New Day 60 – Lost and Found

It’s been a long time since I blogged. But today I got the bug again, and headed out into the woods in search of mushrooms. I did not take Oliver with me as the last time I headed into the woods with him, I got lost, and we walked for several hours before I found the road again. We’d gone in a U-turn.

I did think briefly of taking my compass, but decided since I was taking a route I’d taken many times, there was no need. (You know what’s coming, don’t you.)

It’s a grey and damp day, but warm, with no real rain.

Heading out into the woods at the back of my property.

Some beautiful dead trees on the way to the stream.

I’ve found the stream, and will now follow this to the pond. No mushrooms yet.

Look at those lovely velvet rocks.

With the stream at my right, I know the pond is up ahead. Still no mushrooms—at least not the edible kind.

Here We are at Hodge Pond. It is a reassuring and beautiful sight.

Another view of the pond. This pond is in the middle of the woods, with no houses, and no people except the rare person like me and the occasional hunter.

One more view of the pond before I head off for the old logging road that will take me back home.

I’ve decided, rather than heading straight ahead to where I know the road is, I will cut through the woods at an angle. I’ll either hit the logging road, or the road it runs into. I can’t get lost because I’m surrounded by roads on three sides, and the pond on the other. Here I have run into a stone wall that is typical of NH woods—they are scattered throughout all the woods here, as this was all pasture land once.

Okay…so I’m lost. I’ve been walking for some time now—don’t recognize anything. Here’s a hunter’s old ladder. The tree platform has gone—probably rotted away along time ago. But I’m encouraged—if a hunter got in here, I can get out.

At this point I’ve stopped looking for mushrooms. I’m looking for anything that might lead me out of here. I come across boundary markers, so I start following them. But then I notice they are all over the place, and not in a straight line. Which way to go? I don’t know. Then I hear gun shots. It’s hunting season. At least I was smart enough to wear my red and yellow reflective vest. I decide to head towards the sounds of the gun.

But then I come across a straight stone wall. I think this will help me stay in a straight line. I follow it. I tell myself that even if I have to sleep in the woods for the night, I’ll be okay. But then the wall just ends. So I say a little prayer and head off in what I think might be the right direction. Then suddenly I can see what looks like an open area, in the distance. I head for that.

As I approach, I can see that it’s a body of water, but I’m so confused. I cannot think of another body of water in the direction I believed I was heading. As I draw near, I see that it’s Hodge Pond. I have been going in a big circle (or circles—for all I know.)

I decide not to be stupid this time, and I walk keeping as close to the pond as I can without getting my feet wet.

As I walk, and remember how large the pond is, I realize I’d taken my “short cut” way too soon. But I’m taking no chances this time.

After taking that last pond photo, I turned around and saw at my feet, the mushrooms I’d been hoping to find. These are Oyster mushrooms and they are delicious. I took this cluster. A little gift from Mother Earth.

These I left, to seed themselves for next year.

At the bottom of the tree was this little fairy house. I knocked, but no one seemed to be home.

And there’s the road—between those two stone walls.

I’m heading home.

Read Full Post »