On friends and foraging

by June Peka

It had already been a good day, spending time with out-of-town friends at a quiet cafe, then 40 minutes and $5.00 at The Sallies opshop in Gasson Street, when, on the way home I spotted a woman raking leaves in a park. I dropped Mac off, picked up my camera and pen and paper and doubled back. Surely the council isn’t putting us seniors to work? And on weekends? Never!

Thankfully Joy Bishop didn’t send me off with a wave of her leafimpaled rake. In fact she welcomed the chance to lean on it for a chat. Filling up a few bags to stack in her little yellow wheelbarrow is what Joy does at this time of the year. She feels blessed to have this bounty a short distance from home and vegie patch. I know how she feels, because my go-to spot is Severn St, also within cooee of our own 40-year organic garden. Joy and I talk all things garden as we rake and scoop. I’m mildly puffing when all bags are full, but we hang about to natter and, as women our age do, discover mutual friends and interests. I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or proud when Joy mentions a friend of hers who has “the most amazing collection of strange and weird friends”, only to find I’m one of them.

Weeding is Joy’s bugbear. The recently retired librarian explains “ It’s just me out there, and it shows, but now I have time I will put more effort into it,” so she was interested when I told her I hadn’t done more than handplucking of the odd cheeky dandelion in nearly 40 years, following instead the Ester Deans no-dig, lasagne-style of gardening. Joy will get her garden under control quite quickly. She’s more than half way there already with her composting, foraging and collecting of manure, sea weed, and pea straw. All she needs do now is to smother the weeds with all that good stuff and her patch will be waiting for no-dig planting again in Spring.

Joy was telling me about Freecycle (how interesting, just my cup of tea) when a young couple sauntered onto the patch, watching where they put their feet while scoping the sea of leaves. Within minutes there were sounds of excitement when they spotted and plucked a large and perfect mushroom. As we all marvelled at the wonderful thing, the young woman explained it was not an every day find. It’s a porcini no less, very difficult to cultivate, preferring to establish itself in the alkaline soil under birches and beeches and yews. She and her partner might dehydrate it for another time, or spoil themselves when they get home.

Joy and I vow to learn and observe more. We have a new interest now. We’d spotted only toadstools and the eye-candy, fairy-house Fly Agaric, but now we’ll be carrying nugget bags in our pockets.

Test your crossword skills (#20523 by RVT)

CLUES: (Legend: ¶ = combo clue; * = optional cryptic clue; § = sounds like; ∞ = anagram)

Across:

1. Done (4), 5. Beckon (4), *1. & 5. ¶ Defeated or finished before you move closer (8), 7. Tempo (7), 8. Level (4), 9. Horrid (4), 10. Veritable (7), 11. Authentic (4), 13. Rent (4), 15. Moves away (5), 16. Ridge (5), 19. Irritation (4), *19. Get a tickle after erasing brief insect from termagant (4), 21. Periods (4), 23. Bake (7), 24. Silent (4), 25. Assert (4), 26. Dirigible (7), 27. Image (medical) (4), 28. Secure (4)

Down:

1. Open (5), 2. Stove (5), *2. I, to it, ran geared for shooting (5), NB: letters of answer hidden in clue, 3. Sew up (6), 4. Realise (6), 5. Shroud (5), 6. Occasion (5), 12. Recoil (5), 14. Posh (5), 17. Excitedly (6), 18. Flavour (6), *18. Add relish for time of year (6), 19. List (5), 20. Pastime (5), 21. College officials (5), 22. Deliver (5), *22. Go for an ace (5) SEE ANSWERS ON PAGE 25.

Age Concern Canterbury

Staying Safe Refresher Driving Courses

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DINNER ONLY, HOME HOSTING OPPORTUNITY

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2023

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