Something Other Than A Pretty Face

   I admit that mycology is not my strong point.  In fact, I do not trust my identifying skills of mushrooms any more than I do a cottonmouth in the marsh.  There is just too much that could go wrong.  Oh, I can name a few of the stinkhorns merely by their stench but I leave the others to the experts.  This is probably a throwback to my childhood days when Pop would tell me to never eat a mushroom that I found.  So...I never have eaten a mushroom that I found.  Never.  Now I find that foraging for mushrooms has been and is now a rapidly growing hobby for many folks.  I admire them.  I purely admire those brave, knowledgeable folks.  I stand in awe of those who can confidently identify one from another.  My interest in the fungi is merely from a photographer's standpoint.  They are pretty, interesting and easy targets for the camera.

  I have a friend who is highly interested in learning this fine art.  This beautiful, young lady has taken to studying the mushrooms and even teaching her young daughters which are safe to eat.  So it was a no-brainer for me to ask her the name of a clump of mushrooms that I found growing in the yard.  They were pretty.  They were yellow.  Something ate them...not me.  That was about as far as I got with my idea of what they were.  Amy, on the other hand, told me that they were chanterelles...but "ask an expert before eating them!" she carefully added.  Then, she proceeded to recommend a group on social media that was full of these fine folk.  So...I posted my photo.  Amy was correct and urged me to grab my mushrooms and eat them.  Well, the torrential rains made that an undesirable quest for an old lady but I promised to look for more once there was a break in the weather.  Once collected...I shall try them since all these experts assured me they are, not only safe, but delicious.

  To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised at the genuine niceness of everyone in the mushroom identification group.  They honestly seemed to appreciate my request and, also, showed great interest in my pretty, yellow mushrooms.  Some went so far as to inform me how to prepare them and actually urged me to share more photographs.  That...I can do.  That...is what interests me.  So, I shall continue to photograph the Bayou and share with those who are keen on seeing it.  Thank you, Amy!  You have started something.  Always keep learning, folks.  Always keep learning.