A Mushroom Forest

Summer has given way to Fall, and Winter feels right around the corner.  Each morning I awake to a little less light, a little more dark.  The dampness is beginning to permeate the soil and the air, and I find that I am dragging my feet about going to work.  It's warm in the house and cold outside.

But I am always glad for the fresh air and glad for a job that forces me outside, even when it's cold and rainy.  The garden offers treasures to find in every season, and in the damp, cool of these Fall days, it is the mushroom forests that appear--seemingly overnight--that catch my eye.

I still haven't learned which are good for eating, so I stay away from harvesting.  But I'm hoping to someday learn this art.  First, my curiosity is endless when it comes to plants, and it pains me that I don't know the edible from the non-edible of the mushroom world.  I know most of the edible plants and berries that are native to our region, so mushrooms are the logical next frontier of knowledge for me.  But unlike most of the native plants around here, mushroom harvesting comes with danger.  Eat the wrong one and you could end up in the hospital fighting for your life.  So for now, I enjoy their sudden emergence into the Fall garden landscape, and buy the delicious local mushrooms at the grocery store.

Apple Season

My favorite season has arrived!  I love Fall for the colorful leaves, crisp evenings and abundance of fresh apples.  We live in the apple capitol of the world--or at least that is what any Washington State tourism brochure will tell you.  And any road trip through Central Washington makes it pretty clear that we grow a LOT of apples.  The climate of Central Washington, with its 300 days of sunshine and cold winters, is perfect for apple and pear orchards.  Visit the Washington Apple Country site for more information on Washington apples.

Central Washington is also a beautiful destination for a Fall trip.  Every year my family goes to Lake Wenatchee State Park, near the Bavarian-styled town of Leavenworth, for one last camping trip.  The park is nearly deserted, the air is crisp and cold, and the fall colors are spectacular.  We spend our evenings playing games at our campsite, huddled around a roaring campfire. Our days, on the other other hand, are filled with bratwurst and beer lunches at the Octoberfest celebration in Leavenworth, and hikes around Lake Wenatchee.  It's a perfect balance of too much good food, too much good beer and too much relaxing.  Definitely something to look forward to every year!

Crisp nights make for beautiful fall colors

Our trip also includes a visit to our favorite fruit stand, Prey's Fruit Barn.  The barn is filled with apples, pumpkins, pears and locally made treats.  The girls spend time at the apple sample area, tasting slices of sweet and juicy apples to help us decide which varieties to buy.  This year we bought four boxes:  one each of Jonagold, Fuji, Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp. We now get to enjoy unlimited apple eating for a few weeks, and when I get to it, homemade applesauce to eat all winter.