Prospecting For Gold

Day 344: I did my tasks first. I baked a loaf of sourdough bread. I sewed up 15 more bat bags (and ran out of ties). I balanced my checkbook and made some important calls. And when I was all done, I said, "I'm going prospecting for gold!" I'd seen three chanterelles in the Longmire area a few days ago, but they were very small so I left them to grow. Afternoon rain had kept me from checking my usual spot that same day and then other duties kept me out of the forest over the weekend.

Driving up the road today, I saw quite a few cars parked in all the customary areas, so I was hoping I hadn't dallied too long. I needn't have worried. The buttons were just beginning to emerge on my favourite hillside. I found a few larger specimens and was almost satisfied with my haul and thought I might check another location in the hopes of finding enough for a second fry-up, but only found one before I saw one of the Park's law enforcement vehicles pull up beside my car. I was sure no new regulations had been put in place, so I was puzzled when I saw the LE walk around my car, peering into the windows. I was back a bit in the woods, so I hustled to clamber over a series of fallen logs to get within hollering distance and then shouted, "I see you, Joe Spillane! Don't tell me I can't park there!" Joe looked up, as did the second LE who I hadn't previously noticed. Jeepers, had I done something wrong?

Turns out they were making a routine check and hadn't realized it was my car, but yes, they were looking for people illegally harvesting. Mushroomers are limited to one gallon of edible fungi per day, but people who pick and sell to commercial gatherers often come into the Park and take far more than their allotment. Joe asked me how I'd fared. I opened my little bag and showed him the solitary chanterelle in the bottom. "But I have more in the car. This was my second stop," I assured him. "I have enough for dinner." I'm glad to see that they're on the ball even if they did give me a bit of a scare!