Letters – Our Readers Write: Summer 2020

Guardian angels

In her “Editor’s Desk” in the spring issue, Signe Ball mentions that her father’s mother and infant sister were victims of the Spanish flu, as it was then called, a century ago. My mother’s mother died in the same epidemic when my mother was seven years old. Her mother was pregnant at the time. Mom had gone off to school that day, and when she came home, her mother had been taken to the hospital. Over the years, Mom would say, every so often, in a wistful way, “I never got to say goodbye …”

For years I’d been wearing her mother’s high school ring, a simple gold band with raised numbers on it – “01” with an acanthus leaf on either side. (She had graduated in 1901.) When Mom passed away at the venerable age of 98, I looked down at my grandmother’s ring and thought to myself, “She’s with her little girl again.” Now I wear Mom’s wedding ring and her mom’s ring on the same finger. My guardian angels.

So here we are 100 years later. I wonder what family lore our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be sharing 100 years from now.

Take care, all of you!
Dorothy Mazeau, Caledon East

A question of morels

In the excellent article “My Foray into Foraging” [spring’20], author Ruth Ann Pearce mentions eating morels “fresh.”

As an avid morel forager for 20 years, I would never eat these mushrooms uncooked. I’ve never tried, but that is the conventional wisdom with these delicious fungi.

A couple of years ago at a banquet at the University of British Columbia, a very talented chef was presented with fresh morels and, wanting to utilize local delicacies, put slices of raw morels in a salad that was served. Dozens of diners went to hospital. Apparently, raw morels won’t kill or seriously harm you, but they can upset the stomach.

I am not a scientist or doctor, but I do deeply respect wild mushrooms, and I am very careful with them. I would not eat raw morels myself, but cooked … yum!
Doug Koch, Mulmur

Editor’s note:

Mr. Koch is correct. Morels should not be eaten raw. By “fresh,” writer Ruth Ann Pearce meant that these delicacies taste delicious when cooked shortly after harvesting.

Moose were among the many animals that once roamed freely here before they were vanquished by European settlement, along with their forest home. Photo by Robert McCaw.

Highlighting history

I enjoyed Don Scallen’s article, “Home, Home in the Hills” [spring’20], so very much. Well done. I did not know of Carver Simpson’s diary before – or of the University of Guelph’s Rural Diary Archive [where the diary is available online]. Along with Ken Weber’s “Passing ‘The Entrance,’” Scallen’s article made the entire issue one of great content.
John Riley, Mono

Spring break

I let out a yelp of delight yesterday when I opened my post office box and saw a copy of In The Hills lying there. It truly made my day! I’m still dithering between savouring it slowly or devouring it quickly. Either way, something nice to look forward to.
Sally Drummond, Erin

What a wonderful surprise to find the spring edition lying on my driveway!
I always look forward to receiving my In The Hills, but even more so right now.
Keep safe and well.
Sharon O’Donovan, Orangeville

We hope this finds you well and not going completely crazy in your four walls! Thank goodness we are fortunate enough to live in such a beautiful place with space to breath.

We wanted to send a little note to thank you for the lovely piece in this springs issue [“Made in the Hills: Local Buys, spring’20]. We have had a wonderful response. The photos that Pete Paterson took are perfect and really show our product.

Please stay safe, stay home and we look forward to meeting you one day soon when our world is safe again.
Kim & Charlie Ann Kovach
HalfCut Candle Company, Mono Centre

Online In The Hills

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