Every year we go to Mt. Ranier searching for golden chantrelle mushrooms and huckleberries. It's a tradition that started with Paul's grandfather when Paul was a teenager. Grandpa is gone now, but we really enjoy going with our children and Paul's mom. It is so much fun to go tromping through the forest looking for those priceless gems. We picked about 15 pounds of mushrooms this year. For the first time in fifteen years we were not able to pick huckleberries :( It has been too cold this summer, and the berries are still green! It was a little disappointing, but we had a fun day anyway.
Rachel and Elizabeth cutting some mushrooms - they are tricky to spot sometimes, so you need to keep a sharp eye to avoid stepping on them, or missing them all together!
The happy hunters!
Here's what the mushrooms look like on the ground. I was hoping to get a picture of a giant one (we find some that are about 2-3 inches across on a good year) but most of them were pretty small this year.
Rebekah is a willing picker, but does not like to eat mushrooms! She said that she will continue the tradition with her family as far as huckleberries go, that might be it though.
Michael cutting a mushroom - they need to be cut rather than pulled so that they regrow.
Josh the man
The kids had fun riding in Grandma Debbie's trunk. They rode up and down the road while waiting for us to finish coming down the hillside.
This is what they look like after being cleaned - it takes a long time to clean them because of pine needles, dirt, moss - but they are well worth the effort, and fantastic in stroganoff, gravy and spaghetti. I can the extra mushrooms when we come home with a lot, but this time we are just enjoying them.
The happy hunters!
Here's what the mushrooms look like on the ground. I was hoping to get a picture of a giant one (we find some that are about 2-3 inches across on a good year) but most of them were pretty small this year.
Rebekah is a willing picker, but does not like to eat mushrooms! She said that she will continue the tradition with her family as far as huckleberries go, that might be it though.
Michael cutting a mushroom - they need to be cut rather than pulled so that they regrow.
5 comments:
What a fun tradition to pass down to your kiddos! I've never tried those kinds of mushrooms before but being a mushroom lover, they sound YUM-O! Sounds like you guys found quite a bit of them and had fun in the process.
That is a wonderful tradition. Today I read a quote on the importance of having your children work with you. Your a great example of doing exactly that.
Hi Heather...It's me, Nyla Chandler, although of course I still use "Suzanne". For some reason your face popped into my head this morning and I decided I'd google and see if you have a blog. So glad you do! Geez, it's been forever. Your family is awesome! Your girls look so much like your sisters when they were little. And I thought my kids were growing fast. My oldest is only seven, so I guess I'm way behind. =)
My parents are actually back living in Tulare, my dad works at the prison in Corcoran.
I'm going to have to link you on my blog and keep up with how you're all doing. I love the internet (blogging especially).
I love these pictures!
Nyla, wow that was fun to read. I didn't realize your parents were in Tulare.
Post a Comment