I think most of you have heard the term "magic mushrooms" before. It means "a psychedelic mushroom containing psilocybin".(here )Living in the Northwest, mushrooms grow everywhere, so I don't pay much attention as most of them are poisonous and I don't know a lot about mushrooms. Until a couple of weeks ago I came upon these beauties-------
They are called Amanita Muscaria. (here ) And of course we all recognize these from Alice in Wonderland-- ( "Perceptual phenomena such as macropsia and micropsia may occur, which may have been the inspiration for the effect of mushroom-consumption in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." )
The funny thing is, in all my years of walking in the woods, this is the first time I have come across one of these, and of all places---believe it or not---I found them in the parking lot of a Target store. That got me to scouring the parking lot--yes every tree (they grow under the pines). I found two of these plus a whole lot more. I picked them all to take home and photograph as most of them had been stomped on and would not have lasted much longer.
Of course now I have an obsession with mushrooms.Who knows whats lurking out there??
So now when I walk in the woods, I hunt down mushrooms.
Here is just a sampling I found in the woods-----
Shhhh--I do believe I saw a fairy or two---
Maybe a fairy condo???
oh--the fairy princess bower--
I wonder if Mr. Caterpillar is home???
I want to learn so much more about these curious fungi. Do you have some of these where you live? Or different kinds? Or know some fungi secrets???
Please do share!!
