Asparagus Hunting We Will Go

A few days ago we were out for a walk, my kids and I, and saw this car up ahead of us going really slow and weaving in and out of the ditch bank while the driver hung out the window as if he was searching for something.  Occasionally he would get out and pick something up, only to get right back in the car and continue doing the same strange activity.

We approached the car and I saw it was my somewhat scary, womanizing neighbor, Leo. I asked him what he was doing. He can be hard to understand because not only is english not his first language, but he is almost always under the heavy influence of alcohol. Leo said a few things, motioning at the ground, and I just nodded while walking past, scooting the kids along. But then he bent down and picked something up, and that's when I recognized asparagus. 

He was motioning up and down the bank, and I understood.  He was picking wild asparagus.  He told me he picked it all summer on this road. By the way, the alcohol smell was strong on the wind, so I smiled and thanked him and continued on our walk,  filing the information I had just received into my head.

Last night I decided it was time we try this fun game of asparagus hunting. We went to the same spot as Leo. We hunted and hunted. We found 6 stalks. Then another neighbor drove by and stopped. We chatted for a minute and then he leaned out the window and said "see that gravel road up there that leads to my house? Go down that road. You'll find a lot of asparagus there."

So we walked down the gravel road and at first we found nothing. Suddenly the mother load of asparagus appeared before us. It stretched clear down the road for a mile to the farmer's house. Amazing! We picked until the sun went down, which was about 10 minutes.

Now we have a new hobby.