April Showers bring Morels and Ramps in May

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It was a day of wonderful energy from kids and from friends, and was comforting and inspiring. After meeting Rob in New Paltz for a light bite, a coffee from Starbucks, and a stroll along Main Street on a sunny spring day, I headed home.

The sun was low in the sky, shooting beautiful rays into the clouds. I wanted to stop and take photos, but I had left the camera in school. On my ride home the fields from the Wallkill River looked like huge lakes, and the road I traveled on had only recently been opened again. It was surreal.

I hope that it will get nice and warm and the moisture will make for a good morel season (maybe this year my ankle will be strong enough to go with my friend for a few hunts). Oh, and wild ramps. They make a wonderful substitute for leaks in a creme of potato leak soup. I find the hunt for both exhilarating, especially when it is really warm and we take her little Miata and ride with the top down, the warm air rushing through our hair. We almost always laugh.... BUT this year I will protect myself with that poison ivy guard as the last time I went I had the WORST poison ivy almost EVER.

I spent a few hours working on the studio, throwing things out, gathering things to give to my students, organizing my paints etc. Things had really gotten out of control, and the flood has forced me to make some changes. I was quite happy with old ICEHOUSE blaring, inspired by the music, my thoughts, and the materials themselves. I need to have the studio functioning for this weekend, so that I can do some work. I am getting myself psyched for painting this summer.

This is an older photo taken with my 35mm Nikon which has since seemed to be on the fritz. I still love real film, and sometimes I carry both my digital and my Pentax K1000 with me.

This is by my back porch, the clematis surrounding these sweet angel children. My yard is dotted with sculptures, and every year I find a few new things to add. I still want a gazing ball for my garden; perhaps this year I will get one to place in my concrete flower stand which always seems to kill my flowers.

Spring is here and I look forward to it infusing my veins with life.

Patti

Comments

Anonymous said…
I want to go Mushroom picking too!! Could you drop a couple in your yard and get them to take root?

Best Wishes,
Ross
12:02 AM
Patti Gibbons said…
Ah Ross, we would have to blindfold you so that you could not see where we were taking you to find them. Morels only grow in certain conditions, and most likely they don't exist in most people's yards. If I get any, I will dry some for you.
5:54 PM
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