happy chatter

Apparently it has been perfect weather for mushrooms. Wet and a little on the cool side. Not that it has been very cold, or wet, for that matter... I can't remember such a mild, sunny autumn. But we are getting rain every week or so (I still find this amazing after the big dry of recent times) and this is what I found in my garden yesterday.


I know they are more than just fairytale lore, but didn't know that they could be found in Australia, and are in fact well established here, to the point of displacing native fungi species in Tasmanian forests. I hope whatever ate one side of this mushroom had a nice trip and survived. I haven't noticed the chickens behaving too strangely, though a few eggs have been dropped on the ground from the perch rather than laid in their nest. Are they our mystery mushroom munchers?

These ones are ugly but plentiful...


...and these are well past their prime, thought still impressive. I did think they might be edible, but didn't have a proper look, don't really know what I'm looking for and decided not cook any up just yet.