First foray report

Pick me! Pick me!!! - Erm, no.

As planned, on Saturday I set out to the forest to check if the first chanterelles were ready to sprout. It was the finest day of the year so far - +18° and not a cloud in the sky. Which did not prevent me from stashing a waterproof jacket into my backpack. I have serious trust issues with Scottish weather.

As it happened, this precaution proved to be unnecessary today, and the walk was pleasant throughout. But for one thing: the photo on the right represents the entire fungal presence I've encountered. Obviously, there have not been enough warm days for fruit bodies to form.

Wild strawberries - very tasty, if you
have the patience to pick them.
It takes ages!

One crumb of comfort was finding wild strawberries in full bloom, and it looks like there will be a decent crop this year. Some people collect the flowers to make scented tea, but I prefer berries, so left them be for now. Also, did not want to go too far into the undergrowth since I wasn't wearing any tick repellent.

So, was the trip a complete flop? Not quite. Realising that there's nothing to be had in the forest, I decided to look for mushrooms in a different habitat, aka the supermarket. And was it worth my while? Come back tomorrow to find out!