Faerie House? Gnome Home? Just A Stinky Mushroom?

  Since I am back to being Queen of the Small Gardens instead of the Swamp Queen, I search for things to occupy the brain all within my realm.  This is getting exceedingly difficult since my realm now is quite small and devoid of the usual massive "rainforest" type plants.  Those perished with the winter freezes due to insufficient heat in the greenhouse.  (Never trust that flood lights can replace heat lamps.  They are not the same...but I used what I had on hand.)  That being the situation, I now have to search high and low for things to entertain myself.  As I slowly meandered the garden path, I felt depersonalized.  It almost seemed as if I did not belong here.  This was one of the first times ever that I overlooked what I told others to actually "see".  Something was just not right.  I entered the fenced vegetable plot that was usually filled with cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower heads just waiting to be harvested.  The rows sat empty....and sad.  Ok, so this was not helping my mood at all!  Everything needed to be fixed starting with my attitude!  That decided, I was determined to find that overlooked point of interest and, with it, rid myself of this almost feeling of self-pity!  Nope, that was not going to take hold and linger long.  It had to be remedied and fast!  I searched for that one elusive element that would set things right.

  That diversion came in the form of the lowly Clathrus Columnatus which is commonly known as a type of stinkhorn.  Yep.  One of those stinky mushrooms that most folks detest.  I admit to them not being a favorite of mine but this one bemused me.  I had found something that started the wheels of the brain to start a slow whir.  There was something about this stinkhorn that looked vaguely familiar.  I had to dig deep into the dusty corners of the mind...back behind the cobwebs and dust bunnies...to stumble upon a recollection of where I had encountered anything that triggered a slight memory of resemblance.  Then it hit me.  Way back in the day when I was a tot (eons ago), my Aunt Helen spent hours with me making faerie houses and gnome homes.  She had me convinced that these beings were real and lived among us all while unseen.  (I still kinda/sorta believe!)  We would create fantastical little houses from whatever was on hand and make pretty gardens of mosses, tiny flowers and pebbles to complete the perfect faerie/gnome paradise.  My found mushroom reminded me of those happiest of times spent in nature with a favorite aunt.  It was marvelous!  I could literally feel my doldrums being lifted and my spirits starting to soar again.  The Queen is back even if she has a smaller realm.  Let the imagination fly and let the kingdom flourish with magical and whimsical moments of joy and peace.

Seeking Shade

   We are sweltering here on the Bayou just like most of the rest of the Deep South.  When the temperatures rise to the triple digits in the morning, it is time to seek out coolness where you can find it.  Most folks say to "Stay indoors!"  I cannot.  There will soon come a time when I can no longer roam the property in search of magical sights so I try to cram every bit of nature into my day while I can.  Doing my indoor chores before the sun rises and then the outdoor chores before the heat slams me, I am pretty much left to my own whims by midday.  Then, I seek out the shade where I find it so as to while away the hours in a wonderland of beauty.

  Earlier, I slipped down behind the canebrake to check on a small turtle that had gotten itself in quite a predicament yesterday. As turtles are known to do, this one had rooted around in a boggy area enough to entrap itself.  The poor thing was stuck without an exit.  So, it was up to me to gently shove the poor critter from the muck with a broken cane.  Once free, the turtle seemed mighty grateful but was a bit slow-moving...even for a turtle.  Today, the critter could not be found so I am assuming it finally came to its senses and headed for the underbrush.  Since I was this far down, I figured I may as well nose around a bit.  At the base of an old live oak tree, I found the perfect "fairyland" of enchantment.  Between a few rogue sprigs of old asparagus ferns and the twists and turns of a trumpet vine was an adorable mushroom.  It was no more than two inches tall and had most velvety red cap.  Obviously, the snails had thought the mushroom was perfect, as well, as something had nibbled on it just a bit.  Still, the sight was enough to bring a smile and cause me to linger for a bit under the umbrella shade of the oak limbs.  

  This, my friends, is what I consider the perfect way to escape the heat and the confines of the Little Bayou House.  While I adore my little home, slipping away into a magical world of nature is the perfect diversion.

Big, Fat Mushroom!

   For the past couple of years, I have been good at doing the isolation thing.  First, it was to be the two weeks.  That spread (at the advice of my doctor) to "a couple of months".  Then before I knew it, that year rolled around and I was still here by myself.  Well, sad to say, it has now become a habit...a daily ritual of sorts to make my rounds of the Bayou and surrounding area and go nowhere else.  My entire world revolves around these nigh on nine acres.  It is a small world for many but it is what my world consists of nowadays and has been for the past two and a half years.

  It is on those early morning hikes that I do my "pondering".  Along the pathways, something will pop up that jogs a memory or simply provokes a good "thinking".  This morning, I came across a lone mushroom sitting out in the middle of nowhere.  Right smack dab in the middle of a grassy space, a big, fat mushroom tilted its head southward as if watching the waters of the Bay.  Hmmm...well.  Maybe that was a hint.  Perhaps I am like that solitary mushroom and should sit and watch the tides roll in and out. 

  Solitude is replenishing.  It is good for the soul.  With it, you become truly aware of yourself and your surroundings.  Take it or leave it...that is where I am at this point.  So...I sat and watched the Bay.

Thriving between a rock and a hard place.

   Early this afternoon, it was quite evident that the north wind has dried things a good bit.  The garden needed watering so I set out with the hose.  Well, one thing led to another and I wound up even watering the pathetic looking herbs.  They have all seen better days as they are waning.  But...I watered.  While watering the herbs, a bright red mushroom caught my attention.  It had grown between the bricks of the front steps and actually looked quite healthy.  I pondered how in the world that poor, little thing found enough nutrients to, not only survive, but thrive!  

  That pondering got me to sort of comparing that mushroom to the fine fix this nation has gotten itself into.  The powers that be are shooting prices out the ceiling with nothing more than indecisions and fighting among themselves.  Our ancestors are probably shaking their heads at the weakness we are showing the world.  Like that mushroom, we are now between a rock and a hard place and it is only going to get worse.  Also, like that mushroom, we need to make the best of it and survive....literally thrive.  It can be done with ingenuity and hard work but most are not willing to go that route....this already shows.

  Folks, get ready.  Things are going to get worse before they get any better.  That pendulum has to hit rock bottom before it starts making that upswing again.  I can only hope that everyone is heeding the warnings and taking some proactive steps.  Otherwise, there are going to be a lot of folks not making it out of that rock and a hard place.  They will be stuck.  

Mushroom Eggs

   When I was a small child back on the farm, I heard folks talking about "mushroom eggs".  We were often told to "make sure to get the egg" when we were ridding a garden of the mushrooms.  Mostly, we were on the lookout for "Devil's Toadstools" or stinkhorns.  Mom hated those things so if any started popping up in the gardens, she assigned the younger kids to the job of getting rid of them.  As a kid, this was a bit confusing but, hey, I accepted that mushrooms were like chickens and they came from eggs.  I knew that chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese all laid eggs so why couldn't mushrooms?  Plus, we had proof!  While grubbling around under the mulch to pull the toadstools, we were sure to find lots of the white, round "eggs".  

  Well, a long time has passed since then and I have not thought too much about mushroom eggs until a nephew made reference to them.  It seems that it was his task to get the toadstools and their "eggs" from his grandmother's gardens.  I related the story about my childhood task and he and I giggled over the ongoing "kid chore".  After that, the mushroom eggs were promptly forgotten until today.  Back behind the grape arbor, there was a perfect specimen of a mushroom with the "egg" still attached!  No, this was not a stinkhorn but a mushroom that a squirrel had obviously upended.  The egg being the part that is normally underground...the root, so to speak.

  A thought came to me as I sat staring at the upended mushroom.  Did other folks call these things "eggs" and were other kids given the chore of sifting through mulch to find and discard the eggs?  Was this something that was strictly a family thing?   Don't even try "Googling" it as all you will find are 163,000,000 (no lie) recipes for scrambled eggs with mushrooms and, honestly, that does not even sound too tasty to me unless you also throw in some onion, peppers and cheese.

  

A Little Help From Mother Nature

  I have to admit that if someone or something ever wishes to step in and do a bit of yard work around here, I am all up and down appreciative!  Keeping up with the housework and the nigh on five acres (I do not do the woods) of yard work, is a full time job.  Sometimes it is strenuous while other times it is merely relaxing.  Cutting grass is relaxing even though I push a lawnmower for about five hours straight.  Digging out the Puddle Pond and gutter drain is strenuous.  (Digging the small pond was today's chore.  Digging the gravel drain (47 ft) is tomorrow's.)  Good thing about all this hard work, is that it gives plenty of exercise for an old lady and, then when it is complete, it gives a fine sense of satisfaction.

  One thing that I am thankfully NOT having to do is dig out a large oak stump that sits in the east garden.  I should have done this several years ago when the tree was cut but...it is still there. Now, I find that my procrastination is paying off big time!  I shall not have to struggle with the shovel!  The stump is being removed for me.  Oh, how I adore helping hands!

  Mother Nature has decided that I was moving a tad too slow with the stump removal so she has stepped in to help me.  This morning, I noticed that several large mushrooms growing on the roots and side of the oak tree remnants.  These mushrooms are helping to decay the wood so it will not be long before the stump is gone!   Ahh, yes!  The help is appreciated no matter from where or how it comes.  This is one less task for me to do.  Now...pardon me while I go shovel gravel.  The struggle is real.

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.

Hunting for Magic!

  I have often said that the Bayou is a magical place full of mystical beings.  While this may fully be due to my wild imagination, one cannot help but believe that there are a lot of unseen entities dwelling among the palmettos, hiding beneath the ferns and playing in the creek bottom.  Back before the old dog became incapacitated, he and I would wander aimlessly in search of the magic.  We often found it.  Somewhere deep in the woods, a feeling would surround us then, invariably, a presence could be felt.  Usually, a critter of some sort would be found hiding among the leaves or staring down from the treetops.  Whether these critters were magical to others remains to be seen but they were (and still are) to me. 

  Now that Mr. PJ has fallen too weak to hike, he and I spend more time inside.  His days are spent napping on his bed and I piddle about making clue hunt props.  The old dog's health and happiness have taken precedence over my hikes.  Still, I occasionally get to slip out the back door when he is in a deep sleep.  It is then that I continue my search for magical beings!  

  Down behind the old pump shed, the new path twists and turns beneath some huge magnolia trees.  Their thick canopy pretty much blocks out the sunlight and gives the path an almost ominous flare.  It was here that I found the tiny mushroom that just begged for some elfin creature to dance upon its cap.  I photographed the mushroom but never once laid eyes upon the elf!  Perhaps, later in the week, another hike will prove more productive!  

  Now before you think I have flipped my lid, my magical creatures are merely whatever happens to be found on the short hikes.  It matters not if it is a tiny mouse nibbling the mushroom or the wily bobcat slinking beneath the ferns in hopes of catching a rabbit.  Being in their presence is enthralling so...magical creatures they are.  Right now, I can use all the magic I can find.

Not A Mycologist

  With all of the rainy weather we have had this summer, there are some pretty funky looking mushrooms growing about the yard.  One expects that.  Let there be some type organic material (mulch, leaf litter, dirt, whatever), a bit of moisture and some heat and you have fungi.  Some of these mushrooms look pretty but are dangerous.  Some have a not so nice appearance but are supposedly edible.  There are also some that are just downright strange.

  One such strange mushroom decided to grow in an equally strange place.  Mark and Son have been doing a lot of work on the house and have left the scaffolding in place so they do not have to lug it out every day.  It was on that scaffolding that a weird little mushroom decided to grow.  While the innocuous looking little thing may seem innocent, it is eating the scaffolding board.  Uh, oh!  Say what?  Yep.  Mushrooms and fungi are sort of like garbage disposals.  They decompose organic materials.  The presence of this mushroom probably means that the board is starting to decompose or rot.  This is not good when you consider that two men will be standing on that scaffolding board.  Now consider that there is not a lot that can be done to remedy the situation as the spores have already infiltrated the wood.  There is to be a mushroom garden riding high above the ground on the scaffolding.

  I am no mycologist by far.  I can recognize a very few different types and know enough to not carelessly handle unknown mushrooms.  That is about it.  So....I tried to look up about this strange mushroom.  Since I needed a description, I figure color would be a start.  I looked up "black topped mushroom" and was immediately bombarded with stories of mushrooms pushing through asphalt.  Not quite what I wanted.  So...I tried again with "mushroom with black cap" and received dozens of sets of instructions on how to crochet a mushroom shaped cap.  Again, not what I had in mind.  After several tries, I found an image that was almost an exact copy but the mushroom grew in the Guadalupe Mountains.  No where did it say that it could be found here and, imagine this, it was called a "Blacktop Mushroom".  Well, duh!  I knew that!  Sort of.  Anyway, I still am no closer to identifying our scaffolding mushroom than I was when I found it.  That said, I will leave it be and definitely NOT have it for supper.  

Floods, 'shrooms and old dogs

  Mississippi is flooding!  Most of the middle and southern part of the state seems to have acquired enough rain to fill our rivers and creeks to over flood stage. They are spilling out of their banks and turning the once dry land into one big lake.  Houses are under, camp grounds are under, railroad tracks are undermined causing derailments and major highways seemingly just plain do not exist anymore.  While all of this is happening around us, being on the Bayou has actually helped us.  The copious amounts of rainfall did not harm our hillside in any way, shape or form.  The water simply ran down the hill and into the Bayou and Bay.  We may be the target of tidal surges with hurricanes but rainfall fueled flooding is not a worry.  My heart breaks for those targeted by the storms, however, and will step up to help in any way.

  All of this rain has made me a bit more cautious as I am out and about with the old dog.   As with any dog, Mr. PJ has a tendency to sniff and taste just about anything in his path and that includes mushrooms.  The rains caused mushrooms to pop out overnight so this morning, I had to be vigilant in my watch over him.  He definitely does not need to take a nip of a poisonous 'shroom!  

  These mushrooms almost seemed to "glow" in the darkness of the early morn.  The heavily overcast skies kept it dark until mid morning.  This was especially noticeable at daybreak when I ushered the old dog out the door for his morning business.  As I wandered around behind the dog on mushroom watch, I noticed bright white blobs in the distance.  Yep, it was time to steer Mr. PJ in the opposite direction!  I am not up on my fungi so deciphering which are toxic and which are safe is not a strong point and not something I trust myself in doing.  Avoiding a potential harmful situation is the best way I know how to handle it.  I do have to admit that the mushrooms were quite pretty, however, in their own 'shroomy way.

Questions All Answered

  With the hikes being cut short for a while, I have to find points of interest in a small area of the yard.  While the old dog rests, I can get up close and personal with whatever is in the nearby (approximately ten ft in diameter) circle of "wilderness".  If I get further away, Mr. PJ panics so I tend to talk to him while exploring the mini world around me.  This morning, that world was drippy as a heavy fog had settled in from the Bay.

  Just as I was about to think there was nothing to pique the interest, a lovely, white mushroom was spied.  Ok!  Now there is a thing of beauty and right beneath my feet!  Not fretting over wet knees, I knelt to get a good look at the mushroom.  Hmmm, I am definitely not a mycologist so I had no idea if this was one of those "bad" mushrooms or not.  Better be on the safe side and not fiddle with it too much.  So, I photographed it and pondered a few questions.  One....is there a difference between a toadstool and a mushroom?  Seriously now.  A toadstool has a much more imaginative name.  Think about it...toadstool...toad (as in frog) and stool (as in bench).  Cute name but, to be honest, I have never seen a toad (nor a frog) sitting atop a mushroom.  I saw a grasshopper sitting on one once but never a toad.  Perhaps the name is a lot like that of frogs and toads whereas all toads are frogs but all frogs are not toads.  Make sense?  Nah.  Are all toadstools mushrooms?  Actually, the names are interchangeable scientifically but not commonly. It is the common idea that poisonous mushrooms are toadstools...except locally...then stinky mushrooms are toadstools.  Which opens another whole can of worms (if worms came in cans).  Perhaps the idea of a toadstool being a frog bench is going the wrong way.  If you use the lesser used definition of each word, the stinky part may be logical.  Toad (as in despicable person) and stool (as in feces) could be translated into stinky mushroom and might just well be a toadstool.  Ok...so maybe I should not have gone there.

  Second question...in folklore, mushrooms of all kinds are used as tables in Faerie Land.  Now, not knowing which mushrooms are poisonous, how in the world were faeries not killed off by eating from these fine tables.  In every depiction that I have ever seen, the mushroom tables highly resemble poisonous fungi.  (Like I said earlier, I am no mycologist and do not pretend to know anything about these things but, from looking at photos, this one surely resembles a Destroying Angel..TOXIC!! Maybe??)  And speaking of using the mushrooms as tables, this one has the appearance of being used just as such.  There is a piece of an empty hickory nut shell sitting right in the middle of the cap.  Could that have been the remnants of a meal??  Lets just hope the faeries of the Bayou were not poisoned last night as they dined by moonlight.

  Lastly, why do I find these things so fascinating?  While I have no interest in running about gathering mushrooms to eat, I do adore the fact that I find them growing just about everywhere.  I will leave the identifying to the experts (who I truly admire!) and just enjoy the beauty as I find them. And...the old dog says it is time to get in out of the fog.  He is right.  The imagination has run far enough.

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.

Its a Tad Smelly

  The other day, a friend showed me a photograph of something that had popped up in her flower garden with a question of its identity.  Stinkhorn...Devil's Toadstool...Devil's Fingers.  Yep. a foul-smelling, red mushroom had just "hatched" in her mulch.  (I say hatched because a lot of folks tend to think the round, white bud of a mushroom is actually an egg.)  She was rather miffed that something of this sort dare to invade her pristine garden plot.  "Why is it in my yard?  I do not let things like this grow here."  Well, sweet friend, get used to it.  These rascals are hard to eliminate short of digging up each "egg" and burning it.  They multiply like wildfire once they find their way into the yard and there are dozens of ways that happens.  The wind and critters can carry the spores but most likely, this mushroom found its way to her place in that lovely mulch that she had so carefully spread about her plants.  While it makes the garden look nice, many things hide in those mulch bags.  Everything from weed seeds to snails can hitch a ride in the bag right to the garden spot.

  While I am not a fan of the Devil's Toadstools (local name), I have resigned myself to the fact that I shall never eradicate them from this property.   The place is far too big and I am far too old to go around with a shovel digging up stinky fungi.  They shall just run their course and do their thing.  Aside from the stench, they are rather pretty...in a weird sort of way.  Their bright red "fingers" stand out sharply against the brown pine needles or even green grass.  My whole beef with them is not even the fact that they smell terrible and I really should not lay the blame on the fungi.  Dogs seem to love to roll on the Devil's Toadstools and then they reek for days. Why?  Why in the world would something so smelly be so appealing that you would want to wear it as perfume??  Needless to say, I keep a close watch on old Mr. PJ.  Nope....no stinky dog is sleeping in my house!

Alien Lifeforms???

  The other day, I saw something on social media that made me giggle.  A request was posted to "Describe 2018 in two words".  One answer was "It rained."  That, my friends, pretty much was the most accurate response that could have been made.  It rained.  And rained.  And rained.  So far, 2019 is starting out to be much the same.  This does not surprise me.  The sliced persimmon seeds predicted it.  Maybe those things are accurate...then again...maybe the rain caused the persimmon seeds to appear the way they did.  Still, to be honest, I find it great.  Rain is good no matter how you look at it.

  The copious amounts of rain has caused the ground to be a bit soggy and with the warm weather, this has caused profusion of fungi species to sprout up all over the place.  While some can be a bit smelly and others downright slimy, most are fascinatingly beautiful.  The hillside resembles some fantastical gnome kingdom.  Wandering the property, I keep waiting to find some happy little faerie sitting atop one of the 'srooms.  It just needs to be.  Not only are mushrooms taking over the place, mosses and lichens are flourishing, as well, in this warm. humid climate.  Down in the lower part of the front yard, an old oak tree is dropping a good many twigs that are covered with lichens of all kinds.  

  I am ever intrigued by the shapes and textures of lichens.  Some seriously remind me of an alien life form that has fallen to earth.  Contrary to what most folks believe, lichens are not parasitic plants that harm the host tree.  Instead they pretty much just use the tree for a place to anchor themselves.  They draw moisture and nutrients from the air.  They are often blamed for damaging trees since the lichens usually try to colonize on bark of twigs that are already dying.   They love damp areas with little air movement so the mugginess lately has been good to them.  Another thing that is good to know is that if you find a plethora of lichens in your trees, that usually means the air is rather clean and pure!  They prefer non-polluted areas and are rarely seen in places that cannot offer such.  Obviously, the Bayou and surrounding woods are blanketed with clean air as indicated by the overabundance of lichens!  

"Blooming" Mushroom!

  A few days ago, the little Grand Princess, Mary Ruth and I headed back to the woods to explore and take a few photos.  We found all sorts of interesting "natures" as she called them.  Lichens, mosses, ferns, palmettos and mushrooms were examined and photographed.  The tiny tot did an amazing job with her pictures and I was able to give her pointers on lighting and angles.  

  One mushroom seemed to be her favorite.  A bright red thing about the size of a golf ball intrigued her and filled her with dozens of questions.  I tried to answer each but some were beyond my knowledge.  Mycology is not a strong point with me even though I love looking at the things.  I could not even tell her if it was edible or poisonous.  A warning was given to never, ever touch mushrooms in the wild.   Better to be safe than sorry.

Mary Ruth's photograph of a red mushroom.

The same mushroom a few days later.  From a distance, it looked like a large flower.

  Sometimes things are not what they seem to be. This afternoon, Mark and I took the same path where Mary Ruth and I had seen the red mushroom.  As we neared the spot, I was surprised to see a beautiful red "flower" in the exact spot.  Excitedly, I picked up the pace.  I was fully surprised to find that my flower was none other than the same mushroom.  Instead of being a tight knot, the mushroom had "bloomed" into a rather large, funnel-shaped mushroom complete with a yellow center.  It was gorgeous!  It would have been nice had this mushroom decided to change before Mary Ruth had to go back to the island.  She would have been just as fascinated as I am with this "blooming" mushroom.  Goodness, I miss that little girl and her billion questions.

Witch's Butter or just another Tall Tale?

  Just when I think I cannot come across anything new here on the Bayou, the place surprises me with something I have never seen before.  Folks often ask if I ever get bored here but, to be honest, I have yet to find the time.  There is too much to do...too much to see...too much to experience to be bored.  

  This morning, the old dog and I took our morning hike in the mistiness of the Bayou.  I have yet to decide if it was a heavy fog or drizzly rain but Mr. PJ did not appreciate getting his fur wet.  Since he had been feeling poorly during the night, I kept the walk short, let him do his business then let him retreat to his warm, comfy bed.  This was not before I had eyed something curious, however, and my hike did not end with his.  I just had to go back to the marsh edge to investigate a rather lovely fungi growing there.  It was perhaps the brightest orange mushroom (or fungus) I have ever seen!  The lovely, tidbit of a thing was growing on a fallen pine branch which is why I noticed it in the first place.  I gather small twigs to be used as fire starter as I hike about the hillside.  When I went to grab the pine branch, I noticed the mushrooms.  

  Not knowing the type had me curious.  While I could spend hours searching for the correct orange mushroom, I chose to ask several of my "go-to" folks for an answer.  I figured that would be quicker.  They did give answers but I got several different answers!  One was the intellectual identification that is probably correct but since I could not pronounce it, I could not spell it to check.  One of the other identifications intrigued me to the point that I want my fungus to be that one...Witches' Butter!  Who names a fungus Witches' Butter?  I dared to ask about the story behind the name.

  "Well, first, Witches' Butter only grows on dead pine wood.  Story has it that back in the day before all of this treated lumber, folks made their houses out of whatever wood was available and pine was the choice of many.  That pine would eventually start to rot and mushrooms would grow on it.  If the Witch's Butter grew on some one's house, it meant that that family was put under a spell by a local witch.  This was a terrible thing so folks would check their houses regularly for any sign of the mushroom. All was not in vain, though, because the spell could be broken quite easily.  The head of the family had to poke at that mushroom with a sharp knife until it died then the spell would be gone." 

  Hmmm, now.  That is quite the fanciful tale and I am still not sure if my cousin was making this up as he told it or if there really is something called Witches' Butter.  I guess I really will be spending some time researching.  Personally, I think it looks more like some type or orange coral than butter but it was growing on pine wood so maybe?  (I really liked the tale, however, and will probably always refer to the bright orange mushrooms as Witches' Butter!  It makes for an interesting tale!

Nary A Snake

  Yesterday about mid morning, the neighborhood watch sent up a huge alarm.  Something was surely amiss!  I headed out the front door to check for snakes.  By neighborhood watch, I mean the usual cacophony of bird cries.  Let one blue jay find a snake and every bird in the county seems bent of joining in the fracas.  Wrens, jays, cardinals, thrashers and mockingbirds all joined in the effort to keep the yard free of any menacing rat snakes.  

  Being as I was barefoot, I kept a close eye on the ground just in case a moccasin had come up out of the marsh.  The birds were only a few feet from the front door so I was able to stay on the board path.  Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.  Sad thing is...I never found a snake!  I found mushrooms.  Not that the birds would be in a tizzy over mushrooms but. as I was peering under the iron plant hoping to see a telltale sign of a snake, I found a whole cluster of white mushrooms.  The teeny things were not much larger than a butter bean and were just as cute as a button!  Now, some of you may be adept at identifying mushrooms but I admit to having difficulty in the area.  I leave them all alone to grow where they may.  These were in a "out of the way" spot so there was not even a worry about the old dog taking a nip of one so they can continue to decorate the garden.  

  One just never knows what might be found lurking beneath the bushes when the birds send up their alarm cries.  This time, I never found that snake and chances are good that it was staring at me and wondering why I was excited over a fungus!

A Use For The Mushrooms

  Finally, we have found a use for these thousands and thousands of mushrooms that keep popping up all over the hillside.  The nigh on daily rains of all summer have produced as myriad of mushrooms.  We have just about every size, shape and color growing everywhere!  I kept pondering just what was going to happen to all of these things and, finally, a use has been discovered.  It is now apparent that some of the 'shrooms are edible...at least, they are edible for turtles...or we have a very daring turtle...or a very stupid turtle...whatever.  

  Early this morning as we were walking to the pier, Mark called my attention to a box turtle munching away on a rather large mushroom.  The turtle looked at us for a moment and then continued his meal.  He seemed rather intent of finishing the mushroom before being interrupted.  So we let him be.  After we finished our walk to the pier, we checked once again and found that the turtle did, indeed, eat the entire mushroom but at this point, the critter was no where to be found.  That said, I sure hope that turtle knew what he was doing or he might be getting a bellyache!

  While I find the mushrooms interesting and some of them downright pretty, I have yet gotten the nerve to munch one.  I have no idea which are edible and which are poisonous so I will steer clear of the forest of fungus growing in the yard.  I will leave them for the critters!

Been Toppled

  Back when they were small, my kids had a game called "Topple".  It consisted of a wobbly tower like structure and some strange little game pieces.  The idea was to see how many of  your color pieces you could stack on the tower before the whole thing went kerplunk.  You had to have a steady hand and a keen eye for balancing.  The kids played with the thing occasionally but it was then stuck in the cabinet to be lost among the other board games.  Here recently, I donated the whole shebang of games where, hopefully, someone else can get some use out of them.

  The toppling of this morning had nothing to do with a balancing game but appeared to be a game nonetheless.  Obviously, squirrels like to have fun, too! With all of the rain pouring down upon the Bayou and surrounding hillside, mushrooms of all sorts have sprouted up everywhere in the yard.  This morning, I noticed that dozens of the mushrooms had been toppled. Some had wee nibbles taken from an edge but most were just sort of uprooted and left to rot.  The squirrels seemed to taste one now and again only to toss it to the wayside.

  So, it came to thought that the squirrels were just out to have a bit of fun.  I guess playing with your food spans across the board even to the critter world!

The Blue Mushroom

  It sounds like it should be the name of some trendy coffee shop or maybe a cute little dress shop but, in reality, I am referring to a real, live mushroom.  It is one of those funny little things that you notice when out on a hike but never really know what it is.  Of course, I realize it is a mushroom but I have no clue as to its true identity.  I am not a mycologist which is just a long word for someone who looks at mushrooms and other fungi. Still, the mushroom in question is interesting enough to have caught my eye and bring back a memory from years ago.  Blue mushrooms are like that.  They demand attention if for no other reason than they are blue.  I am not accustomed to seeing blue mushrooms so when one pops up, I have to examine it.  After my eyeing the thing for a few moments, I came to the conclusions that, yep, it was a mushroom and, yep, it was blue.  Enough of my endeavor as a mycologist. 

  The story that was brought to mind by the mushroom was from years ago when the kids were small.  When in the third grade, my oldest son wanted to do a science project for school.  He decided that he might enjoy mycology so he started a studying the things and did a bunch of drawings for his project.  A few days before it was due, he started a massive search for mushrooms.  His project was going to be "the best ever".  We built a large, flat box and filled it with a layer of soft peat moss.  He dug up all sorts of mushrooms and planted them in his special garden.  The thing actually was sort of pretty and reminded me of one of my aunt's fairy gardens.  The day before he was to bring his project to school, he found a prize mushroom!  It was blue!!  He had never seen a blue mushroom before and wanted to put this grand piece in his collection.  He raced to the house to get his trowel and a dish to transport the mushroom.  While he gathered his tools, he excitedly told the rest of the family of his cherished mushroom.  It was going to be the one that put his project over the top!  We all traipsed out to the yard to be a part of the gathering.  As he pointed out his find, we congratulated him.  Well, all of us except for his little sister.  Darling Daughter decided that the mushroom was not THAT special so she stepped on it.  EGAD!!!  The thing was flattened by the tiny foot!  Son was devastated but his little sister was oblivious to the damage she had done.  

  The destruction of the prized piece of the project did not daunt my son, though.  He proudly finished the project and brought it to school. His teacher helped him to set up the display among all of the other projects.  It looked amazing!  Surely, he would do well.  Then....along came one teacher who looked aghast!  "Get that thing out of here!!!" she screeched.  Right then and there, she disqualified the project.  "Those are deadly!"   Son was shaken but not broken.  He tried to explain to this frantic lady that he researched the mushrooms carefully and none were poisonous.  She was having no part of it.  His project had to be removed from the premises even though we suggested sealing it in a plexiglass box.  "NOPE...NO WAY...NEVER!  That thing has got to go!" she shrieked. So the project was doomed before the judges even made their way into the building.  I carted the project back to the house with a very dejected little boy in tow.  

  I sat on the ground next to the blue mushroom and thought of how a crushed mushroom so many years ago was so tied to the crushed hopes of a little boy who only wanted to study the things.  Perhaps his little sister had a premonition about the science fair and crushed the blue mushroom in hopes that she would spare her brother a lot of pain.  I doubt it.   It was more likely that she just wanted to flat out step on the thing and had no higher motives at all.  Maybe, however, her stepping on the thing squished out the spores and planted mushrooms over the hillside.  This one is probably a distant relative of that very first one that Son found.   Hmmm, maybe?