2008 Silver Mines Foray
Well, it was a pretty small crew this year at the Silver Mines campout and foray. Mike and I arrived late Friday afternoon and set up the usual amenities; kitchen, ( gotta cook ), pop-up canopy, ( too much sun, might rain ), screenhouse, ( too many bugs, might wanna play Quiddler while it rains ), tent, ( gotta crash sometime ), tables and chairs, ( can’t eat or play Quiddler standing up ). Anyone who knows me at all knows I can’t settle in until all the work is done, I just can’t string things out and hope I remember to do them later. Once all is in order, then it’s time to relax and have a refreshing beverage, ( of choice ), look for a shroom or two close by, have a snack, take a nap… you know, unwind. This is something very difficult for me to do however, as it seems, sometimes, the work is never done!
Where does the time go? I mean, you arrive, set up the major structures for comfort and convenience, then what? Well, that’s what I specialize in, the minutiae! If you look close enough and think far enough ahead, of course there is always something to do! Something to prepare, something to clean, something to cook, something to find to prepare, cook or clean. We must get these things done before it gets dark, ( where’s my headlamp, gotta set up the lantern ), I hate cooking and cleaning in the dark! ( did I put fresh batteries in this thing, I hope I brought enough propane ).
Then there’s the firepit to rearrange, ( dang, that’s a big spider! ), clean out, ( glad I brought that shovel, what are all these little metal rods in here? ), to make useable in order to burn the firewood that you dragged out of the woods, ( watch the poison ivy! ), into camp. ( good opportunity to scout for shrooms here ), Whew, where’s my beer?! Darn, the woods too big, gotta break it down, anyone got an axe, a saw, a big rock? ( it almost worked, didn’t it Mike! ). Man I’m getting’ hungry, time to prepare something so I can eat it and satisfy my hunger.
What’s for dinner? Cumin scented duck breasts with peach succotash, again! Oh, that’s for tomorrow. What! Roast suckling pig! Shoot, gotta dig a pit! Oh wait, that’s on next years menu, ( looking at the ‘09 planner, silly me ). That’s right, tonight it’s pan seared venison loin in apricot brandy with fennel pollen and French tarragon topped with a white port reduction sauce infused with Cointreau soaked craisins and pine nuts. Mmmmm… can’t wait, hope Mike has put the Castano Monastrell on ice to bring the temp. down a bit!
Wow, I can really go off on a tangent can’t I! Anyway, we were later joined by Dennis McMillan who made the trip from Waterloo Ill. and Stan & Bunny Martin who lived just around the corner in Fredericktown. Thanks for the fresh eggs S&B, they were great in the asparagus and mushroom frittata with asiago! I gotta tell you though, the color was a bit off, I mean, they didn’t look anything like the ones I get from Schnucks! ( inside joke, eh! ). Hey, who’s this pulling in after dark? Why it’s David and Tracy, ( soon to be the same last name ), bummer, they’ll have to set up the tent in the dark. No worries, I’ve got my million candlepower spotlight and she’s juiced up and ready to go! ( I think. Does the blinking light mean it’s charged or dead? What’s this button do, ZZZZZttttt, shoot, singed my hair! ).
Saturday dawns and after a leisurely breakfast, ( more cooking and cleaning here ), we decide to head to Amidon Springs for a bit of beautiful scenery and foraying. We had more luck finding shrooms there last year than at SM and the pink granite shut-ins and surrounding forest really are a sight to behold. Hey, isn’t that Jane in the parking lot? Wow, what a coincidence! The river was definitely up and flowing through the chutes nicely and we soon found a few species in the woods. It was mutually agreed upon to follow the trail along the river, for a while, maybe longer….. anyone know where this trail ends?! Ok, so we didn’t have a map, we can always turn around and go back the way we came….. which we did. Nobody brought swimwear and the thought of skinnydipping didn’t appeal to anyone so we headed back with our meager findings, ( too early it seems for an abundant haul ). Anyway, rain was on the horizon and Mike and I needed to stop at Wal-Mart to pick up a tarp to put over the screenhouse as I apparently forgot the rainfly for it. ( too much minutiae I guess ).
Back at camp, we were greeted by Mark & Lisa, ( back where they belong ), Jeff & Jennifer, ( boy, does he know his mushrooms! ), and Bob & Julie, ( glad you decided to come ), who had swelled our numbers in our absence. We arrived just in time to throw the newly acquired tarp over the screenhouse before it rained. ( did we even use that thing? ). Well, at least it was there just in case! Everyone huddled under tarps and canopies for the next hour or so and chatted about shrooms and chickens and whatnot.The usual political banter crept in so I again busied myself with making a sandwich and thoughts of the nights meal and whether or not the fire would stay lit.
The rain subsided, the sun came out and the fire was stoked…. time for cocktail hour! The beverage choices were plentiful, ( as usual ). There was bloody mary ala Mark, gin and tonic ala me, and of course the ever popular white wine sangria which goes down so well on hot days….and nights….and afternoons! There was also a plethora of beer and n/a drinks and maybe a bottle or two of vino. The accompanying smoked oysters on cream cheese toast points topped with Spanish capers may have been a bit over the top but man they were tasty!
Cocktail hour kinda blended into dinner and when all was eaten and cleaned up we took up stations around the fire for some much needed chill time. It must have been the digestive stupor that follows any good meal combined with heady drink that sent me off to la la land because I couldn’t tell you anything that followed as we all sat there in our chairs for the next several hours. Mike and Mark were present so there must have been singing, of some sort. Did I hear the drum? Were we telling jokes? Do we need more wood? Snnnnzzzz……..
Alrighty then, Sunday is here. Very lazy morning, late breakfast, assess the damage….. Let’s go swimming!!! What a great swimming hole down the path to the damn. We had to chase the folks fishing away but hey, there are plenty of spots to fish beside the best swimming hole around! The water was just a bit chilly at first but you got used to it pretty soon. Still too old and fat to jump off the damn like the local kids but that’s ok, did enough of that when I was a younger man at Elephant rocks and Johnson shut-ins. Hey look who it is, Patrick H. and Doris. Patrick has his ever-present hunting basket, ( with shrooms of course ), and Doris appears to have the proper footwear for once! Way to go Doris, glad you made it.
Back from swimming and after a bit more down-time Mike and I think about packing it up, he has an early holiday gig at his folks’ house in the morning. We have the site until Monday so Mark & Lisa stay along with some other folks who are just arriving, is that Rose? Patrick & Doris go off to do more hunting at another site and some others start packing up as well. Just as Mike and I arrive home we get a call from Bunny down in Fredericktown, she warns us that a huge front is headed for the SM area and we should batten down the hatches. ( she thought it was my cell # ). Being the responsible types we call Mark on his cell and give him the warning just as they hear the first rumblings. I don’t have the whole story but I hear it was quite a blow down there and luckily everyone was fine afterwards. ( I miss all the fun! )
Well, to try and bring this full circle to my beginning ramblings, I suppose that after all is said and done, I did manage to find some time to relax amidst all my concerns with the minutiae of the moment. I do cherish my time in the woods and enjoy immensely time spent with friends. I do need to learn how to let go of some things in order to appreciate the moment more but also realize the importance of a “Be Prepared” mentality. I must admit that most of my ‘camp-related’ behaviour was learned at an early age from my Father who always seemed to have just what you needed at the time stashed away in some pocket or cubbyhole in the old Vista Cruiser, making life in camp that much more bearable. I guess perhaps it could be said that I continue this tradition as a homage to him, and who doesn’t want to emulate the good qualities of dear old dad!
See you all next year!