walk at harvest time

we did go for a walk in nature yesterday - a much called for reprieve from life in Prince George. That is the greatest thing about this town . . . in any of the 4 directions out of town, it is possible to be in some very lovely places in natural settings in very short order.

What a cozy walk. The chill of autumn we know so well is certainly in the air and walked with us through the forest near Nechako River just west of town. I wore a knitted purple sweater under my windproof jacket and huddled into its warmth. The trails were lined with bright red rose hips and high bush cranberries. The high bush cranberry bushes turn a crimson red with the first light frost, and the berries become sweeter. Just before Thanksgiving then is when the cranberries in the forest are at their best, and so it makes absolute sense to have cranberry as a side dish at the banquet dinner in thanksgiving for the harvest time of year. Sometimes thoughts of huddling together in warmth with friends, having delicious pies and warm drinks is a cozier thing than the very gathering itself. Out here, walking amidst the cranberry bushes and rose hips, thoughts of banquet dinners with loved ones become delicious and are uncomplicated still. The interpersonal nuances that will inevitably complicate the mashed potatoes and turnips do not walk here through these trees with us.

And speaking of dinners, I did have opportunity to attend a harvest (100 mile) dinner this past weekend. Much shepherd's pie was on hand some with bison meat, other with locally grown beef, but there was a lovely assortment of locally grown vegetables too. It is an exciting time of year, bustling around, bringing things in and squirreling them away into cold storage for the coming winter. Food harvesting brings one in closer touch with the earth and cycles of life and celebrating the harvest together brings us closer to community & each other.

Definitely optimal highbush cranberry picking season right now. I ate many handfuls along the trail. Mushrooms abounded on our walk yesterday. I would not dare pick any - I would leave that to my good friend Sarah deLeeuw who is actually quite the mushroom expert & quirky mushroom harvester (although she moonlights as a university prof and award-winning Canadian writer).

The walk was just what I needed. I always feel so refreshed by a walk through nature. To be in the forest puts everything back into perspective for me, makes everything ok. . . Mother Earth's healing pouch contains some beautifully simple remedies.

So here's to the harvest and the golden harvest time of year.
Please, pass the turnips.