Every Trip is a Foraging Trip

I just read about someone in my area who went out foraging and came home empty handed. I had to laugh because it's August, high summer, and food is everywhere you look. You can't take a step without stumbling upon food. These days, even the simplest trip turns into a foraging adventure for me - every walk, every bike ride, every stop along the road. And that's as it should be. Foraging is no longer a separate and distinct compartment in my life, it's as integrated into my daily activities as breathing. When I'm out and about, my eyes naturally scan the area for food.

Just take a look at what I saw the other day while in the mountains. In addition to the wild onions I featured, I found a wide variety of fruit, from red currants to chokecherries. And I also found the biggest reddest juiciest thimbleberries I've ever seen. These ones were fed by a drainage, and were positively plump compared to the ones I had before, and their flavor was far more berry-like as well.

I also came across what, at the time, I thought were monarch caterpillars, since they were feeding on milkweed plants. But after a little research, it seems more likely that they were milkweed tussock caterpillars. Does anyone know if they are edible? They were plentiful, but very fuzzy.

I also saw a rafter of turkeys, at least 30 of them. But by the time I ran back up the hill to take a picture, they were fleeing. If anyone is interested in seeing a blurry picture of turkeys, I'd be happy to post it (bwwwaaaaa, autofocus!). Now there's a tasty wild edible I'd love to cook up!