A Challenge

There are at least five groups of this poisonous fungus that have appeared this year at the foot and by the roots of the old red oak that fell toward the water within a year of our moving here.  This is a Jack O' Lantern, Omphalotus illudens and not a Chanterelles, as some think.  I think the primary definition is that it grows in close clusters rather than individual mushrooms and that is has true gills.

We did think the tree fall might have been a warning omen but since many more trees have fallen both with storms and without them, we think this forest is just reaching its climax stage.  I had to crawl through thorny bush, past spider webs and over large mounds of soft leaves and soft decaying wood to get this close.  It was worth it, right?

There is a folk tale that the gills glow in the dark.  Maybe if I have energy I will trump down to the dock with my camera this evening.

Shroooom!

It is cold and rainy and no frost, so we are getting a wonderful harvest of oyster mushrooms.  We are not experts on mushrooms and know these are safe to eat because we planted them this past year!

As you can see we harvested some already in the photo above.  I had once read that there was little nutritional value in mushrooms but according to one website their nutritional value is as follows: "The good: This food is low in Saturated Fat and Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of  Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin C, Folate, Iron, Zinc and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin D, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Selenium."  Since we cook ours with butter, garlic and salt and pepper, we probably negate a lot of the healthy significance of this fungus.  Another website claims that mushrooms have  complex carbohydrates that strengthen the immune system.  I can use more of that!

They have high water content and I think that is why I see squirrels eating them once in a while.  Our little harvest does get impacted by mice harvests.  The photo below is a wild mushroom, that looks like our cultivated, but could very well be inedible.  I ain't trying it.  You can see where squirrels have nibbled.

Other fungus in our woods is just pretty and exotic looking.  Some growths look like rubber ribboned ruffles (say that fast three times) and others like scallop shells that have fossilized.

There are so many different forms, colors and patterns that sometimes I return home all muddy kneed from trying to get a close-up shot of something I haven't seen.

The First of the Aliens

It sneaks around corners and into pathways that you had forgotten were there.  Because it is so exquisitely erotic and such a nuanced change, you are forgiven if you forget how it heralds the cooler weather that will be followed by the colder weather that numbs the toes.  Just when you have lost your heart to this brilliant tease and promised way too much to get it to linger longer, the lovely season will move on and disappear into a crisp gray landscape for months and months, until your heart has fully healed. 
The first brave height-challenged agarics emerge from the decay of the end of summer and cause you to pause intrigued, wondering if indeed fairies do dance beneath their shelter under an autumn moon.

This is followed by the early show-offs who are not afraid to paint themselves red and yellow and then strip away each leaf in a slow seductive dance.  Why does this season seem so short?  Why is it so time-challenged?  

This tree in the photo above that grows down by the water and which my husband calls a 'wildplum' (which is a misnomer I am afraid), is the first to begin the flirtation this month.  

Buttery

I was rushing to the Post Office with a handful of holiday greetings to drop in the mail when the tree (photo above) near my neighbor's driveway caught my eye.  It looked like it was oozing something.  I remembered this tree with its stunning fungus on my return trip to the house.  I stopped by the roadside and brought out my point and shoot from my purse and took several photos of this luscious cluster of creamy fungus.  I knew that my neighbor would not be surprised or wondering what I was doing as I am rarely seen outside without a camera covering my face.

Don't they look so buttery?  Good enough to eat.  No squirrels are nibbling, so I am guessing that in reality they are not good enough to eat.  They are perfect in their form and have beautiful ridges beneath their vanilla skirts.  Click on the photo for all the delicious details and tell me what they remind you of.

Domestic Squabble in the Meadow

We had lunch beside this fungus and lichen covered log that rested beside the log on which we sat. Its stunning beauty was more enticing than any elaborate centerpiece in a fancy restaurant and the lighting was far lovelier than any candle arrangement. We ate sliced asian pears that were as crisp as but more sweet than apples. We had crunchy crackers and cheese, to complete the gourmet meal as the fall whispered its way into the tall trees in the ravines.

We also sat not far from this very rare beauty in the photograph above. It appears to be a white-leaved maple tree. I have never seen his before and there were no others the same color nearby. Is there such a thing as an albino tree and how does it produce food with no chlorophyll?

The last day of our travels it began raining steadily and the skies were very overcast. We realized we would probably not be hiking very much on the leaf covered and slippery trails. Therefore, we made a plan to drive to a distant valley that hung between 6,000 foot peaks. Getting there is a real challenge because the paved road soon changes to gravel and becomes a narrow lane and then becomes very winding with many blind curves. We had to keep alert as we encountered a few cars as well as large trucks coming down the mountain as we were trying to make our way up. We passed safely, but sometimes with only inches between the vehicles and just a few feet from the steep drop off on one side. This was not a trip for the weak of heart.

We were determined to reach the top because we had been told by the ranger that we might be rewarded on an overcast day by seeing elk that had been re-introduced into the area a number of years ago. "Surrounded by 6000-foot peaks, this isolated valley was the largest and most prosperous settlement in what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Once known for its farms and orchards, today Cataloochee is one of the most picturesque areas of the park."

As can be seen from the photo above, we were rewarded with a sighting of elk, actually an entire herd. We saw several striking bull elk and a number of cows as well as younger calves. Most were collared or tagged and close enough to photograph. You can see the tag if you click on the photo.

Just as we approached this large bull saw that part of his harem was on the other side of the road. He bugled loudly several times (such a haunting call) before lowering his head back and trotting over to that side of the road to herd them back and away from some of the younger males that were casually grazing nearby. The testosterone in the air was palpable.

If you click on the photo above you can see more clearly the cows hurrying ahead of the bull and the young males on the far right wondering what all the fuss was about. They will probably figure it out next year.

More RED

Mid-August begins the change of colors in the high mountains of West Virgnia and these photos were taken August 19 in the Canaan Valley area. They are all the rich reds that nature can throw at you and if you are redesigning a room for fall, these hues should be very helpful. Mother Nature never seems to get it wrong in terms of color combinations or saturation levels. The photos have been reduced in size, but clicking on some of them will enlarge them somewhat. I think they are smile inducing even in this smaller size.

(Still very far away and enjoying 33 degree mornings.)

Scary

It was Halloween and just the time for spooky stories. Pine cone said he had a really scary ghost story. The three little mushrooms giggled softly as they lined up for the tall tale. Each time the pine cone got to another very scary part he twisted closer and dropped his voice lower. By the time the scary tale had all been told the mushrooms had snuggled back into the pine needles and were sitting in each other's laps and the pine cone's prickly breath was in their face.