There are several secret places that only I & a few other intrepid pickers know about, that will offer up a decent bounty. Spotting these inconspicuous items, is never easy, especially at the start of the season. The other name for this mushroom is 'The Penny Bun', because it resembles a small circular loaf, with a light brown top half and a mottled white, bulbous stalk.
I try to set off early in the morning, at about 7AM, so that I can get back to start work at 9AM, but often, I get lost in my thoughts as I wander through the woodland, with my eyes firmly fixed on the forest floor. For some reason, when I am searching for something that requires my full attention, thoughts that have remained resolutely anchored to the bottom of my mind, start to untether themselves and float away.
I have always thought that this, is somewhat perverse, because focusing on one activity, should make finding a resolution to another, more difficult.
But, I now realise, that having a distraction, allows the mind to breathe and provides a mechanism by which unresolvable matters can escape.
Sometimes, I even end up in a trance like state, having lost all track of time. Occasionally, I have spent several hours in the forest with no memories of what I have been doing, other than the fact that I have been collecting mushrooms. And this is only evident, by the items in my foraging basket!
The Autumn has now become a time for purging thoughts, just as the trees are shedding their leaves. It is a time for clearing out the negativity that has built up over the year. It is part of both a natural cycle and also of one that is silently being exercised within the mind.
