First Mushy

I picked the first pine mushroom of the season on my walk today, on this last day of April. With all the rain we've had lately I was looking each day with anticipation and thinking it has got too cold too quickly. Perhaps some warmer temperatures followed by rain will bring a flush.

My friend Pat bought me two tickets for a mushroom tour for my birthday as a gift. Lib has said she'll come for the tour at Mooraduc which is guided by an expert in wild mushrooms. They run them on weekends through May and June and ours is booked for the 20th May. I'm looking forward to learning  about more edible varieties, and the dangerous ones to avoid.

April was a full on month with some large difficulties but the bell rings to end round 4 and I'm feeling strong. We've lit the fire early with the April cold snap and it's grand sitting by the open fire in the evenings. Business is depressed, something we do not suffer alone if the reports are believed. My intention is to put a big effort into growing vegies this year, beginning now, eg broccoli, broadbeans, garlic, but planning also for the new season in spring. The thing is about food, you can always eat it. And I reckon it'll be good for Gord, to learn more about it as we go.

I was very happy tonight to receive a phone call from Peter De La Rue thanking me for my article on Grace for 'Signpost'. I worked hard on that one, having been a good friend of Grace and knowing the grief of her surviving children and many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Peter said I got it spot on and it was beautifully done. I was happy with it but it's always a relief to get a nod of approval for your work. It does take a bit of pluck to put your work out there for others to read and possibly judge harshly.

Another major filip was a comment on my blog from Chas Stewart who moved from Gembrook to Pakenham a year or two ago. I failed to get the comment published due to some internal glitch in the system but Chas thanked me for blogging and encouraged me to continue. It was especially good to hear from Chas because the last time I saw him he was recovering from an operation for cancer of the oesophagus and had lost a heap of weight and had no appetite, hardly being able to force himself to eat the smallest amounts of food. Fantastic to hear from you Chas.