Monday, October 5, 2009

Sad Observation About Granddad

[Granddad Plum is looking thin on top, just like a lot of us]


The rains are here, and so it's just about time for mushroom hunting. I'll be keeping daily watch on the secret golden chanterelle patch. One of these nights I'll serve handmade pasta with a chanterelle cream sauce.

(Aside: I just took a break from typing to watch a Kestrel stalk songbirds at the top of the meadow. I don't think he got one.)

My first fungus of the year, unfortunately, is a polypore sprouting from the dead core of Granddad Plum's trunk. I don't have my mushroom books to ID it properly, but it looks like a white/tan relative of the sulphur shelf fungus. It's the right growing conditions, form and size for that fungus - only the color is different from my experience of them.


[Unidentified polypore fungus on Granddad]

Next time our community's arborist is here, I'll ask him if he knows what the appearance of this fungus says about the tree's longevity. Fungus on tree trunks isn't usually a good sign, though.

Today is another long day at the loom, threading and sleying the next beam. My new bobbin winder should be here soon, though, and it'll be back to yardage.
[An American Kestrel, a gorgeous and tiny falcon. Photo from the iBird Explorer app.]

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