A Year in the Forest

There was a heavy dew this morning, so heavy that it sounded like it was raining at times in the woods.  The dew also made the nuts heavy, because they were falling with regularity also, both hickory and walnut.  As I said yesterday the forest seems much more alive in the morning, there is more noise and activity.  Fall is making itself much more evident.  The underbrush is dying back and the trails are much easier to keep open.  The animals have found the newest crop of honey mushrooms, some plots are entirely gone.  There is a russula mushroom that has been fruiting for two weeks, but I have not found one untouched specimen yet.  Usually by the time it peaks through the leaves, it is already eaten on.  Its like the animals are storing up for the winter like the squirrels and the nuts.  Yesterday I saw a ink cap mushroom come up for the first time and today it was already a black slimy mess – wow what a short lifespan.

I picked what will probably be my last meal of Stump puffball mushrooms and what was left of the honey mushrooms – I am going to miss my several time a week mushroom meals when winter gets here.