Forest Foray

    

Rysio and I hiked the Moose Trail today. We didn't see any Alces Alces but we saw plenty of their "evidence." It was a perfect day for a walk in the woods: no bugs, moderate temperature, new things to look at as the season begins to change. The fungi were out in full force. There was plenty of Labrador Tea to harvest. The forest was thriving, even as the deciduous trees were shedding their leaves. Autumn is my favourite time of year for hiking, I can't wait to explore more trails in the coming months.

In case you are curious, the above fungi is a Ramariopsis kunzei that we accidentally found under an overturned rock. It is a common form of coral fungi that is: widespread, "attractive," easily identified and is also edible. (Source: Lone Pine Field Guide: Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada by George Barron). But you won't catch me cooking up any fruiting bodies anytime soon. I keep my mycological love to photography and identification. I like to play it safe and buy my mushrooms from the store.