Morels 2019

Its been a super busy start to the spring, but we managed to get out for a good family morel hunt. We’ve been going to this spot for years now because it is so close, but its always a challenge to find them because they change locations every year and there never is a huge flush of them anywhere. The big change I notice every season now is how much faster the kids have gotten and how good they are at finding them. They can go off on there own and find them themselves. Its really neat! And the best part is that they like to fry them up with me and eat them - which is certainly a main reason to do it (among others!)

Our little guy Declan was still backpacking it and loving life. Ewwing and owwing in my ear the whole time. He loves the outdoors just like the rest of them and will be following in their footsteps in no time soon.

Mother's Day Hike

Spencer's only Mother's Day request was a hike with the family and somehow of my famous homemade pizza.  So, we went to a local spot to try and find any last remaining morels, ramps, and nettles.  We tried Declan out in the hiking backpack and he LOVED his new viewpoint on the world. 

We found a few old morels that weren't worth picking, but still fun to find and revisit for next year.  The ramps were sparse and older too, but would be great for pizza night (on my half :). And the other added bonus was this backpack was big enough to fill with enough nettles as I wanted.   We found a really cool box turtle on our trip just chilling in wet patch of the woods.  And we got a few gobblers to play along to some louder than normal aggressive cutting.  There are some benefits to no hunting on Sundays in PA.  We had a great hike, but no bear tracks this year!

I baked the nettles in some coconut oil later that evening and baked up a killer pizza for the evening dinner.  Great day to celebrate our #1 team MVP.

Sunday morning @ Morel Creek

There is no better quality family time than a Sunday hike with the family.  We went to our favorite Morel Creek spot and did a little hike for our favorite springtime mushroom.  I have no idea what the real name of this stream is, but its been a honey hole introduced by a friend years ago and we have dubbed it Morel Creek.  

I think we were just on the front end of the morel season as we found a dozen or so singles, but the 'flushes' of yellows that this spot is known for where not up yet.  But, I will be out of town on some business travel and you got to make hay while the sun is shining.  Plus, the kids were in full blown Easter egg hunt training, so this always translates well to the woods.  

Spence is now 12 weeks pregnant with baby #4 and is already showing really quickly.  I feel like it was yesterday when we were at this same spot with the twins when they were just a few months old.  We ended the morning with a stream side lunch and then it was nap time for the kids on the way home.  Time to go fry up some morels for dinner!

Spring Shrooming

I went out for a little spring morel hunt in some new spots near the new house, and though I didn't find any morels, I did find some Dryad Saddle mushrooms and some nice sized wild onions.  I went back to the old dependable honey hole to find the morels up in the crick bottom and under the old dead elms.  May 10th and still finding morels.!  Crazy.