As I approach my most reliable maitake tree – a hollowed giant, long gone but still producing – my steps slow to prolong the riveting suspense. This decaying oak let me down last year, but then again, so did my other trees ... chalk it up to a bad season. It’s only early September, and a bit drier of late, but this cool, misty morning is full of promise.

I awake to sunlight and the sound of songbirds, their melodic calls a soothing soundtrack to my coffee and scrambled eggs with ramps. Opening the window, I hear their calls amplify, intermingling with the sweet botanical aromas of spring.