Better Late Than Never: Mushrooms Are Growing In Northeastern Pennsylvania.

We got plenty of much needed rain here in Northeastern Pennsylvania this past week and, although it  is very late in the season, it has brought out some of the edible mushroom species.

Yesterday, a cool and overcast day, I hiked in the aspen/birch/ pine woods looking for the bolete species that my dad taught my brothers and I to pick when we were very young children. Only found one and I think it may be too late for this species of mushroom this year.

I then hiked into some oak woods and found a few young hen of the woods (or ramshead, as they are know in my area) mushrooms. I also found a few honey mushrooms, know around here as stumpers or popinkies.

After a cool and cloudy start it turned out to be  was a beautiful day here and I headed into some oak and maple woods , now beginning to change color, to look for some more mushrooms.

It was  windy day and the ground was now littered with multi-colored leaves that had fallen in the rain or which were blown off from the wind.  It was a refreshing day to be in the woods.

The woods are quiet now,  the birds, frogs and insects are gone. I heard a few blue jays and crows and the constant thudding of the heavy acorn crop falling to the ground. The sun shinning through the trees lit up the many colored leaves, each leaf having a unique color pattern.

I love photographing the many shades of colors on the different leaves, and could have spent the entire day taking photos. but I was looking for mushrooms and wanted to get back for some afternoon football.

During my search i found a cranberry bog and there was. like the acorns, a very heavy crop of large cranberries. I am thinking we are in for a long Winter this year.

I did find a few  older hen of the woods or ramsheads mushrooms which were now ruined by the heavy rains. And I found a few  just  starting to grow so I left them. I was just about ready to head home when I found this nice hen of the woods mushroom.

ANd after that found quite a few honey mushrooms or popinkies. These are one of my favorites.

I just wish to caution everyone that NO  ONE should pick a wild mushroom unless you are ABSOLUTELY positive that it is safe to eat.  There are many that look alike and some can make you very sick and even KILL you. So please be careful and only pick those you have had absolutely identified.

i headed home with a nice batch of mushrooms in the photograph above. I made a nice meal of ramsheads and popinkies sauted in olive oil and onions.

It is late but I’m hoping,   with some warm weather this week, I can find more of these lowly, and great tasting fungi. And even if I don’t it is still a nice time of year to be in the woods. This is a link to some more photographs I took on my hike today. https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-5/nggallery/blog-photos/mushroom-hike-october-4-2015

“I love like a leaf in the wind. Please, hold your applause until the end of the performance (the last day of fall).”
― Jarod Kintz,