprised to find morels yesterday, even though the violets and the ramps that usually peak at the same time, are long past.
I have been gathering large volumes of wisteria and locust blossoms. They look so pretty on a salad . I’m going to experiment with recipes to see how they work in fritter batter. I’ve been looking for a recipe for jelly using these blossoms.
My latest culinary experiment is with plantain leaf chips. I need to work out a few kinks, but so far I have picked the most tender leaves, sprayed them with a coat of canola oil, spread them on a cookie sheet and baked them until they began to turn brown. I need to try different oven temperatures and times to be sure I end up with the best texture and taste.
While foraging, I listen to see how many birds I can identify by their sound and maybe decipher the meanings. When I notice what goes on in a given season with the plants, birds, animals and weather patterns, it improves my skills.
Despite the challenges in a changing world, I still hear my favorite bird, the wood thrush. The profusion of rhododendrons outside my window is more profound than ever.
And in the garden, the first squash flower has blossomed.
As long as there is a little bit of nature to enjoy, I have an anchor. That’s a blessing.