Some 23 odd years ago a good friend introduced me to morel hunting. You go out into the woods, look around a while, and hope you find some mushrooms. More often than not we came up empty-handed, but it was so much fun when we scored. It was like finding treasure amongst the trees. And the taste... ooh, the taste. Crispy, Nutty, buttery goodness. If you have never had them then you just don't know, and I can't describe them properly. Suffice to say that there is nothing quite like a lightly breaded and fried-in-butter Morel.
In fact, looking back on it all, it's hard to say which I preferred more, finding them or eating them. Because for me the two always went hand-in-hand. And to this day I have never eaten any without having found them first.
For several years we were avid hunters. We noted the change in seasons, the amount of rainfall, the severity of the winters, all in an attempt to make some magical connection that would lead us to another big score. Ultimately, though, what we found was that we could never predict things worth a damn. Those freakin' mushrooms would pop up in places and at times when we weren't even looking, and often fail to surface in the same soil that had them in abundance the years before.
Such are the trials of Morel hunting in Arkansas.
Eventually my friend moved to Tennessee, I moved to south to Little Rock, and Morels became a fond memory of times past. I'd still think about them when the season rolled around (March to June in Arkansas... dependent on where in the state you were looking) and I always kept my eyes peeled for them when I was out, but it's been a long time since I made a concerted effort to find them. Not surprisingly, then, its been a great many years since I have tasted them.
The other night I happened to sitting around chatting with my Daughter when we caught a show on the Travel Channel about hunting Morels. She has never been, so this is the year I begin searching again.
And the image... well, this is one of the places I plan to look. Though it was taken years ago and I have never seen a Morel in there, it's all about the timing. And luck. Lots and lots of luck.
3 comments:
I love the story behind the image and the thought that you will take your daughter with you and make a lasting memory. Very nice do take the camera with you both perhaps you both can capture the mushroom you find sharing yet another special moment. I hope you do make time to go with her she will remember it for all time. NICE
Downside... it's oversharpened on my screen. Upside.. how the hell can you see things like this? I just do not sense amazing compositions that defy symmetry and most rules of composition. There's no way to teach this is there Michael? It so clean, so complex, yet simple.
Even without your story the image commumicates comfort and happiness. It's a place I'd like to be.
Thanks...
Yes, I love this image and Ted is right. It is an amazing composition. I try some like that myself at times, and I remember having tried in response to certain images of your's. What is it for you? For me it is about balance. 470 - This Is The Place is such an attempt and there are more. I love these images, because they are so unspectacular :)
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