Remembrance of Mushrooms Past

There's nothing I love more than the changing of the seasons, but this rain has got to go! It's been a lazy day for me hiding in my cozy cabin and trying to deal with the confusion that is daylight savings time. Anyone else felt a little off the last couple days? Anyone?

I usually like the rain, but I'm ready for spring and sunshine. It does make me nostalgic for the beginning of the rainy season, when the mushrooms start appearing on the beautiful dry days in between. So I'll take the opportunity to post pics from a mushroom hunt I did on one of those days a few months ago.

Just make sure you don't go mushroom hunting without an expert. There are hundreds of wild edible mushrooms in Northern California alone, a ton of which have deadly look-a-likes. I've gone with a couple experts who have years of experience, and about half the mushrooms we see are unfamiliar. As the Sonoma County Mycological Association says, "when in doubt, throw it out!"

Not sure what this one was, but check out those gills!

This was so cool, and the most vibrant shade of red I think I've ever seen in nature. Couldn't find a name after an extensive internet search. Makes me have so much respect for the research involved in serious identifying!

The days of mushroom season are long gone, but the rain has me excited for what's going to pop up next. Perhaps some wildflower hunting is in order soon.