Once in a Lifetime.... 2004

This was the year all pickers dream of. 

Your lucky if you get one or two seasons like this in your lifetime.

They started fast and just kept coming.

I made this movie with photos from the beginning of the season.

I have many patches to choose from when picking, this year I only really picked two patches.

It was all we could do to stay ahead of the flush, our best day was 207 lbs. of #1.

The down side of the whole thing was the price that only reached $2.00.

But ask me if I had fun.... YES, YES and YES.....

We were able to give away a ton to my wife's side of the family.

.....and the quality was just incredable.

Other stuff from the bush.....

Although a lot of my year is devoted to picking mushrooms, there is a time of the year that is very slow. That is when I work on different odd , and I suppose diseased, pieces that I have picked up in my bush travels . Below are just a very few that I have done.  They are very labour intensive, requiring removal of a lot of bark and pitch build up. When that is done then they have to be sanded and polished. As well, the bigger one require up to two years of controlled drying. As in staying in my workshop out of the sun.

Red Alder Burl

Piece of hollow Maple

.

Surviving Fir stump from fire

Cedar Burl....very soft

"Ass hole" fir grow over. 

I call this "Fir Thumb"

All Out for a stroll.

Smaller pieces, I call "Wood Ears"

Back to Haida G'waii in 2003

We liked the place so much we went back......  This slideshow starts in Prince Rupert at the ferry terminal and goes on from there.  I have, hopefully , tried to show how we pick, grade and sell our Chanterelle  mushrooms. As well there are some photos of the old steam donkeys, that were used in the heydays of logging.Most of the beach shots were taken on the west side at Renells Sound. Here is a link that you might find useful Welcome to Skidegate, Haida Gwaii

BTW... the music is provided buy Bill Evans Trio "Alice in Wonderland"

Our trip to the Charlottes in 2002

This is a QTime movie I made from photos I took when we went to the Queen Charlotte islands in 2002.

It starts at New Hazleton and continues on from there. More scenery than mushrooms ....

The music is by --Yonder Mountain String Band-- "Peace of Mind"

how about some MUSIC talk...

I am a big Jazz fan, and I hope to feature some of the stuff I like here.

....But right now my HD with all my Jazz on it is in for repairs.

So I have had to do with what is on my other HD, which consist mostly of Blues, and a variety of Folk,Country, World, and many other genres.

But I think what I would like to mention here is an album by 

Bob Brozman & Cyril Pahinui---

Four Hands Sweet & Hot

Click to enlarge Photo....

This is one of the most amazing acoustic Guitar duos I have ever had the pleasure to listen to, although it is done in a Hawaiian theme, this does not take anything away from it. In fact when you listen to it you come to understand that this is possible the best way that it could be presented.

Now if I could figure a way to leave a sample or two of their music.....

You can hear some small samples here.......

Not sure that It will do it justice.

Summer fun 2007

Some of what we picked this past summer....

What we all seek....#1 Matsutake 

What would summer be without Channies......

Oysters and a couple of Hog's

Damn I can almost smell them.....

Fresh fresh --- summer 2007 ---

Choice Lobsters.....

The real yellowfoots are on the left...

The "hybrid" yellowfoots are on the right....

These are Yellowfoots with a difference, 

They were totally yellow not just the bottom

I know the scale shows Just over 4 Lb.s ...

but you have to add one Lb. because it was Tarred for a basket.

The total was 5.1 lbs.

 

more about Fire Morels....

This is for "Stacy" and anyone else that happens along...

First, The main export market is to Europe  and to a lot of world class hotels all around the globe.

Fire Morels have a very earthy taste, and are found in abundance the following year after a forest fire.

There are not just one kind of fire morel but many, first comes the "Conicals" (or naturals), followed later buy "blonds and Greys". And even later come Greens and Blacks. The  Greys and Greens are the ones that most people like the best, because the walls are double thickness and the size is usually a lot bigger.

Conicals

Mix of  Blonds and Grays

Photo courtesy of JT Holmes 

 http://morelfarmer.com/

This is a Black Morel 

Photo from Morchella Thanks

There are two kinds of markets for morels .....Fresh market  and Dry market....

Fresh being shipped within hours of being picked...

and Dried ...well dried morels are usually dried in the field and are sold anytime from Christmas onward.

Looking Forward to spring.....

Mushrooms......

It won't be long now. Spring is coming, and for all of us seasoned pickers, this is the start of another year. 

 One word    Morels...... well maybe two words     Fire Morels..........

Looks like it might be a slow year in B C this spring. I only see 7 fires of over 1,000 hectares, and only 1 fire of notable size in the Prince George region (9,400 Hk.) All the really big burns are south of the 49th parallel.  

But I will probably figure something out.

 Last year we were at Tumbler Ridge. That started out OK till I had to put $800.00 into the Dodge for a new throw out bearing. Typical ....mushroom gods where not treating me right. All in all we had a good time. I was very spotty with a few WOW days.  And the trip down to the Wapiti fire was the hi-light of the whole spring season, what an incredible piece of real estate that is. Better than Banff and Jasper.

Wapiti Fire NE British Columbia

Fire Morels.... Drying in the back of my PU.

Music ....

For today I am listening to the    Bandana Blues show 

This is a weekly pod cast available at their web page and also via iTunes store (free)

If you like Blues with a difference , this is where you will find some interesting stuff.....

Mac's......

Well I still find it hard to say anything about Mac's

only ..... If you own one you will know what I'm talking about.

more about before.....

Well as I was saying Red Belted 

Conk... This is what they look like.

It would seem that they have good medicinal qualities. Also good for starting fires... if their dry. Mostly found on dead or dying hemlock trees but also on Firs. If the tree that they are growing on has enough size they can get as big as 2 feet across.

Well here goes...

Here on the LEFT coast of B.C. we are having a very typical winter day....GREY...

The wife and I were out the other day filling an order for RED BELTED conks. Funny how you see them all the time, but when it comes to collecting them. Well hell we were doing a lot of walking. And then when we found some nice ones they were so god damn far up the tree that we couldn't reach them. Long story, short. We got about 55 lbs. in all. I can't wonder why they would want them at this time of the year. For the most part they are dormant. You would think that the best time would be in the fall when they are growing.... what do I know....

That takes care of my Mushroom comments... for now.

Music.... I am listening to some old R & R from "Early Canadian Rockers vol #1" stuff from the 50's and 60's

Here is a URL  TUESDAY NIGHT ROCK AND ROLL DANCE PARTY  that will give those of you over 50 some good old time listening. ..... and some of you youngsters too.....

As for Mac Comments.... Let's just say that Mac is the only Comp. I have ever used, Enough said.

** wanted to put some pictures in this post, but I have not figured out how ...YET...

     well it just dosn't seem to want to work.