Pastimes of My Poorer Self

We wandered over to South Carolina yesterday, in search of Jack in the Box (found) and something to do (also found). We ended up at the botanical gardens on Clemson's campus. We decided that with nothing better to do that blistering hot day, we'd go for a stroll.

As usual, this turned into a mushroom hunt.

I am always a little amused by hunting mushrooms for photos, as though I'm on some photo-safari of fungi. I suppose I am. But they're strange little things, with their shapes and colors and I'll admit, I'm always going to be entertained by this, at least a little.

If I happen to be observing the flowers, or the trees, and miss a fungal family I'll hear calls of "MOM! Mushroom!" and I bend down, getting low to meet the mushrooms on their level. After all, that's where they keep their secrets and I usually see the best stuff down there.

I wonder if my oldest even remembers from where this tradition arose. When we left Florida and moved to what I then considered hell and now find to be home, we were so in debt we could barely function. Months without income had taken it's toll. With three small boys to keep entertained the local parks were our frequent destination, and taking strolls through the new, alien landscapes ended up with Louis amazed at the quantity and variety of mushrooms.

We didn't have anything LIKE that in Florida. I am sure there are mushrooms. But they are Florida mushrooms and probably transient, sexual predators or in a rock band. Regardless, it was new and so taking pictures of mushrooms became a form of cheap entertainment that's now assigned to me every time we step into a woods.

I kind of like it. The mushrooms are kind of attention whores, they like it too.

Pastimes of My Poorer Self

We wandered over to South Carolina yesterday, in search of Jack in the Box (found) and something to do (also found). We ended up at the botanical gardens on Clemson's campus. We decided that with nothing better to do that blistering hot day, we'd go for a stroll.

As usual, this turned into a mushroom hunt.

I am always a little amused by hunting mushrooms for photos, as though I'm on some photo-safari of fungi. I suppose I am. But they're strange little things, with their shapes and colors and I'll admit, I'm always going to be entertained by this, at least a little.

If I happen to be observing the flowers, or the trees, and miss a fungal family I'll hear calls of "MOM! Mushroom!" and I bend down, getting low to meet the mushrooms on their level. After all, that's where they keep their secrets and I usually see the best stuff down there.

I wonder if my oldest even remembers from where this tradition arose. When we left Florida and moved to what I then considered hell and now find to be home, we were so in debt we could barely function. Months without income had taken it's toll. With three small boys to keep entertained the local parks were our frequent destination, and taking strolls through the new, alien landscapes ended up with Louis amazed at the quantity and variety of mushrooms.

We didn't have anything LIKE that in Florida. I am sure there are mushrooms. But they are Florida mushrooms and probably transient, sexual predators or in a rock band. Regardless, it was new and so taking pictures of mushrooms became a form of cheap entertainment that's now assigned to me every time we step into a woods.

I kind of like it. The mushrooms are kind of attention whores, they like it too.

Mushroom Photo Safari

It's still one of the oldest boy's favorite things to do, to hunt for mushrooms that are unusual when we take nature walks. We didn't really HAVE mushrooms where we lived in Florida, or if we did there was such and abundance of insane wildlife they ate them up. So it's like a sport, spot the mushroom, as we walk through the humid canopy of Georgia pines.

I don't know anything about mushrooms. Well, I know they are a fungus. And they're fun to kick. I don't like to eat them. Hunting them to take pictures of them is probably my favorite thing too.

The husband probably knows, but I don't care, as I'm not interested in eating them regardless. Ick.
But they are sort of beautiful these weird little fungii populating the forest floor.

There is a wee little frog just to the left of these two, it's so tiny you can't really see it properly. But we were excited to see it. It's the smallest frog I've ever seen.

A walk through the woods was the perfect way to start the fall. First day of school, here we come.
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Mushroom Photo Safari

It's still one of the oldest boy's favorite things to do, to hunt for mushrooms that are unusual when we take nature walks. We didn't really HAVE mushrooms where we lived in Florida, or if we did there was such and abundance of insane wildlife they ate them up. So it's like a sport, spot the mushroom, as we walk through the humid canopy of Georgia pines.

I don't know anything about mushrooms. Well, I know they are a fungus. And they're fun to kick. I don't like to eat them. Hunting them to take pictures of them is probably my favorite thing too.

The husband probably knows, but I don't care, as I'm not interested in eating them regardless. Ick.
But they are sort of beautiful these weird little fungii populating the forest floor.

There is a wee little frog just to the left of these two, it's so tiny you can't really see it properly. But we were excited to see it. It's the smallest frog I've ever seen.

A walk through the woods was the perfect way to start the fall. First day of school, here we come.
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