A Walk in the (Ohio) Woods

I live on a hundred acres, in the middle of nowhere. There are dozens of hummingbirds that come to the garden everyday... We can go hunt for mushrooms, salamanders, whatever! You should bring your family out sometime!



It was that easy. An invitation, from a prolific writer (with four NEW books coming out this next month), who I had just met a day before.  Michael is an easy guy to meet. No ego, no agent, no fluff. He means what he says, as we quickly found out when we found ourselves driving up the gravel road, meandering through the wooded hills of south eastern Ohio.



Nor was he making up the mushroom, salamander, and the hummingbird bit. Accompanied by some four legged friends around a small pond, we slowly made our way through the woods, finding fungi, and critters, and a very scary looking tree.



Michael is knowledgeable about mushrooms: which one is good for eating, and which ones will kill you. We found several oyster mushrooms, puff-balls, and chicken-of-the-woods, among others. The host promised a sample of our find during what was turning into quite a late summer's feast.


Thorny Honeylocust



And a feast we had: alfresco, multiple courses, with a few hummingbirds buzzing about.



Thanks again, Michael, for a fabulous time on the hundred acre woods. We didn't see Pooh, or Piglet, or any of their friends. But we did have two very happy children who are already looking forward to their next visit to the enchanted forest full of discoveries.