Golden

Bolete

I found myself this Friday morning with a few extra minutes to wander around the mountain. The morning was clear and fine, if trending towards hotter again. Weather needs to be pretty bad for me to avoid wandering because of it, and this morning was pretty far along the good side of that scale.

When I wander in an area I know well, I have to pay close attention or my familiarity can keep me from seeing details that are different. I am usually aware this can happen, which helps. With only a few extra minutes in my morning, I didn’t have time to go down into the mountain valley below me or even traipse along one of the woods trails. I had only enough time to wander the edges of the forest, a spot I see about three times a day—leaving and returning to the mountain and walking the dogs in the now nearly dark mornings. So this little patch is about as familiar to me as my own living room, which is why I really wasn’t expecting to find anything I hadn’t seen before. But I did.

This morning I found several lovely yellow mushrooms. I believe the one here is a bolete of some variety, possibly an edible variety, though I have no intention of testing that. I was just drawn to the lovely yellow gills on the underside of the mushroom, and the lovely yellow light of morning on it.

Afterwards I noticed the morning light on the goldenrod weed. Goldenrod gets a bad rap as the plant that many think causes hay fever. Ragweed, which isn’t nearly as pretty, is the allergy culprit, not goldenrod. When you see the one, it’s hard to imagine how the two could ever be confused.


Tall goldenrod

 Goldenrod is mostly considered a weed in North America, probably because it’s not usually planted by humans and grows profusely anywhere it wants to. In some places and among some gardeners that bad rap is beginning to change. In Europe, goldenrod is a frequent garden plant, but here not many gardeners favor it, though some inroads are being made. The goldenrod family has many species, at least 50 in North America. The one I’ve pictured today is the one most common to my area, the tall goldenrod.

And lastly, the golden light of a late summer’s morning, long shadows over grass, to go with the golden mushroom and goldenrod. During late summer, a bright golden shade of sunlight rules the mornings. In July the light is a more lemon-yellow. By November, the light will have a reddish or bronze cast to it. But in August the light and at least a few of the plants are simply golden.

Orange pinwheels

Ferns aren’t the only plant that are happy on Roundtop this summer. With all the rain (more last night, more later today), the mushrooms and fungus are doing extra well, too. Today’s photo is of the cutely named orange pinwheel mushroom.

Pinwheels come is several colors, including white, pink and rusty. All are tiny members of the marasimus family. I haven’t been able to find much information about them. Edibility is listed in several places as "unknown," which leads me to translate this into not yet being able to find anyone who is brave enough to try one. I don’t blame people for that, given how poisonous so many mushrooms are.

They seem to range between Canada and the Carolinas, but information about how common they are within that range is lacking. They appear from July through October and are considered to play a vital role in breaking down the litter layer, especially in the oak-hickory woods of eastern North America, which of course fits Roundtop perfectly. This plant continues its work even during hot and dry years, so perhaps that explains why it is suddenly so numerous in a season that has been cooler and wetter than typical. One expert helpfully reported 60+ species in the family and to "not expect to identify the species."

Another interesting note is that during dry seasons, the mushrooms simply shrivel up and wait. Apparently, if you pick one then and plop it into water, it will soon revive and be ready to go to work on that leaf litter again pretty soon.

For me, finding out about the mushroom is fun but kind of non-essential. I just appreciate occasionally seeing something that isn’t green in the middle of the summer forest.

Beautiful and deadly

I’m fairly certain this lovely, nearly pure white mushroom is one of the Amanitas, frequently called the deadly Amanitas as though the phrase is a single word. I believe it’s a Destroying Angel, though I’m less certain of that. With Amanitas the choices are wide and varied. This one was 4-5 inches tall, actually small by Amanita standards.

In any event, Amanitas are among the showiest and deadliest of the mushrooms. In southeast Alaska along the Chilkoot Trail, I found some nearly as tall as my shin, with a cap the size of a dinner plate. Now, those were impressive. Early fall is a good time to find them, partly because the forest floor is visible once the annual undergrowth begins to thin out and partly because September and October is the time when many appear.

Several species of Amanitas are called Destroying Angel. None are good in salads, as you might expect from the name. They are found up and into early November, throughout North America, in mixed woods, under or near trees. They can be reliably identified by spore prints, but I don’t touch them. Reading about death by mushroom (vomiting followed by diarrhea, cramps, and kidney and liver dysfunction leading to death) does that to me. If there is ever the perfect time to take only photographs and leave only footprints, the Amanitas make me extra sure that’s all I do.

Back at the Cabin

September is a good month for a lot of things beside bird migration. Today's photo is two stacks of (I think) ringless honey mushrooms. These mushrooms are found along the east coast, often around oak trees. September is the month when I find the most interesting-looking mushrooms here on the mountain. I rarely see the same ones from year to year, so that alone makes finding them fun. I've certainly never seen a clump like this before.

The weather here has turned a bit chilly. The night time temperatures are now in the mid-40's. The lower temperatures will start to move the trees toward their color change. I can see the beginnings of it already. I've so far resisted building a fire or turning on the heat. In another few days it will warm up again, and in the meantime there's no reason why I can't wear a sweater indoors. In fact, by wearing a sweater inside, I can go in and out without having to stop to put one on or take it off. The house still stays fairly warm during the day, anyway.

I am starting to bring the most tender houseplants inside, though I hope I can leave my fig tree outside for another few weeks. It's grown another foot this year, and I have no idea where I will put it. Well, I do sort of have an idea, but even if it fits, it will block access to my radio and at least one bookcase for the entire winter.

So far, I've seen no sign that the annual deer rut, which makes driving after dark dangerous, has begun. This morning Dog and I did see several deer. They bounded away from us, one of them leaping into the air like a gazelle with every few steps.

My bird feeders are starting to get a fair amount of activity. Yesterday, a Carolina wren spent an hour or so chasing away any other bird that tried to eat from it. It didn't matter if the other bird was larger or not. That scrappy little wren was trying to keep it all for himself. I also filled a large plant saucer with water and set it on the deck railing. Several birds used it, but one little chickadee came back and forth 6-7 times that I saw. I could tell it was the same bird by one feather that stood up on the top of its head. That one seems especially interested in the water.

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the cooler temperatures, and a lot happens outside my door for me to keep an eye on. I can't ask for anything more than that.