Mushroom Family Update – Day 708

Posted on October 20, 2020October 20, 2020 by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Only a couple days later – Photo: L. Weikel

Mushroom Family Update

“They grow up so fast.” We say this about our human families, and often about our four legged family members too. And now, here I am, offering a Mushroom Family update a mere two days after first introducing you to the newest family to move into (onto?) our maple tree.

I have to admit, when I wrote about the Mushroom Family a couple nights ago, I never expected them to mature quite so quickly or dramatically. That’s especially true when I compared the current family to the photos of last year’s crop, which I took two weeks later in the month. I don’t believe last year’s mushrooms ever reached this level of magnificence.

And who knows? The conditions may be just right to produce the most astounding crop of mushrooms ever! If they continue to flourish, I will keep you apprised of their status.

Red-bellied sentinel – Photo: L. Weikel

Disturbing the Vibe

While I was taking these photos of the Mushroom Family earlier today, I was surprised to find myself having a close and somewhat surly encounter with a Red-bellied Woodpecker. We were privy to a couple of Red-bellied families this year, one of whom I’m pretty sure built their nest in a hollow of this very maple. Indeed, the hollow would probably qualify as ‘just around the corner’ from the Mushroom Family, so I’m guessing that this avian sentinel is just conducting some routine Neighborhood Watch activity.

I can attest that it did seem perturbed that I was directing a significant amount of human attention toward the Mushroom Family. And while I’ve taken lots of photos of the Red-bellied peckers that frequent our feeders, this is the one I specifically took this afternoon, after it fluttered its wings in the general direction of my head and then rather defiantly perched above me.

I can appreciate that Red-belly didn’t care for how I was disturbing the vibe of the neighborhood. I think we can all appreciate the disruptive nature of my behavior, and I assure you, I apologized.

But I did warn her: if the Mushroom Family continues to expand their girth in ways that are shocking and newsworthy, I’m going to be back and I’m going to be taking more photos.

My maple Ent – with Mushroom Family – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-403)

Mushroom Family – Day 706

Posted on October 18, 2020 by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Mushroom Family – Photo: L. Weikel

Mushroom Family

Standing on the flagstones leading to our home the other day, I looked up. Lo and behold, a mushroom family beautifully revealed itself, cradled in the arms of one of our beloved, aging maple trees.

I’m pretty certain mushrooms have made an appearance in the crook of that tree before, but I swear they weren’t golden caps with brown highlights. At least they weren’t as juicy looking.

Mushrooms from October 28-29, 2019 – Photo: L.Weikel

Ah! I found a photo – and sure enough, it was almost exactly a year ago: October 29, 2019, when I first discovered a pack of mushrooms living in our tree and wrote about it. (What? You didn’t realize mushrooms run in packs? How could you possibly not know that?)

Anyway, based on what the mushrooms looked like last year, I have a feeling these recent specimens simply need some time to mature. By October 29^th, their appearance will shift and mellow and they will look as griseled as their ancestors did last year. Only now it looks like the family has grown!

The Maple Tree

I actually got a kick out of the opportunity to explore the beauty of our maple tree, the one that serves as host to these fantastic fungi. By taking a variety of photos that show off its craggy personality and late stage ability to still show a bit of color, it felt good to shower some love and attention on this tree. Like Sheila, it feels like we only have a short time left to revel in and appreciate its contribution to the overall personality of our home.

Simply Lovely – Photo: L. Weikel

It’s interesting to me that the appearance of the mushrooms was the precipitating force that led me to take these intriguing portraits of this grand maple.

Looks Like a Protective Ent to Me – Photo: L. Weikel

Unintended Consequence

Funny how that works. We think we’re doing something for a particular, specific reason. Something catches our eye or we love the way something sounds. We take photos, we record audio; and then – unexpectedly – we realize that what we’ve captured was something completely different than what we expected.

I’ve already spoken of how that phenomenon seems to be an undercurrent to all my cloud photos. I just never know what’s going to show up when I chase clouds and try to capture their souls.

The anima of this tree is obvious, as I’m sure you perceive as well. I’m just grateful for the appearance of that attention-seeking mushroom family, for it’s through documenting them that I paid some much-deserved attention on our maple.

It makes me wonder where else in my life this principle operates.

(T-405)

Munchkin Mushrooms – Day 351

Posted on October 29, 2019October 29, 2019 by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Tree mushrooms – Photo: L. Weikel

Munchkin Mushrooms

Just this past Thursday I was sitting on our porch steps working on my laptop. The afternoon sun had reached that magic place where it was blazing directly into my eyes as I sat in my usual spot, so I’d shifted my position.

Still being acutely aware of the return of birds to our feeders, my eyes swept upward when I caught sight of movement along the bark of the tree. I sensed a nuthatch, perhaps?

Whatever it was that caused me to look up in that moment eluded me. However, I was astonished to see the little munchkin mushrooms, above, peaking out at me from the crook of one of our old maples at least 8 feet in the air.

I was entranced. Those mushrooms are adorable – and such beauties!