A Mysterious Myriad of Mushrooms
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A few weeks ago my parents and I went on a little hike in search of an old family cemetery. Back in the woods we traipsed around without a map – just my dad’s memory was all we had to guide us.
Well, I won’t speak of my dear ol’ dad’s memory right now, but needless to say, our resting family members are still waiting for a visit.
While out and about in the woods I decided on an impromptu photo shoot. The lighting was nice and if I couldn’t take pictures of old tombstones what was I to do?
Mushrooms. They were everywhere. Different shapes, colors, and sizes. I thought fondly of scenes from “The Lord of the Rings” and of woodland creatures that might pop out at any moment.
Now I’m not a mushroom expert or connoisseur by any measure. I like them on pizza, use them in sauces and the occasional recipe here and there. I know that most are brown or whitish gray. Others, called truffles, are real expensive and a gastronome’s delight. Definitely a mushroom primer would do me good. So if any of you out there are experts in identifying mushrooms, please let me know if I need to go back and get some of them for my next risotto.
As my parents hunted for the grave site, I hunted for mushrooms. I didn’t pick any, just took pictures. There were red ones…
and brown ones…
and creepy gray ones…
and little cute itsy bitsy red ones…
and some whitish grayish ones (these look a little familiar to me, I wonder if they might be good for cooking?)…
an orange one with it’s own fungus (a fungus with a fungus)…
and others that looked like they had been nibbled on…
All in all my little mushroom trip (a non psychedelic mushroom trip) was fun. Hopefully when we return to hunt again for the family plot there will be more fungi to greet us.
So any ideas on what kind they are?
I have no idea what kind they are, but I love your photos!
I don’t know anything about mushrooms, other than I love them carmelized and my dad does not eat them because they are a fungus.
I love love love these photos. I work at Furman University and we have had some very wierd fungi growing on campus. I meant to get photos but haven’t yet. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I did take the first of the fall photos on the way to Pigeon Forge a couple of years ago. The last two were taken by my husband yesterday (10/25) in downtown Asheville, NC.
Oh my goodness… who would have thought that the mushrooms I buy in the jar or in that little blue foam container in the produce section could be related to these delightful creatures. I love to eat mushrooms but now I want to study them… your photos are responsible for that!
I googled mushroom images and found a beautiful poster with edible mushroom pics on it. You may be able to identify some of yours via that poster. I have read that you really have to know what you’re doing to eat wild mushrooms because some of the poisonous ones look so similar to edible ones that it takes an expert to tell the difference. I think I’d just stick to taking photos of them.
Yeah. A friend sent me a helpful link. Definitely too chicken to try something without an expert in tow. ~ Amy
I’ve never seen mushrooms look so lovely!
I don’t recognize any of those, but my dad is pretty good at finding the edible ones. I think this may be the time of year for them as well. Nothing better than fried wild mushrooms.
NO idea what any of them are…but I am stunned at the variety you discovered in one walk! how FUN! and truly lovely pictures. thank you for sharing! 🙂
I don’t know a thing about mushrooms except that they are yummy. Those pictures proove that they are also quite quirky and cute.
Love these pictures! I am inspired to go out hunting myself. For Photos, noy sure what kind they are
These photos of the mushrooms are awesome!