Tag: New England

Orange Mushrooms Growing, A Few Days Later

mushrooms
A few days later

I posted a picture of these mushrooms in my previous post and they were just little, orange buttons. Now, a few days later they have “mushroomed” into flat heads as you can see in this photo.

I don’t know why, all of a sudden, I am so interested in mushrooms, but I find myself on the lookout for them at this time of year especially when I am walking in the woods.

Maybe it’s because I am surrounded by places where they are easily found, but I just never paid much attention.

Wild mushrooms growing in a clump on a dead log. Darker orange-brown centers with lighter outer area.
The Open Mushrooms

I have no idea what type of mushroom this is. If I had to guess from the pictures and description in my book maybe they are the Jack O’Lantern. But they are not bright orange.

Or, they could be Omphalotus illudens which are also poisonous. Found in June – November they grow on dead logs.

I currently live surrounded by woods so searching for interesting nature is fun. My landlady’s house is on 13 acres, but I usually stay close by or travel up the road to the Girl Scout Camp. There is no shortage of wilderness to explore.

More stories on the blog

The Artist’s Conk Mushroom

I recently purchased a good mushroom book and found out that this set of mushrooms I had found last Fall is called the “Artist’s Conk” (Ganoderma applanatum).

I almost spelled it “conch” since I am so used to doing seashell research on the conch (pronounced the same as conk).

It can be etched or painted and will stand up on a table for display. Sounds interesting, but they are very much attached to the trees they grow on and very difficult to remove. I half tried to do so without luck. I guess I need a knife. Or better yet, just take a photo!

See more photos and a picture of a carved drawing at Mushroom-Collecting.com

mushrooms
The Artist's Conch

A Trip to Boston

Fenway Park
Fenway Park, Red Sox Game

My two sons who live out of town came to visit me this summer and while they were here they went to Boston with their sister and her boyfriend to see a Red Sox / Rangers game at Fenway. They all love baseball (well, my daughter not so much), but they love the city too and had a great time – and sunny, warm weather for the short trip. My son took a ton of photos during the game and I think that this one is a pretty good shot showing the “green monster”.

statue at the cigar store
Nick and friend

How nice that Nick found a cigar smoking buddy.

Boston fire truck
Going on a Call?

My son, Nick, is a firefighter in Florida so he had to snap this shot of the Boston fire department’s truck running a call. He also took a photo of one of the fire hydrants and a wall hydrant. Funny.

Cheers mug
A Famous Bar

Of course they had to visit “Cheers” and they all drank water I guess!

Boston
A Trip to Boston

They had a blast even if it was only for a couple of days. The weather was great and I got a break from all their bickering! Ha ha!

The Air Up Here

When I visited North Carolina one year I remember standing outside on the deck of the house we had rented just breathing in the cool, dry air. I lived in Florida and air like that never happened. We would get less humid air – our “winter” – but it still was not the same as the “northern” stuff.

water
I love the North

I realized then how much I missed that lack of humidity that wasn’t brought about by air conditioning.

I also thought it was odd to think of the Carolina’s as “north”. I never could get used to everything being north when I lived in Florida.

Now that I am back in New England the world seems right again. North Carolina is in the south and the air I breathe up here is mostly wonderfully dry. I swear there is no air like the air up here. Even during this hot, and sometimes quite muggy, summer we get a break and the air clears.

This morning at 4AM it is like that.
I just let my cats out, against my better judgment, and I went outside on the deck to scare away any wildlife that might want to hunt them, and the air is just awesome.

The day before yesterday I finally bought an air conditioner to help with this humidity we’ve been having, and now the temperature has dropped to about 40 degrees! But I love it.
It feels like Fall, but I am not fooled. It’s only the beginning of August and we are bound to have more humid, muggy days, but this morning I feel the energy that comes with this sweet smelling northern air.