A Handy Stairway?

  On the stroll to the pier this morning, one of the groundsel bushes seemed a bit off.  Several of the main stalks were bare of leaves and had what appeared to be a hefty growth of oyster shells going up the side!   Nope, not oyster shells at all but a type of mushroom.  The shelf mushrooms had formed a virtual "ladder" up the tree trunk as if to give an easy escape from high tide for any faeries that may live under the pier.  I figure that is probably a good thing since we do not want our pier faeries trapped by high water!

  Actually, this is not the best news for the groundsel bush.  When this type of mushroom is seen growing on the main trunk of any tree, it is quite a dire situation for that tree.  These usually only grow on dead or dying trees. Even if they are found on a live tree, somehow that tree has been weakened to the point that it is about to die.  The mushrooms are sort of Mother Nature's cleanup crew as they slowly draw any nutrients they need from the dead tree causing it to decay much faster.  In a weird sort of way, I find that a comforting thought.  At least, the tree did not die in vain.  Life goes on in the form of the mushrooms.

  As I walked passed the small shrub, I reached out and snapped off the tip of the branch.  Yep, the bush had already died.  Happily, the other shrubs seem to be healthy and happy.  They soon will be covered with the groundsel bush beetle larvae and many other insects.  This will cause the birds of the area to go into a feeding frenzy on the bushes.  Marsh life...only for the hardy.

The Pier is Growing Hair!

  Several years ago, I found what I thought was a big tuft of black hair tucked way up under an azalea bush.  My heart sank as it was exactly the same color and texture of that of our sweet cat, Ms. Nycto.  I fretted that my poor baby had met her demise by some evil doer.  You will never know the relief I felt when Son investigated and assured me that it was not Ms. Nycto at all but rather a type of fungus.  It seems that Phycomyces Nitens grows on animal feces and does indeed look like fur.  It is easy to confuse the two when in the dark undergrowth of an azalea bush.

  Now I find there is another fungus, Phycomyces Blakesleeanus, that loves to grow on poop.  In fact, there are a whole bunch of poop-loving fungi out there!  Son, always on the lookout for interesting photography subjects for me, recently called me to the pier.  "There is a fluffy down here."  I was not sure what a fluffy was so I grabbed the camera and headed that way.  Sure enough, there was a fluffy.  In fact, there were several fluffies.  I knew that the otters have been leaving "evidence" on our pier but had not idea that it would sprout a full toupee!  This fuzz was not black like the previous stuff we had found but was rather a glistening white.  Each strand was topped with a small spore sac just waiting to pop open and reproduce!  

  I have to admit that I spent far too much time photographing otter scat with and without its hairy toupee.  Son and I had quite the conversation about the stuff which proved that mother/son bonding time can be important and that sons never really outgrow such things as talking about poop.  With the previous finding of black fuzz, he and I pondered over this "cure" for baldness...that topic came up again...of course.

On this...I shall pass for now.

  Growing up and following Granddad around as he worked, I learned many things.  He taught me woodworking when others thought I was too young, instructed me on how to properly groom a dog and made sure I knew enough edible wild plants to survive if I ever became stranded somewhere.  All of these things have come in handy over the years and I always think of how I was one fortunate youngster to have such a dutiful grandfather.  I still love to tinker in the workshop and can brush a dog with the best of them.  That wildcrafting has to be my favorite lesson, however.  Finding free food is always good...sort of....

  While out with the old dog this morning, Mark and I came across a fallen branch that was covered with a fungus called Tree Ear.  While this stuff may be rather disgusting in appearance and even more so in texture, it is edible.  No, I have not tried it since I do find it rather unappetizing in appearance and it is supposedly rather tasteless.  Still, if I ever become lost in the woods, I will feast!  This stuff is everywhere especially during rainy weather.

  Another strange thing about the Tree Ear is that, for years and years, folks believed that it had healing powers for earache.  The idea was "plants that look like body parts can be used to heal that body part."  Maybe?  An elderly lady who lived down the road from us once told me that it was great.  "Wash some Tree Ear.  Put it in hot milk and let it steep for a couple of hours. Add some garlic and soap and let sit again.  Warm it up again and then take it out and strain it.  Wrap the warm mushroom in a handkerchief and place it on your ear.  It will make the earache go away almost instantly."  Do what??  Several questions here.  Why milk?  Why garlic?  Why soap?  What kind of soap?  How does it work?  Answers...."Milk makes it sweet.  Garlic helps heal. Why not soap? Any old soap.  It just does."   She was quite adamant that this actually worked but I never even think about trying it when I get an earache.  Perhaps I should but, then again, she was a rather quirky old lady and may have just been making this up on the fly.

  The Tree Ear fungus remained on the broken branch with all of its sliminess.  Thankfully, I had no problems with my ears today so I was not inclined to follow this home remedy.  I did check and found it is edible, however...good to know...I guess.

Even Our Fungus has a Fungus!

  This has been the rainiest summer that we have had here on the Bayou in many years.  I cannot recall that in recent (and not so recent even) years ever seeing so much water pour from the sky.  Not that I am complaining....I like the rain.  It keeps me from having to water the garden as often and gives me the opportunity to work on artwork.  But, the rains are plentiful and with those rains (and the Deep South heat) comes....mushrooms!  Lots of mushrooms!  

  This morning, Mark and I took a hike to the pier.  It was another cloudy...soon to be rainy...sky above us.  We stayed just long enough to watch a rainstorm move slightly to the west of us before we headed back up the hill.  One thing we have learned about all of this rain, is that the board path stays slippery.  Our walks are much safer stepping in the soggy grass than on the almost slimy boards.  It is along that grass slope where mushrooms have sprouted in abundance.  Some of the most common are some type of orange, thick bodied mushrooms. Squirrels seem to love these things so at least they are good for something other than decorating the lawn.  

   When we were about halfway up the hill, I noticed that our usually dark orange mushrooms were sporting lovely white fur jackets.  Ok, so that needed to be investigated!  On closer inspection, I realized that our mushrooms were covered in a mold.  Mycelium had overtaken a whole group of mushrooms and gave them all fur caps even though I am not sure that the mushrooms were appreciative of the efforts.  Mycelium is a parasite on a good many wild mushrooms.  It starts and can completely cover a surface in a matter of hours.  The stuff causes soft rot and will soon consume the entire mushroom. Poor little fungi, they never had a chance!

  While it is probably not the nicest thing to have growing in the yard, I find it rather pretty, in a weird sort of way, and quite interesting.  We have fungus growing on our fungus!  Amazing!  Hot, rainy days do make for unusual finds on the Bayou.

I can see clearly now....nope, not really!

 As I age, I have found that the eyesight is something that starts to fade without warning.  I do rather fine seeing things in a distance but the vision nearby is slowing becoming quite blurry. The reading glasses that I use increasingly more each day are just not enough.  My artwork will come to a screeching halt if something is not remedied quickly. Like I said, I can see pretty good if something is at a distance. Sometimes, I need a bit of help if what I see is, say, across the Bayou or on the other side of the Bay but overall, that has not presented a problem.  It is that stuff within arm's reach that gives me trouble!

  While out roaming about behind the canebrake, I spied something white across the Bayou.  At first glance, I thought perhaps an egret was roosting in one of the old Black Gum trees but then I realized that it would be one rather squatty egret!  The thing was short and wide!  I pushed back a few limbs to get a better view and then I had to start laughing at my huge mistake.  That was no egret!  Why, that was not even a bird at all!  Once all of the obstructions were pushed aside, I could clearly see that my "bird" was none other than a large shelf mushroom.  It was protruding from the tree at about twenty-five feet in the air.  The tree had been damaged years ago by a hurricane and now the fungus was hastening its demise.  It will not be long before the tree will crash down into the Bayou and become just another thing of the past.  Most of the trees in the back of the Bayou have been damaged and will soon be falling.  New ones are already springing up to take the old ones' places but it does make me sad.  I like my trees.  Every one of them is a part of the Bayou life and will be missed.  This one is so far on the other side of the marsh that it will lay where it falls.  If it was closer, we would use it for firewood come this winter.  As it is, there will be no retrieving it.

  My thinking the fungus was an egret makes me realize that something must be done about the eyesight.  Although I could see the fungus all away across the Bayou, it made me wonder just what I was missing up close.  Would I even see a moccasin underfoot while I was staring at the beautiful sight across the marsh?   I can see (pun intended) a visit to the eye doctor in my very near future!

Basil Lovers, Beware!

I just read where a fungus is killing off the Basil crops across the country! At first glance, this highly concerned me as I use a lot of Basil. Then as I read down further into the article, it stated that the fungus was not so much a problem for large farms but more for home gardeners and small herb farms. It seems that the large farms have access to fungicides that kill this menace. Ahh, now I feel much better! The commercial farmers can spray a chemical on their plants before sending them to market..wait..do I see any problem with this? Chemical sprays and I do not get along well in the garden. I try to use only natural fungicides and insecticides in the garden as I feel all this use of chemicals cannot be good for our bodies. The article, however, goes on to state that to prevent the fungus, plant the herbs with enough room to provide good air flow. Now that makes sense and no harmful sprays will touch the plants!

While on the subject of Basil, I am "babysitting" two nice large Basil plants for my son and daughter-in-law while they are out of the state. I must say these two plants appear to be quite healthy and well tended. I only hope that I can return all of their plants in the same wonderful condition as they brought them. I believe their Basil is Sweet Basil, the beautiful green-leafed type that is bought in the produce section at the grocery store. This type Basil has a very pungent, sweet taste and is used in so many foods from chicken and fish to soups and pastas (and everything in between!). It is best to remember though, when cooking with Basil, to add it a the last moment before serving as heat will quickly destroy the flavor. It is also a favorite in herbal medicines and is claimed to have antioxidant and antiviral properties. It is used in home remedies to treat stomach ailments, respiratory problems and to reduce stress.

The only Basil that I have growing this year is Purple Basil. My Sweet Basil and Lemon Basil fell prey to the rabbits in the backyard. I have planted more seeds and I have high hopes of having an abundant crop later in the season. For now though I have the Purple. It is mixed in with the flowers because of it showy foliage. Purple Basil, like the Sweet Basil, is edible but has a much different taste. These plants were designed to create a beautiful purple leafed plant but along the way, they have lost much in the way of flavor. It is used more in salads where the color can be appreciated. This plant will run rampant in the garden but is easy to control with a bit of thinning in the spring. They seem to require a lot of water and will wilt flat during the heat of the day if left too dry. A good soaking with the hose will rejuvenate them by the evening though so do not panic if the plant appears to be dead. Soak it good and leave it..it should revive quite rapidly. Another good factor is that this plant tends to reseed itself year after year if allowed to flower. I have had the mine for at least twenty years even through droughts, freezes and Katrina's salt water floods.

Another fine quality of Basil of any sort is that tests show that it is toxic to mosquitoes! I use it as a repellent for these pests and also to kill any itch if I do get bitten. Simply rub a fresh basil leaf onto the mosquito bite and the itch is almost instantly quieted. Something that is important to know when you live on a Bayou!