Our friend Eli was visiting and discovered that a highly regarded and costly mushroom, Laetiporus, aka Chicken of the Woods, was growing from an old oak tree here at The Fahm. Eli, demonstrating proper technique for 'shroom removal, cut the giant yellow and mango-colored monsta out and took it with him to sell at the Farmer's Market in Northampton where his father, coincidentally, sells the mushrooms that he cultivates (on purpose) on his farm. Eli offered to sell more of them for us if we can find them, so yesterday I went into the wild(er) areas of The Fahm with knife and collection bag, looking for Chickens in the Woods.
As often happens, I got distracted from my appointed task ("Oh look! A butterfly!"), although this time I was distracted by something useful, that is, a multitude of purplicious Concord Grapes across the road. I immediately abandoned Chicken Hunting in favor of Grape Gathering, believing, as I do, that a grape in the hand beats two chickens in a bush any day. In less than an hour I collected just over 5 pounds of fruit which I dragged back across the road and into the kitchen to show Raj, who was appropriately impressed.
Aren't they gorgeous?
As often happens, I got distracted from my appointed task ("Oh look! A butterfly!"), although this time I was distracted by something useful, that is, a multitude of purplicious Concord Grapes across the road. I immediately abandoned Chicken Hunting in favor of Grape Gathering, believing, as I do, that a grape in the hand beats two chickens in a bush any day. In less than an hour I collected just over 5 pounds of fruit which I dragged back across the road and into the kitchen to show Raj, who was appropriately impressed.
