Overnight, scores of mushrooms have raised their heads in my garden. A string of summer showers called them forth — red, yellow, brown, orange, and white in as many shapes — parasols, buttons, stubs, lumps, and thumbs. Online I find a community of experts, mycophiles, who warn me not to eat the death cap, destroying angel, deadly gallerina, false morel, or poison pax. Yet something is eating my mushrooms. Whatever it is — rabbit, squirrel, mouse, fox, or cat — it is not asking the experts before eating. It is not consulting the book. It is not testing with potassium hydroxide or examining the spores under a microscope. Like Eve, it sees what is pleasing to the eye and takes a bite.
Photo of a yellow mushroom with a bite missing.
Photo and text copyright 2018 by Danny N. Schweers.
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Comments
Shari wrote:
Go ask Alice. I think she'll know.
Holly wrote:
Don’t be bringing Eve into this! Haha!
Tom wrote:
Ha ha! Squirrels no doubt. Well done, Danny. Love the DOF! [Depth Of Field]
Donna wrote:
Wow- beautiful, Danny. Magical.
Maryann wrote:
That's awesome. My Italian grandmother, with an expert's eye (but not their PhDs) for gathering wild mushrooms, would always feed some to her assorted cats the day before she fed them to her family. To my knowledge, she never lost a cat.
Hugh wrote:
Love it!
Marina wrote:
Wanted: Dead or Alive! Cool pic. If I were the creature looking for something to eat, I might pick this color.
Elizabeth wrote:
It looks delectable!
Kathy wrote:
Terrific photo Danny! And I love the last line of your writing. Very funny.
Mary wrote:
Lively poem and lovely photo!
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