It’s a grey dull day here in Porthmadog. I took the dogs a quick walk and had to return for a camera. The dogs wouldn’t come back without a good cursing, they don’t like being short changed.
Even I couldn’t miss seeing these monsters.
A pair of Shaggy Parasols in perfect condition. The ‘grown ups’ name is Lepiota rhacodes. These are edible but must be cooked. I used to eat them but these days they give me stomach cramps. I can only assume they don’t mix well with campanology.
A pity as they are a meal on their own. The coin is a pound coin. they are 7/8ths of an inch in diameter or 23mm for those of metric persuasion.
I could do with finding some Puff Balls they are my favourite cooked with smoked bacon.
That’s all for today. Tomorrow I’m heading for Borrowdale in the Lake District. Lets hope for some misty mornings and autumn colour.
Hi Adrian They certainly are monster size. Happy eating. great shots and a good idea to put the pound on one so that we can really see what size it is.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, the fairies left the pound. Very kind are Welsh Fairies.
ReplyDeleteHI Adrian Must have been the fairies from Ireland on holiday!! I have just been watching your last post and movie. No shakiness there. Very well done and I loved the whole post. there is something about steam trains that is just magic.
ReplyDeleteMargaret I did as you said and used a tripod. I am working on the juddering which I suspect is a camera problem. I have re-rendered it at three different settings and it is much the same. Pity I can't blame Youtube.
DeleteThe fairies are more likely to be Irish than Welsh....mean folk are the Welsh.
They're magnificent - when the caps open fully they'll be as big as dinner plates!
ReplyDeleteThey are Phil, I just hope that some vandal doesn't kick them over. The fungi seem to be a bit late this year.
DeleteI'll walk up the hill again in the morning and see how much they've grown.
Phil, they were destroyed this morning. I passed a party of school children on my way back and suspected they'd trash them. Teachers these days need a bigger stick than mine had. They were on a nature ramble but the racket they were making I doubt they saw much of anything that was on wings or legs. My dogs are better behaved.
DeleteIf there's one thing I know less about than insects, it is mushrooms. There must be many more varieties in England than here and from the looks of these their growth is far superior. Even back when people grew most of their food I never heard of anyone eating mushrooms that they had harvested.
ReplyDeleteI like the grass, shrubs and trees in number 1. The mushrooms seem like they don't fit into the picture but that's just me. Numbers 2, 3 and 4 are just great! I like seeing the coin as it does show how big the mushrooms are; number 2 seems the sharpest but I think 3 is the best. It is what I would see if I was looking at the mushroom in nature.
David, I am an engineer, I can fix Hydraulics and Engines. The photography I like to do well at but it is hard.
ReplyDeleteI just like eating fungi. You have to be very careful. When these first emerge they could be mistaken for amanita which are not deadly but certainly hallucinogenic. There is much fun to be had from fungi. Crumble a bit of Fly Agaric on ma-in-laws pudding. Then one watches as she becomes her true self. Mine was an evil witch but confused she forgot who to blame. Magic fun to be had from nature and the god that provided such stuff to those enlightened enough to understand. Always cook fungi. Try a tiny bit, if it tastes nasty it is and even if it isn't you wouldn't want to eat it; spit it out. Puff Balls are great young but if the middle is full of black powder they are over ripe. Bloody daft you'd have to be to eat one in that condition.
North America has Parasols. These will spread to over 12" in diameter. They are about half mature. Pick them and enjoy, ninety percent of them lies out of sight.
PS. I always give them a good tap first to encourage them to release spoors. I've done my bit then. I am thinking of hunting the Bog Beacon next week. they aren't edible but are a beautiful little plant.
DeleteAdrian, I'm tempted to go looking and try some to eat and reading this. It's scary. I was grown before I knew anyone ate mushrooms. I grew up thinking they were all poisonous. We were very ignorant. It's okay if you change the were to are.
DeleteDavid, get someone to show you. Very few that look nice will harm you but some will. Renal failure is favorite. Only the field mushroom can be eaten raw and it's close relative the horse mushroom can't. You are best cooking them all.
DeleteI wish I lived in France. You can take a bag full of fungi to a French Chemist and they throw the nasty ones out for you.
je had in ieder geval een gratis maaltijd.
ReplyDeleteVorig jaar maakten ze me ziek. Ik zal opnieuw proberen een morgen.
DeleteI had to take a trip back to see what you meant by monsters. Yes, they are huge. I've heard about people eating puff balls. I don't touch any wild mushrooms. I used to pick them for my Dad and fresh mush rooms are the greatest.
ReplyDeleteRed, it is a great time of the year for free food.
DeleteCan't remember the last time I saw a Puff Ball, I'll have to look harder, nice images and I like the use of the coin for scale.
ReplyDeleteDouglas, they are late this year.
DeleteThanks to you being a 'fun guy', I noticed a lovely nice big mushroom on my walk tonight, and hopefully it will be still there tomorrow when I will take my camera. I may put a coin on top as well, for size comparison ... although our coins are a different size to yours...! When I first saw your photo, I though those two white giants in the background were the backsides of Mollie and Alfie...
ReplyDeleteLoved your steam locomotive photos and video. Excellent indeed.
Glo, I look forward to seeing your mushroom.
DeleteI enjoyed this weekend. Steam is very photogenic.
They're beautiful. I need a guide for identifying these.
ReplyDeleteMaria, fungi are or can be very difficult to identify. If you can find an illustrated guide then fine but try and find one that also gives an indication of smell.
ReplyDeleteAdrian, sorry for the late comments, I spent all weekend at a birthday party in London and yesterday was recovery day!
ReplyDeleteThat was a wonderful set of images and an excellent video, (a 'new' talent you have?) of the steam locos. Those volunteers do a great job of keeping them 'alive'.
I know what you mean about the video making, in my brief foray into the 'art' I found that when I concentrated on the narrative part I lost track of what I was filming and vice versa. I also found it weird listening to my own voice when I played the video back.
Nice to see the Shaggy Parasols, Fungi season is upon us now so it must be time to get those knees and elbows wet and muddy in the hope of getting some decent photographs? I don't think I'd ever trust my ID capability and be able to safely distinguish which ones were edible, I'll just stick to photographing them!....[;o)
This may be of interest...I have a book entitled The Encyclopedia of Fungi of Britain and Europe by Michael Jordan which gives, alongside the photos, details of odour, taste, chemical reactions and whether or not a particular specimen is edible.
It's a good book but it's only downfall is that it's much too big and heavy to take out into the field.
Trevor, Glad you had a good weekend.
DeleteI don't know how Keith manages to rattle on whilst walking and filming. It is a hard art to master. It is strange hearing your own voice but I'm getting used to it.
Vandals had kicked them all over the place this morning. A pity as they still had a fair bit to expand.
I am very limited on storage room in the van so excellent though The Encyclopedia of British Fungi sounds I don't really have room. It is important that fungi reference books give details of smell and taste. They are the very devil to identify at times.
Shaggy Parasol, edible and yummy. I love love love them.
ReplyDeleteThey are edible, I should have picked one. They have been vandalised. I have seen magpies and rooks playing with fungi but this was kids on a school trip. I blame the teachers. These days they seem little better behaved than the children.
DeleteFall is the Month of the mushrooms. Maybe it edible but looks great :)) Be careful with them!
ReplyDeleteA hug.
Laura, yes you have to be careful. I know the ones I eat. These are good, so is the Chantrelle but I only eat them if I am with someone more knowlegeable. There is what we call the false Chantrelle. It causes diarrhea. Puff Balls are great when young.
DeleteWhat am I saying....you Spaniards eat little crabs in their shells. So do I when I'm in Spain. Lovely they are with rice.
Laura, sí que tienes que tener cuidado. Yo conozco a los que como. Estos son buenos, por lo que es el Chantrelle pero sólo comen si estoy con alguien más informada. No es lo que llamamos la falsa Chantrelle. Es causa diarrea. Bolas del soplo son grandes cuando son jóvenes.
¿Qué estoy diciendo .... ustedes los españoles comer poco cangrejos en sus conchas. Así que yo cuando estoy en España. Precioso están con arroz.
These look delicious!!! I would love to have a bite. We tasted these in grade school and I became an instant fan:) Sorry about the cramps:(
ReplyDeleteChris, fungi are late here this year. I'll try for a post on cooking wild food. It tastes great and it tastes better for being free.
DeleteI'm too scared to eat wild mushrooms, there are such awful tales of poisonous ones. I don't think people here go in for picking wild mushrooms, perhaps most of the ones that grow here in Australia are of the poisonous varieties. I often read of people from Europe who go off hunting mushrooms in the fields and woods in Autumn and seem to be able to recognise lots of different varieties.
ReplyDeleteHelsie, here there are very few that are deadly. There are many that will make you ill and an equal number you wouldn't want to eat because of the taste or texture.
DeleteI don't eat mushrooms (painful memories of an adventuruous youth and the magic variety) but have to admit those are impressive.
ReplyDeletePauline, I've not seen any Liberty Caps yet this year. I've not be looking hard enough!
DeleteThey are huge. Cro in France is into gathering mushrooms to eat. http://magnonsmeanderings.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/my-fear-averted.html
ReplyDeleteCarol, thanks for the link. In continental Europe they are generally much more knowledgeable than we Brits.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link.
Cro is an expat Brit Adrian, living abroad. My pleasure for sharing his blog ~ you do take good macros Adrian.
DeleteCarol, they shold be better the equipment that I use.
DeleteMeant to ask ~ campanology? I googled and am told it is bell ringing?? Nice turn of phrase. LOL
DeleteParasols are an absolute favourite. I would have called them 'Lapiota procera' from the photo, but it would depend on their dimensions. I'm surprised they give you belly ache!
ReplyDeleteCro, it was probably nothing to do with them. I ought to have picked one as they were vandalised. There are some truly awful people about.
DeleteApart from yer bog standard mushroom I've never tried any other fungi.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I only recognise about half a dozen with enough confidence to eat them. If this rain would stop it would give them a chance.
DeleteHi Adrian... I have depression, panic attacks,and anxiety .. have had for some years, well since the X left!!
ReplyDeleteI do very well on medication, but I was thinking maybe some of the mushroom would work just fine instead : )!! If a don't show up for a few day's usually that's why!!
Sorry don't know why I felt the need to tell you that but...
Grace
Grace, I am generally happy on my own. I expect nothing from people and little from life unless I find it for myself. I do have the dogs who are little devils. Forget the Ex. get a couple of dogs and they will love you for ever.
ReplyDeleteTry and kick the tablets. Prozac has it's place but not mixed with hallucinogenic fungi. You need to be in a good mood before taking that stuff and be with friends if the dream turns bad.