What does mushroom hunting have to do with EWB?

Beutiful Boletus specimen

Karie and I are avid mushroom hunters. I introduced her to Mushroom hunting at this time last year; it was our first date ever. We picked boletus and had a picnic in the park afterward. On our next date we made homemade raviolis using the wild mushroom as stuffing.  But that’s another story all together.

Tango the fearless female dog

Now she is passionate about mushrooms. Last year, for the Boletus season, we went every second day or so to the park, I few minute drive from our house.  We would bring Tango and just enjoyed walking in the woods and getting some fresh air.  It may not seem like much to most people but it is a little passion that we both share an enjoy spending time with each other. Every hike we do we always involves looking out for new picking grounds and trying to identify new species. Last fall we took a trip on Vancouver Island and had a guided tour of Chanterelle picking.

You can imagine that she has been bummed out by me going away for the later part of the summer.

We didn’t expect to be able to pick Boletus together. Usually the season starts the first week of July in our regular picking ground. With all the rain and the sudden warm weather we decided to give it a try. So last night we packed a picnic basket and Tango and headed to our favourite spot, the one I took her last year.

We were pleasantly surprised with a good harvest considering how early it is in the season.  And of course we had our little picnic with a chilled glass of white wine…

What does this have to do with EWB?

It has a lot to do with me going away for a 6 months placement with EWB and Karie staying behind holding on the fort.  I am leaving her with a full house.  It was great that we could experience this once before I go. The past few months have been too busy to enjoy the many “fun things” that we usually do, we haven’t enjoyed them as much or as often.  It has been challenging to get to the start line and it’s nearing fast but there is a very long way to go and at the very least we can say that we didn’t miss the Boletus season.

Finding those few mushroom at the last minute reminded us of those little things that make our life fulfilling; our crazy culinary experiments, archery, camping on the crown land, hiking with a rifle (some call it hunting). That is what I am leaving behind for a while but this also what I am coming back to.