Column | Such a swing of the mushroom gods

Last stress hit during the week. I had suggested an ear fungus excursion to my Japanese friend, which would be covered in Helsingin Sanomat. What would he think of the gray logging hole, what of its brown treasures? What kind of food would you make from them?

My friend promises to go.

It would be necessary to find a pick-up point.

Map in front and car below. Based on the map, Kerava seems to have a huge gap behind the warehouse area of ​​Inex Partners. Would there be mushrooms?

There is a boom waiting there. Authorized personnel only. Safety equipment to be used in the excavation area. I have a thing, a mushroom thing, and a piece of equipment in my backpack, a corona mask.

It would have been upsetting, the uncertainty.

There will be 150 kilometers of driving in two evenings: strawberry field, camera surveillance, power line, grassy, ​​overgrown gaps from Kirkkonummi Masala to Sipoo Box. There are also ear fungus, but only a few individuals here and there.

Don’t panic, breathe.

At the same time my friend is starting to get more and more worried messages.

Her remote work schedule is disappointing, while the man is busy with his studies. In Japan, ear fungus is considered a poisonous mushroom. That’s why my friend is not going to take her child with her. Instead of his family, he asks one or two of his friends on the trip.

He is also thinking about a small kitchen and an apartment. How do you steam? And what would you make of the mushroom?

Did I have to go introduce him to ear mushrooms as fuguas a Finnish balloon?

On Friday in the morning at 0.48 a.m. a message flashes on the phone. Schedules have failed. The mushroom trip has to be canceled. My friend is sorry.

It is okay. All right.

It’s sad, but also makes it easier. No more third night of panic at the wheel of the car. No calls to the mushroom club, no messages to social media groups. No need to find.

I’m going to yoga.

On Saturday is contacted by a familiar man from the past. He has noticed my Facebook update since the end of April. At the bottom of the pot is the harvest of the first and at the same time the only successful mushroom trip of the spring.

“You truffle pig!” the message begins.

He asks if he could go to the mushroom with me sometime.

We set a date for Sunday morning and head towards Läyliai. Stress and pressure are gone, at the bottom of my mind is a nice itch from a year ago.

Let’s stop along the way to explore an opening, another one. Someone can be found, and they are not spoiled by night frosts. Hope awakens.

Let’s turn onto a small road, continue to an even smaller one. The ground begins to rise, the fabric dries. Let’s stop, get out of the car, cross the ditch.

Beyond the ditch, the ruts of a forest machine or perhaps a tractor begin.

The basket fills up in an hour. Let’s drink coffee, eat bread. Let’s pick up the second one with a basket, the third as well. The evening is spent boiling the mushrooms, the morning freezing.

Such a week, such an end. Such a swing of the mushroom gods.

The author is HS’s local nature reporter.

Do you have any tips about nearby nature spots in Uusimaa? Send an email to [email protected]