My First Ever Mushroom Hunt!
It rained a few days ago so Keith thought it would be a good time to hunt mushrooms. I had never been before so you probably know what I was looking for... the ones you buy at the store. lol We came upon an open patch of oak leaves and he said, 'Do you see them?'
Me: hmmm... (looking everywhere for button mushrooms)... well, maybe... um, no.
He kept pointing until I finally figured out that we were looking for: small BRAINS! Here's what they look like in our part of Oklahoma:
Once I saw one, I saw a whole bunch! Keith was so patient. I wanted to take photos and he wanted to pick them. I shot a few then he would come along and pick them but soon he told me to go ahead and pick the ones I was photographing and he would look somewhere else.
"Uh...well, ok... maybe not (under my breath)," as I observed their very odd shape and texture.
Mushrooms strike me as creepy little creatures. I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to touch them. They are odd little creations with their brain-like, spongy texture and sort of damp feeling to the touch. I thought I might only pick one and leave the rest to him, but once I picked a few, I was all in. Here are some more shots of the edible ones. I shot some inedible ones too. Make sure you take note not to eat those if those if you ever go mushroom hunting.
The dangerous (for eating) ones are growing in the tree stumps. They are great for photographing but not great for eating. These look like something from a children's storybook. I could picture a small frog sitting on top pointing out directions to a tiny fairy as she flies through the woods.
I'm not sure what these are but at first glance I thought they looked like barnacles stuck to the legs of a pier out in Florida. They made for interesting subject matter whatever they are.
All in all, it was a great day on the creek and in the woods. Neither of us came home with ticks, there were no signs of snakes, and though the creek was boggy, no one sank too deep. Here are a few candid shots that Keith took. He's actually got a good eye for photography so I'll be showing you some of his good stuff too.
Thanks for joining me on my first ever Mushroom Hunting Trip. If you want to find out more about mushroom hunting in Western Oklahoma or want to come along with us sometime, message me and let's discuss it!
Have a great day,
Shauna