Autumn in the mushroom forest

Spending a lot of time in nature is a natural part of Elina's life, and mushroom picking gives her a real energy boost. With a trained eye, she spots the finest chanterelles hiding under grass and moss, while the rest of us sweep past, eyes fixed on our quest for the forest's gold.

Elina explains that she became interested in mushroom picking already at the age of 6. She learned more about different mushroom varieties over time and now enjoys picking black and red-yellow chanterelles, pale hedgehog mushrooms, proud wood blewits, stone mushrooms, and of course both funnel and yellow chanterelles. The mushroom basket accompanies her to the forest already at midsummer and continues until the end of November.

It usually amounts to a couple of hundred liters of mushrooms per year, Elina explains, recalling especially the occasion when she and a friend picked 40 liters in four hours. It's good exercise to walk in the forest because it can be heavy to carry all the mushrooms home, Elina laughs.

Now you might think that mushrooms are on the menu every day at the Vilkman family's home - but apparently that's not the case... Elina is not particularly fond of eating mushrooms, but says she is learning.

On the other hand, she loves to give away mushrooms and make others happy. A nice jar of dried black trumpet mushrooms sits on the shelf for her dad's partner, and friends occasionally receive a bag of mushrooms as a gift. It's so nice with double joy: first the pleasure of finding and picking mushrooms, and then the happiness of making someone else happy.

And it's easy to understand that the joy is just as great in being out in nature. For Elina, there are many walks in the area around Rönneshytta where she lives, and the family, dogs, and friends are happy to join. We have everything here, she thinks. Lovely forests with nice trails, proximity to small lakes, and nice walking areas. It also happens that I come across wild animals such as moose, deer, tawny owl, and even squirrels, of course. It's fun.

Look, there are blackberries growing there, Elina points out and tells that the family is also self-sufficient in berries picked in the forest. And there's another chanterelle over there... and with brisk steps, Elina climbs up the sand hill and adds two nice chanterelles to the basket.

The true happiness is having a beautiful forest around the corner and capturing the autumn day on a lovely walk in the warming autumn sun.