Lloyd 'Pete' Waters: Morels, grape jelly and funnel cakes - Herald-Mail Media

You know, the older I get, the more I yearn for the simple things in life.

Take spring, for instance.

I’ve sure been blessed over my years while growing up in a good home, with some good times, and about the best friends a man could have in the best town around.

Dargan was something very special to me with my grandparents Reno and Gen, and those neighbors were about the best any kid could have.

This time of year is always one of my favorites. When spring arrived in my youth, a sturdy stick, a big brown bag and maybe a sandwich would be gathered for my trip to the deep woods in search of noble, earthly standing little fungus statues known as morels.

Perhaps there is something quite miraculous about the tiny spores of this mysterious little creation.

It’s a delicacy fit for royalty that is practically indescribable unless you have found a few, dipped them in a beaten egg with a dusting of flour and placed them gently in a skillet for a quick swim in some hot butter before serving.

I guess what I’m really trying to say to you is that they are pretty darn tasty.

The black morels in early spring seem to have a more earthly taste, while the later gray and white ones seem much richer to the palate.

My good friend Johnny Bussard, recently departed, and his wife, Skeeter, had a fondness for a little grape jelly on their bread before layering those hot, crispy ’shrooms in between those soft, waiting slices.

I bashfully prefer them almost naked; except for the egg and flour coverings; no jam is necessary for me, but I must confess a little jelly does create a sparkle of interest.

This has been a banner year for mushrooms in South County and other nearby parts of Hancock, West Virginia, and other secret hunting grounds.

One roaming local mountaineer is said to have found almost 90 gallons. I suspect he has discovered that lower acre of heaven and the mailbox on that dirt lane might say God Almighty.

The frying of morels in a skillet always creates some smiles.

And that mention of smiles brings me to yet another little surprise from those Dargan woods.

With all the excitement and changes that have occurred in our country because of the coronavirus dilemma, there have been many surprises to be had as well.

When Nutter’s ice cream store in Sharpsburg closed recently, some thought that might be the end of the civilized world.

But not so!

On top of Lock Hill road where once stood the majestic Mad Dog Saloon and all those unforgettable stories told, there now stands a simple “funnel cake” trailer occupied by the daughter of John Ingram, once proprietor of that famous saloon.

Tammy Ingram, adorned with her handkerchief face mask, looks like Annie Oakley while turning that little circle of frying dough in hot oil.

When the frying is complete, she then sprinkles tenderly some sweet powdered sugar onto the hot cake like a mother might do with some good-smelling white powder on a newly bathed baby’s butt.

Tammy would normally be making her livelihood at carnival sites while preparing her funnel cakes and goodies for her many fans, but she is now on furlough since these events have been canceled.

Funnel cakes, candy apples and fried Oreos would be mighty scarce this year, or so many thought.

To my surprise, Tammy decided to fire up her deep electric oil wells and prepare her tasty treats locally.

And almost like the Mad Dog Saloon itself, that little spot on Lock hill, became alive once again.

Being isolated in one’s house to escape the problems of the world these days can be a complicated matter for many, but country folk always seem ready to adapt.

And where to find a funnel cake is no exception.

Social distancing and masks apply at this locale just like all those other venues trying to stay afloat in Maryland.

Those memories of Dargan in my rearview mirror become more beautiful each day as I travel down this road of life.

A brief stop at the top of this big hill to escort one of these beauties covered with sweet powdered sugar to my home of isolation is good therapy for this old Dargan boy.

From moonshine to funnel cakes, candy apples and Oreos, Dargan has come a long way in my lifetime.

Maybe one day we’ll even get around to wearing shoes; then again maybe not.

Coming home is always “Sweet”!

Lloyd “Pete” Waters is a Sharpsburg resident who writes for The Herald-Mail.