How Time Flies

When I did my study abroad in Germany back in 1997-98, I made a great friend along the way. At first, Krista and I didn't seem to have a lot in common, but the time away from home brought us closer together, and we're, thankfully, still in touch today. We plan an annual camping trip together, usually to one of Pennsylvania's many state parks, though we missed the outing last fall, which is why it was a particularly nice to host her in Walpole over the weekend.

We took a hike up Wantastiquet on Saturday, accompanied by Andrea, our new friend, Jesse, and her dog Kaiser, a rowdy and rambunctious pit mix. The weather was cool and crisp, the path icy and hazardous at times, but we managed to make it the entire way without anyone wiping out.

Ice flows

Winter in Vermont

Krista loves New England

Candid at the top

It was quite windy and cold at the top, so we didn't linger for long. On the way down, Liz managed to drop my camera, which we didn't realize until we were in the car and ready to leave. We had about fifteen minutes of daylight left, so Liz and I jogged about a quarter of the way back up the mountain, where she found the camera lying on an icy patch. A little extra exercise never hurts!

On Sunday, we were eager to get over to the mushroom palace to try, for the second time, our hand at inoculating. There was a lot of waiting around because we had to heat 40 gallons of water, in which we would submerge a large basket of chopped straw. The straw is our substrate for the mushrooms and it must be sterilized before it's mixed with the spawn. Needless to say, this took a long time because it was about 27 degrees outside.

To kill some time, I chatted with Susan, a reporter from New Hampshire Magazine, who had stopped by with her husband to get the skinny on our business. Terra Fructi will be featured in the April issue as part of a sidebar column called "Field Notes." We talked for about 45 minutes and I answered all of the questions they had about us personally and mushrooms in general. We look forward to seeing the article, though we're just as excited about the upcoming feature-length piece that Andrea composed for the spring issue of Local Banquet, an ag/local foods publication produced by our friends Meg and Barbi. Here they are on their visit to Terra Fructi, dutifully working, as most guests do:

Removing the protective layer from the stainless table

Once the water boiled, we were able to sterilize the straw and move forward with the inoculation. We had only enough straw to fill 6 bags, but at least it was a start. And the support we got along the way was priceless. Krista helped out with various tasks and kept us positive and on track; Julia, John, and Effie came by, along with their guest Griffin, and they all contributed in one way or another. Most notably, John performed a Buddhist fertility ceremony for the mushrooms, quite possibly the most interesting thing that's happened since we started the business. All in all, the inoculation was a success. Of course, there's still the matter of the process actually yielding mushrooms. We have only a few short weeks to wait on that...

Inoculation ingredients

Liz removes the sterilized straw

Draining and cooling

John and Effie wait patiently

Liz with what will be the first bag of gray oyster mushrooms

Positivity in Ten

I have a ridiculously positive feeling about 2010.

Forgive me for being a bit narcissistic, but this is not big picture positivity; I have no idea what will happen with the economy, the wars, global climate change, or any other relevant social issue, though I hope for the best possible outcomes all around. Rather, I feel in my core that the new year is going to be very good to Liz and me. I envision us accomplishing everything we set out to do, and as we grow with the year, I see us working hard and succeeding, not only with our mushroom enterprise, but with everything else that comes our way.

2009 brought several personal highlights, namely, completing graduate school and getting the hell out of Dodge. Liz and I made major changes in our lives—changes that have already begun to pay off. And more changes that will have a positive impact on our health, happiness, and success are on the way.

We bid adieu to the past year by celebrating with friends at Boccelli's in BF. This wonderful Italian delicatessen hosted its last hoorah by serving up delicious eats and boozy delights to a cacophony of guests and assorted musicians. Surrounded by friends, we toasted the past and the future—laughing, dreaming, and ultimately welcoming 2010 with open arms.

Randy's last stand

Awesome accordian lady

Awesome accordian lady and cowbell dude

Leigha, Liz and the band

Happy New Year! May 2010 bring everything you're hoping for.

Peters Mountain

My visit home for the holidays included a lovely walk in the woods with my dad. We set out this afternoon to hike up the snowy north face of Peters Mountain, which cradles the mighty Susquehanna and provides glimpses of the rolling Pennsylvania countryside and busy transportation routes that hug the shores of the river. The few miles that we hiked were icy and spectacular, and the peak of Peters was abuzz with avian activity. We saw numerous Eastern Bluebirds, Chickadees, and even a lone Hairy Woodpecker—all unexpected rewards for reaching the top.

The Susquehanna

BBBFB at home in the hills

View from the south face

Up with the birds

Blending in

This stretch of trail, which I've ascended only once before, is part of the great Appalachian Trail. The AT is a fixture of wonderment for me, as I've long dreamt of trading the stability of a day job and cozy house for costly hiking gear and nights spent with strangers in the trail's famed lean-tos. The romance of walking from Maine to Georgia is a real draw, making it easy to overlook the tales of agony and burden on the trail told by both friends and writers. I credit Bill Bryson with nearly extinguishing my fire for hiking the AT. I'm certain that just one more read of his adventures on the trail would keep me at home for eternity. At least I can always return to Peters Mountain.

Finally!

I have been anticipating the New England winter for weeks and this afternoon brought the season's first snow. It began lightly, so lightly that it would have gone unnoticed were it not for Liz stepping out to empty the kitchen compost. I joined her in the backyard to see for myself; the soft, white specs—barely visible—floated from a distant, nebulous origin. Up to this point, Texas has gotten more snow than southern New Hampshire. As we basked in the powdery fluff, I was overwhelmed with a combination of joy and relief, and for a short moment I was able to forget the unseasonably warm 50- and 60-degree weather of the week gone by.

It astounds me that skeptics of global climate change exist. I cannot imagine what ignorance is needed to believe that spring-like December days in Vermont and simultaneous snow showers in Texas are not a sign of what's to come. Senator James Inhofe leaves for Copenhagen in a few days to crash the climate convention. I can think of no better way to let the world know that you are a brain-dead tool.

One thing that Vermont and Texas naturally have in common is plenty of sunshine during the wintertime. This is a welcomed change from Pittsburgh winters, where snow is invariably accompanied by endless overcast, murky days, and where freshly fallen snow quickly turns to shade of brown and gray slush. That being said, Liz and I look forward to trying out some winter sports. We've been shopping for snowshoes and keeping an eye our for used cross-country skis.

Here are some photos of the gorgeous, sunny, snowy day in Walpole:

Back yard garden

View from the kitchen

Pasture blanketed in snow

Fall Mountain, Take II

Sunday was absolutely gorgeous, so we seized the opportunity for a second hike up Fall Mountain—this time with friends who knew where to go. It was easy to accept their invitation, given all of the heavy, rich foods we'd been eating. The five of us ascended with laughter and lively conversation, making it seem less like exercise and more like an outdoor, roving party. And the view! Well, here, see for yourself:

Bellows Falls

Connecticut River Valley

Charming Vermont

Can you guess which one of us might be crazy?

Liz, Kathy, Sandy, Valerie

Solo project

We could hear the roar of the Connecticut bursting through the dam, and though the photos aren't detailed enough to show it, we could see numerous popular ski mountains in the distance, including Mounts Snow, Okemo, and Ascutney. Needless to say, this is bound to become one of our regular hikes.

Pierogi!

Had I been more on top of things and not in a turkey-induced daze, I would have photographed the 100 pierogi that Liz and I made out of our copious mashed potato leftovers. Western Pennsylvania is a hotbed of pierogi madness, and Pittsburgh in particular has a bevy of pierogi-makers—everyone from Polish grandmothers from the Orthodox Church to the famous McKees Rocks-based business, Pierogies Plus. It comes as no surpirse then that I've be a life-long lover of this Eastern European delight and have always intended on trying my hand at a homemade batch. There's nothing like a bountiful bowl of buttery potatoes to turn dreams into reality. We made roughly 75 potato/cheese/onion and 25 braised red cabbage pierogi. Some were given to friends, but the rest will be cooked up with sauerkraut, greens, and sausage over the coming weeks. Yum!

Turkey and All

Liz and I hosted six friends for our first potluck Thanksgiving dinner, which required preparation of only the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and sweet potato casserole. In case you haven't considered the potluck approach, please accept my ardent endorsement; potlucking is far better than spending the better part of a day cooking a mammoth meal. In addition to our culinary contributions, we feasted on greens, baked leeks, pumpkin with almond custard, cranberry sauce, spiced pears, biscuits, avocado pie, and chocolate mousse with ginger cookies and a port berry sauce (yum!). Our fete was followed by a much-needed stroll about town. I think everyone had a good time despite the fear that I said or did something out of line (did I mention the copious wine-drinking and homemade hard cider?). Either way, dinner included the best locally raised turkey we have made to date and the leftovers will be even better! Below are some photo highlights from the evening, expertly provided by the lesser-known Miss Julia Roberts:

All ready

Bringing work home

Mister Kitty will not be forgotten

Carving Contest—Round I

Round II

Round III

Andrea wins!

Julia and Janet digest

I am incredibly thankful to have shared this lovely meal with friends.