Right next to a playground. Not cool.
The inside of the Calvatia
Calvatia cyanthiformis
Sex is Like Shoes
The latest Nayla-ism:
Sex is like shoes.
Some people get by with one really good pair.
Others have a casual pair and a formal pair.
A bunch of people have dozens.
And yet some people, like monks, don’t have any at all.
I love my wife. 🙂
Peace,
-Steve
Awesome Find: Young Polyporus squamosus
Generally corky and technically edible, Dryad’s Saddle, or Pheasant’s Back are Polyporus squamosus‘ common names, and it has one of the most interesting properties in the Mushroom kingdom: When cut open, it smells like fresh watermellon rind. Unbelieveable. They also sometimes grow to gigantic size (at one time there was one growining in my grandparents’ yard at the base of a dying maple that was nearly 2 feet across).
The specimens my wife and I found after a heavy rain were also young enough to eat, as when they are soft enough to cut with your fingernails, they’re easy enough to chew.
Unfortunately, they were also too young to obtain a sporeprint…
Since we very strictly adhere to beyond-a-doubt microscopic identification before consuming any mushrooms we find in the wild, this treat will unfortunately meet the trash, much like the first time we came across Agaricus arvensis (a rather choice edible).
When in any doubt, throw it out, and for us, that means matching microscopic criteria. No exceptions.
But hey, they were absolutely gorgeous, and now we know where they grow. More data is needed. 😉
(Note on the last picture, there are some unidentified Coprinus that were deformed due to the heat and sudden dryness after the rains.)
The Pluteus cervinus From the Reishi Stump
This stump consistently grows Pluteus (Deer Mushrooms) and Ganoderma (Reishi) every year in alternating waves. The first to sprout this year was a really sorry looking Pluteus. Where this patch usually gives a nice salmon-pink sporeprint, this scraggly guy is a nice reddish-brown. Both colors are well within P. cervinus limits, and a peek at the spores under a microscope confirms they’re a match.
Coprinus On My Grandparents’ Lawn
Here are some pictures of the Coprinus I mentioned earlier. They’re growing on the subterranean remains of an old elm tree that used to stand in the yard. After the elm got sick and died, and the trunk was removed, Coprinus keep popping up there year after year.
I was lucky enough to snag a sporeprint before the gills liquefied, a picture of which I’ll post here soon.
Apple vs. Google vs. Your Company
A very well illustrated example of the fundamental differences between Apples apps, Google’s apps, and the kind of apps that your workplace will either create, or license at ridiculously high prices.
-Steve
Mushroom Season Starting Again
First two specimens of the year just came in. One Pluteus cervinus growing out of the Reishi stump, and some Coprinus of some variety that were growing gregariously where the old elm tree once stood on my grandparents’ property.
I’ll have pictures later. 🙂
 -Steve
Worried About Organics
Well, many thanks go out to Professor Phil Howard of Michigan State University for this one.
Which big company owns your favorite Organic brands? I was startled myself.
Here’s a summary list of the larger players and their well-known brands that I’ve taken the time to put in alphabetical order:
Alexia Foods ConAgra
Alta Dena Dean (Horizon Dairy)
Arrowhead Mills Heinz
Back to Nature Kraft
Bear Naked Kellogg
Bearitos Heinz
Ben & Jerry’s Organic Unilever
Boca Foods Kraft
Breadshop Heinz
Breyers Organic Unilever
Campbell’s Organic Campbell Soup
Casbah Heinz
Cascadian Farms General Mills
Celestial Seasonings Heinz
Dagoba Hershey
DeBole’s Heinz
DiGiorno Kraft
Dole Organic Dole
Dove Organic Mars
Earth’s Best Heinz
French Meadow Cargill/Heinz
Fruti di Bosco Heinz
Garden of Eatin’ Heinz
Gold Medal Organic General Mills
Green & Blacks Cadbury Schweppes
Health Valley Heinz
Heinz Organic Heinz
Henry Weinhard SAB Miller (UK)
Hershey Organic Hershey
Horizon Dean (Horizon Dairy)
Hunt’s Organic ConAgra
Imagine Heinz
Kashi Kellogg
Keebler Organic Kellogg
Kellogg’s Organic Kellogg
Kraft Organic Kraft
Lightlife ConAgra
Little Bear Heinz
Millina’s Finest Heinz
Morningstar Farms Kellogg
Mott’s Organic Cadbury Schweppes
Mountain Sun Heinz
Muir Glen General Mills
Nabisco Kraft
Naked Juice Pepsi
Nantucket Nectars Organic Cadbury Schweppes
Natural Touch Kellogg
Nature’s Farm Tyson
Nile Spice Heinz
Odwalla Coca-Cola
Orville Redenbacher’s Organic ConAgra
Pace Organic Campbell Soup
PAM Organic ConAgra
Planters Organic Kraft
PowerBar Pria Grain Essentials Nestle (Switzerland)
Prego Organic Campbell Soup
Ragu Organic Unilever
Rice Dream Heinz
Seeds of Change Mars
ShariAnn’s Heinz
Silk Dean (Horizon Dairy)
Soy Dream Heinz
Spectrum Organics Heinz
Stone Mill Anhueser-Busch
Swansons Organic Campbell Soup
The Organic Cow of Vermont Dean (Horizon Dairy)
TofuTown Heinz
Tostito’s Organic Pepsi
Tropicana Organic Pepsi
V8 Organic Campbell Soup
Walnut Acres Heinz
Westbrae Heinz
Westsoy Heinz
White Wave Dean (Horizon Dairy)
Wholesome & Hearty Kellogg
Wild Hop Anhueser-Busch
So about these above: In short, although they follow the letter of “organic” they certainly do not follow the spirit, which is primarily focused upon smaller, sustainable businesses that don’t damage our environment.
Be in the know,
-Steve