DARK OF THE MOON

All photos by S. Auberle

It's not been a good year for mushrooms--the chanterelles and morels were noticeably sparse in the spring and early summer. But now, overnight, an amazing variety of mysterious beings have sprung up in the dark of the moon. The rains have come, at last, and mushrooms appear to be thriving. They carpet the forest floor. Unfortunately, without knowing which species could do me in, I'm not about to try cooking with them. I don't think the ghostly one at the top is the amanita, the Destroying Angel, but it's spooky enough as it is, though quite an elegant species. My appreciation for their exquisite forms and colors will be limited to photographing and painting them and wondering if fairies, gnomes and elves reside there. I really believe it's quite possible...