Mushroom Memory

While Toby grilled steaks outside last night, I sautéed mushrooms in the kitchen. I never cook mushrooms without thinking of my old friend, Steve Ames. I get this mental image of Steve cooking at TRs in Red River. I picture his grin as he showed me that he put butter, garlic salt, and bits of onion in with the mushrooms while cooking them over low heat. The mushrooms are just the trigger for the memory. The real pleasure comes from thinking of Steve, his pleasant attitude, his big smile, his sense of humor, his hyperactivity, his work ethic, and his friendship. I still have a t-shirt that he brought me from Alaska that said, "Once in a Blue Moose." But it is the mushrooms that always make me wonder where he is and what he is doing.