Mushrooms and Music!

What happened to the week?  I was supposed to blog mid week, but time passes by so quickly these days, it is like trying to  hang on to a hand full of sand. The tighter you grip it, the faster it slips away.   

But here we are on a Saturday.  The last day of my official weekend ( I have to work tomorrow) but why not recap the happenings of Kenosha Wisconsin. Though my eyes, of course.

Well,  I found a few mushrooms last Monday while out on a bike ride.   A couple nice Boletes and Coral mushrooms.  We cooked them up and had them over pork chops.  The only note of that story was that I had to carry the Boletes in one hand while riding a bike.   Not the most challenging, since I have previously ridden my bike while carrying a HUGE Giant Puffball.  

Last night, Dave and Christina once again dragged me to a music concert.  I tried to resist, stating that I had to blog and how important the blog was to me.... But then they mentioned that it was going to be at a brewery and that Dave was buying the beer.   So...   I relented.  Aren't they swell guys? 

Turns out, I was to be the designated Driver!   Still, I got to enjoy one beer and it was a wonderful IPA. Dave knew several people at the event and we all had a good chat while listening to 90's Music.   I didn't really listen to much music during the 90's but it appeared everyone enjoyed the memories.   

The event continued well after dark, but we headed back just before 10.  I did get to drive Dave's car back.   And there should be a joke in there about a Pastor enjoying beer at a bar,  But seriously.   we are Lutherans!  (Germans and beer go hand in hand.) So I'll let you figure one out on your own. No one got out of hand,  except Christina.   Who didn't even drink any beer!  ( She is glutten free!)  She is just naturally the life of any party. 

This morning,  I went out for a run and decided to run though the Parkside instead of the usual track I normally follow.  Every time I do that, I know I will get distracted if I see a Mushroom anywhere.  And that is just what happened. 

About 2 miles in, I see mushrooms popping up in the lawn and woochips of the park.   A little further...  There it was!   Chicken of the woods on the side of a rotting log.  That's it!  Run is over!  I begin looking for Mushrooms... Specifically:  More Chickens!

I wander around for nearly an hour, finding nothing of note... Until just before I decide to head back.  I  find a log with another small Chicken on it but additionally discover that I HAVE COMPETITION!  

This Deer kept following me!

To large slices of mushroom were on the side of the log.  Someone had taken two of the larger mushrooms already!  Slicing them off with a knife.  And here I was thinking I was the only one who knew of the Chicken Of The Woods mushroom.  That is what I get for informing and educating random strangers about the wonders of Mycology. 

Squirrels nibbling off the top of a bolete.

Now, you may be thinking that there is a large forest out there... Filled with lots of mushrooms.  Enough to share with lots of people.  You would be wrong, my friend.  They are all mine!  Is that greedy?  I don't think so.  It is bad enough I have to share with the bugs and squirrels and deer.   Now I have to throw people into the mix?   Competition has never been something I enjoy.  Probably that is one of the reasons I do not like hunting for Morels. 

After returning home, I put on my mushroom hunting equipment and went out again to search another area.   And that is when I discovered MORE!  Thankfully, the person competing with me did not search the entire woods like I did.   ( Yes,  I did and am currently exhausted.)  I found several additional Chickens.  One Bolete.  A couple Chanterelles.  Looks like the Russulas, Boletes, and Chanterelles are coming to a close in their season.   

But the Chickens were out!  Along with the toxic look-a-like:  The Jack-O-Lantern.   

   I found this HUGE cluster of Jack-O-Lanterns on a stump near the place where I found the Chickens. At first, I thought I had hit the Mother Lode!  But Jack-O-Lanterns are easy to distinguish from Chickens in that they have orange gills and long stems. They look more like a traditional mushroom, and not like a shelf mushroom.  ( I know, I say this every time I find the two together....It's what Mycologists do!)  

I still found the Jack-O-Lanterns beautiful.  It is only sad that we can only enjoy the beauty and not enjoy the taste.  No one wants a tummy ache. And I have yet to see them glow in the dark.

So...  A basket full of Chicken of the Woods.   Not a bad day, really.   I have enough to share.   And it was pretty cool to go out and actually search for specifically them this morning.  I can't wait to enjoy them for dinner later.

Another long post!  And I still have other things to mention.   But I shall leave them for another day.  Hopefully I will have time this week to add them in.   We shall see.   IN the mean time,  I hope everyone has a great weekend.  Thanks for stopping in.