Just for me

Walking in a wooded park north here in Lafayette (Murdock Park) as I have for many years, found, as usual, an assortment of mushrooms. Which is a relief in that I haven't seen them in a number of years, and I thought it might be because of the bike trails that have been made. There are a lot of hills and the trails weave rather tightly all through out the woods and has affected much of the flora here. ( Trillium, Jack In The Pulpits )  

 I kicked over some leaves and found this milky.

 This An American Ceasers Mushroom

 Boletes are my main interest because They don't have gills.

 Instead of gills they have sponge like pores, very distinctive, which is crucial for identification. There are few poisonous look a likes for boletes so I feel more confident eating them. Although this one isn't very appetizing, I like Boletes as much as sponge mushrooms, although they are very different. Boletes don't ordinarily come up till the second week in August here, after a good rain of course. My rule is harvest if only sure of it's identity, and only take enough for a side dish, and this is true for any wild edible.

 This one has a number of look a likes, the bulb at the base is a bad sign.

 Here's a Cokers Amanita with a couple of small milkies in back.

 Don't know what these are but they look so cute. And by the way, how does your hedge apple grow??????????

Like this! real close to the stem. Don't be under one of these trees when they let lose. 

They say you can't take it with you when you die. Is that true with memories? I wonder--- and sometimes I think that mushrooms come up only for me to see.                                                                         

Rock garden help?

A little somewhat neglected rock garden I've adopted for friend. I stuck some petunias and nasturtiums, but it seems so blah. So I'm thinking of perhaps some Euphorbia myrsinites (Myrtle Spurge)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphorbia_myrsinites, and I guess I really need to get familiar with some cute alpine plants, being German, the one that comes to mind is Edelweiss http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo20634.htm, but I'm not sure if it would work here. So! Got any suggestions???

While walking in my favorite woods I found something that might make a good walking stick. It happens to be what I used to call Ironwood, but apparently it has other names like muscle wood or blue beech. It's actually American Hornbeam - Carpinus caroliniana http://www.mntca.org/resources/treeid/tree_dec_alt_bir_hornbean.html, It's not seen too often and is an undergrowth type of tree, so it doesn't get real large, extremely hard and with its muscular growth makes for a good cane.