Jeff's random thought of the day....

[JeffinNZ]

Autumn, or Fall, as our American cousins like to refer to it. Traditionally the first signals of the downhill slide into winter. Winter is not a season I care a great deal for. The highly rationed hours of daylight I find annoying as I still have as much to do out of doors but can't see any of the chores once I get home from work. All the more to cram into an already busy weekend. Autumn however I have a new found respect for.

Two of the things that now please me about autumn are the colours and bounty of wild harvests available.

Walnuts as in season presently. Not more than 300 yards from my office is a walnut tree and it would appear I am the only solitary soul that knows about. I do rather enjoy a walnut and have been snacking all day. Good for those of us with high cholesterol too.

Pears. Also in season and appearing in the fruit delivery that my corporate master has delivered to us on a Monday. Pears rock in my opinion and I know of a couple of trees on public land I will soon be visiting.

It's sure is nice to be able to walk around the office boosting about my 'nut's and complimenting the ladies on a 'lovely pear (pair?)......

I want to touch on the colours of Autumn also. Not just leaves. I have been running in the forest a bit lately. Though the forest is, for the most part, evergreen coniferous flora, and as such immune to the leaf striping claws of autumn, there abounds large numbers of mushrooms at this time and the oranges and reds are just spectacular. Personally I care not for fungi in the culinary sense and whether or not the varieties are edible I can not say but the sight of them is a visual symphony. My 35mm SLR camera has been dusted off and I am off to the forest for photo taking soon. Possibly not whilst running however.

Briefly, another note on our Autumn is the settled, mild weather. Our seasons and have moved somewhat and summer is later than it used to be or possibly just not as nice. Autumn is a time of year we can now bargain on for a decent spell of weather. Thanks to Al Gore I suspect.

Thus endith today's random thoughts.

[MBTcustom]

Fantastic thoughts Jeff, and I agree totally.
In my neck of the woods its the smell of wood fires, gunfire in the distance, and an exciting feeling knowing that the rut will soon be in full swing.
Its the smell of a bowstring, black powder, gun oil and scentaway spray, all mixed together in one glorious mess.
Then there's the smell of piles of oak leaves, burnt to a crisp by the hot Arkansas summer.
Time to put the boat up and winterize the motor, store the trot lines and bust out the steel traps.
Wonderful notions Jeff, but why thoughts like this on the cusp of a great spring?

[Reload3006]

while i do not know anything about the edible fungi in NZ I absolutely love Morels and Chorals that grow wild here in the states .. I highly recommend Fungi for eating. Ditto the fall bounty of domestic and wild fruits.

[white eagle]

Autumn or Fall as it is called
rushes the senses with the smell of decay and
life bringing rut what a glorious time to be

[RayinNH]

Wonderful notions Jeff, but why thoughts like this on the cusp of a great spring?

Tim,while we have just started spring, In Jeff's part of the world they have just entered fall or autumn...Ray

[quilbilly]

Fresh venison steaks on the grill, fresh chantrelle mushrooms picked in the deep woods minutes before sauteeing in butter and olive oil, and red vine maples from the deck. fall on th Olympic Peninsula

[starmac]

I have to go with Jeff on the mushrooms. I have tried them every way I can imagine, and can tolerate fried ones, they are just not something I have a taste for.

[Echo]

Way to go, Jeff. We are getting nicely into spring, with temps getting in to the 80's, and the AC getting more use. I have 13 (!) barrel cacti in my back yard, and they will be blooming in a couple of months - the hedgehog cacti have already started, and the aloes are blooming nicely. Wonderful how nature has the flora bloom in sequence, so as not to create competition among the seed-distributers. The fruitless mulberry tree is sprouting leaves. The world is coming back alive - in the desert.

[DLCTEX]

I have always liked spring better than Fall/autumn until this year. The tree pollen has been off the chart and is early. My allergies are giving me fits and are limiting my ability to be outdoors. This too shall pass. It took a second for me to realize why you were referring to Autumn now, but it is Autumn now down there. LOL

[firefly1957]

Thank you Jeff I am on the other side spring has sprung early here we had a week of summer now it is cool but above average for the date. Things are greening up the birds are mating and the #@%& pole cats are back yard stinking again!!! First one of the year was blasted at 5:30 am

[starmac]

LOL it warmed up here today and the white stuff is getting wet and heavy. I watched 3 feet of snow slide off the roof of the shop across the street this evening. If someone had been standing there, they would have been buried. lol

[missionary5155]

Howdy Jeff
The mountain village I get to on Tuesday has pears.. Find yourself an apple tree and try a mix of 50/50 apple sauce with pears. Pear cobbler is a tasty treat also. We live at 17º south so we have little season change plus being a desert there just are no trees. But the cactus flowers are in full bloom being at the end of our rainy season.
Mike in Peru

[44man]

It is a crazy spring here in the eastern panhandle of WV. Way too warm and we need rain badly but I had to cut grass already, twice in the dog pen. Weed whacking drives me nuts too.
I went out yesterday and found 2 morels, about a month too early so it will mean more walking this spring. They felt a little dry from dry ground.
The yard has been taken over by chick weed but it is green! 2 acres so weed and feed is out. I told the wife we should let the yard go to woods but trees I plant always die and the ones that live grow in gutters from the box elder and maple trees dropping seeds. Looks crazy to see trees growing from down spouts!
One thing about morels, dehydrate them, it makes them taste better. Use milk or half and half with water to bring them back and use the liquid in the recipe. They last for years if dried too, better then eating them fresh all at once. The best thing ever is to grab a handful for squirrel or venison.

[leadman]

Spring is in full bloom here in the southwest. Mullberry trees and citrus are blooming and causing me no end to the runny nose and itchy eyes. The upside is when the mullberries bloom and drop the pods the spring fishing is fantastic.
Wife and I have been fishing at a lake north of town and staying in the motorhome several days at a time. To say our freezer is getting full is good news to us. Hurt my knee about a year ago and did not get to the lake for a year so it is nice to be out again.
My nephew is still in NZ and sending some wonderful pictures of the places he and his girlfriend are visiting. He invited me and my wife over there but finanices won't allow it yet.

[troy_mclure]

unfortunately here in south louisiana we have no fall or spring, just a blending of summer and faux-winter. i miss the midwest seasons.

[WARD O]

Having 9 healthy, prolific, squirrel attracting, walnut trees in my yard - what do you do with them to make them a tasty snack??

Is it just a matter of fighting your way through the thick staining outter husk and then cracking the shell and eating???

ward

[JeffinNZ]

Having 9 healthy, prolific, squirrel attracting, walnut trees in my yard - what do you do with them to make them a tasty snack??

Is it just a matter of fighting your way through the thick staining outter husk and then cracking the shell and eating???

ward

The nuts or the squirrels? :kidding:

Ideally the nuts will have popped out of the husks and be lying on the ground clean and dry.