IDENTIFYING EDIBLE
MUSHROOMS OF THE WEST
A COFFEE TABLE GUIDE TO MUSHROOM FORAGING
ABBY BERGEMANN
SCALES
CAP
STRIATIONS
WRATS
ZONATIONS AREOLAE
TUBES
GILLS
PORES
SPORES
TEETH RING, SKIRT STIPE, STALK VOLVA
RETICULUM SCALES
BASAL BULB MYCELIAL THREADS
INTRODUCTION Mushrooms are the reproductive structures or “fruit” of a certain fungi. The most familiar kind of mushroom has a cap with gills (radiating blades) on its underside. Millions of microscopic reproductive units called spores are discharged from the gills and dispersed by air currents. Only a small percentage of spores land in a favorable environment, where they germinate to form new fungi. Fungi do not manufacture their own food like plants. Like animals, they must obtain food from outside sources. The part of the mushroom fungus that digests nutrients is an intricate web of fine threads collective called mycelium. The mycelium may live anywhere for few days (in perishable substrates like dung) to several hundred years, periodically producing mushrooms when enough moisture is available. Mushrooms are a vital and omnipresent part of our environment. A few are parasitic, feeding on living organisms, usually trees. The rest are either saprophytic or mycorrhizal. Saprophytic fungi are nature’s recyclers. They replenish the soil by breaking down complex organic matter into simpler, reusable compounds. Mycorrhizal fungi form a mutually beneficial relationship with the rootlets of plants in which nutrients are exchanged. They are critical to the health of our forests, as many trees will not grow without them. Despite the many benefits and uses of mushrooms, most North Americans are markedly fungophobic, a trait inherited from the British. Fungophobia can be defined as the belief that mushrooms are actively hostile at worst and worthless at best. It is only in the last few years that large numbers of North Americans have begun to discover what the mushroom-loving peoples of Japan, China, Russia, and Europe have known for centuries: that these “forbidden fruit” are delicious and nutritious, vital and valuable, potent and beautiful, and that mushroom hunting is a challenging, enlightening, and uplifting activity. Stretching from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast and from the deserts of northern Mexico to Alaska, this vast and varied region harbors several thousand kinds of mushrooms. Those depicted in this book are those likely to pique the interest of the average wonderer and wanderer. The design of this book is simple: each mushroom is illustrated with one or more photographs accompanied by a concise, easy-to-understand list of identifying features, organized by growing on the ground or lifted on a host.
CHANTERELLES Cantharellus Cibarius
OTHER NAMES:
Yellow Chanterelle, Girolle, Pfifferling
KEY FEATURES:
• Bright orange to yellow orange cap, bald, usually concave or wavy • Gills well spaced, shallow, blunt-edged and thick, often with connecting veins in between • On the ground, under conifers and oaks, often in groups but not in fused clusters
One pound of Chanterelle mushrooms is worth around $20 to $30
C
hanterelle mushroom refers to a group of mushrooms that usually have a funnel-like shape and ridges, instead of gills or pores, that extend down the stem on the underside of the cap. Chanterelles rank among the most popular edible wild mushrooms. Their orange and yellow funnel-shaped cap make it one of the most reliably identifiable.
The chanterelle is a fruiting body of a fungus that consists of microscopic, hairlike filaments, called hyphae, which grow in forest soil as a mycorrhizal partner with host trees. The hyphae form a sheath, called an ectomycorrhiza, around a tree’s live root tips. A symbiotic exchange takes place, as the vast network of fungal hyphae supplies the tree with water and nutrients, while the tree supplies the fungus with carbohydrates. A network of hyphae forms what is called a mycelium; and chanterelle mushrooms form from a dense clot of mycelium called primordial. The chanterelle’s size, shape, and even its color vary from region to region. Those is California are the largest in the world, while the Rocky Mountain version is much smaller and more brightly colored. They require a moist habitat, and are most abundant during wet summers with consistent rain. They need mature, established woodland to grow, so look for older trees and a solid forest canopy when on the hunt. Two other species fit the chanterelle mushroom group description, but are of questionable edibility and may be toxic to humans. Both grow in mixed conifer forests.
WOOLY CHANTERELLE
(Turbinellus Floccosus) • Vase shaped, fleshy, shallow longitudinal wrinkles and folds, hollow core • Toxic and not recommended for consumption, causing gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
MORELS Morchella Esculenta
Morel mushrooms cost upward of $20/lb due to their short growing season.
OTHER NAMES:
Yellow Morel, Merkle, Sponge Mushroom
KEY FEATURES: • Entire mushroom is hollow • Stalk without a sack or cup at base • Found in woods, fruit orchards, gardens, sandy soil, wood chips, landscaped areas, under cottonwood and along streams • Cap round to oval shaped, honeycombed with pits and ridges
M
orel mushrooms, or just morels, are a highly desired ingredient among chefs and mushroom enthusiasts. The reason? They’re only grown in the wild, unlike farmed mushrooms you’ll find in the grocery store. They’re extremely difficult to farm, meaning they must be foraged and harvested from where they naturally grow. Morels are usually found in wooded areas throughout North America and Europe. Warm and wet conditions are best for growing morel mushrooms.
Morels vary greatly in size and appearance. Their shape can range from oblong to bulbous, and their color from blonde to gray. They are easy to distinguish by their exterior, which resembles a honeycomb. The inside of a morel is white and hollow. Morels occur in many habitats but are often difficult to see. Their mycelia tend to be short live, so new “patches” must be found every year. In addition to their luxurious taste and texture, morels are loaded with all kinds of vitamins. They will generally contain significant quantities of iron, copper, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin D, folate, niacin, riboflavin and a decent dose of potassium, magnesium, calcium, selenium, thiamine, vitamins E and B6. Like many types of mushrooms, morels have doppelgängers—but they can be deadly. Beware of false morels, which includes a number of species that look similar but are actually poisonous. False morels are reddish-brown to yellow in color, with a cap that hangs to one side. They’re also not hollow on the inside, like real morels.
FALSE MOREL
(Verpa Bohemica ) Both are lobed and brain like cap, not honeycombed with pits
•
Red-brown, brown, or yellow-brown, not completely inter grown with stalk
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Not recommended for consumption, deadly poisonous raw
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EARLY MOREL (Gyromita
Esculenta)
From the first picture you can see this is a distinctive looking mushroom. The large, often raised scales on the cap make this mushroom look like a hawk’s wing or overdone macaroon. They are easy to spot in the woods for this reason, as well as the underside being covered in teeth, despite their drag color. They have a mild odor, smelling like nothing more than just woods. The stalk of this wild mushroom is partially hollow, with a white to light brownish flesh color. They primarily grow July-September, growing on the ground versus on a tree or dead stump. Conifers and mixed forests are a great place to find these guys, common after rain.
Above are photos of a dark variety Hawk’s Wing and yarn dyed with it. You can put skeins of yarn or fabric in a mushroom dye bath to create pigments. Mushrooms, like most other natural dyes, tend to create brighter, more saturated colors on protein/animal based fibers such as wool and silk. Mushrooms are a great, all natural alternative to synthetic dyes!
HEDGEHOG MUSHROOM
(Hydnum Repandum)
Similar to Hawks Wing; cap and stalk white to pale orange or dull orange, surface of cap bald (but may break up to form scales)
•
Flesh white and brittle, not woody or leathery
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Resembles color and texture of Chanterelle
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HAWK’S WING Sarcodon Imbricatum
OTHER NAMES:
Shingled Hedgehog, Scaly Hedgehog
KEY FEATURES: •
Cap brown to dark brown with large black to brown scales
•
Underside layer of brittle spines or “teeth”, brown or grayish
•
Fresh brittle, not woody or leathery
•
Tip (extreme base) of stalk not olive green or black inside
H
awk’s wing mushroom is a part of hydnum family and can be found in coniferous woods especially on sandy soils, mostly in the autumn. Hawk’s wing mushroom has to be eaten boiled or sauteed for at least 20 minutes; eaten raw may provoke indigestions. It is important that before cooking them, they have to be cautiously cleaned because they might hide a variety of insects or dust inside their cap. Due to the fact that hawk’s king mushroom is very similar to numerous poisonous fungus one must be very cautious when collecting them, and it is preferable that they are tasted before cooked so one may recognize its bitterness.
WOODLAND AGARICUS Agaricus Silvicola KEY FEATURES: •
Cap whit to yellowish
•
Edge of cap staining and remaining yellow when surface is rubbed repeatedly
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Gills free from stalk, pale when young, eventually becoming dark chocolate-brown
•
Odor of crushed flesh sweet (like almond extract)
•
Stalk usually partly hollow or stuffed with a pith
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Growing on ground in woods, alone or in small groups, common and widespread
D
istinguishing among different species of Agricarus can be tricky, because most have the same overall appearance (white or brown cap, white stalk, and features mentioned above. As both delectable and mildly poisonous species occur, there is a large selection. They require a keen eye and sensitive nose. No group of gilled mushrooms offers more fine edibles, many of which are plentiful in urban as well as rural habitats.
Agaricus campestris is found in fields and grassy areas after rain from late summer onwards worldwide. It is often found on lawns in suburban areas. Appearing in small groups, in fairy rings, or solitary. Although edible, this mushroom is not commercially cultivated on account of its fast maturing and short shelf-life. Culinary uses of the meadow mushroom include eating it sauteed or fried, in sauces, or even sliced raw and included in salads. In flavor and texture, this mushroom is similar to the white button mushroom available in grocery stores in most Western countries. Among the similar species mentioned above, there have been cases (in fact the most common cause of fatal fungus poisoning in France) where the deadly toxic destroying angel (Amanita Bisporigera) has been consumed by individuals who mistook it for this species.
Aminita Bisporigera
DESTROYING ANGEL
(Aminita Bisporigera) Cap pure white, or white at the edge and yellowing, pinking, or tan at the center
•
White stalk and gills, partial veil circling the upper stalk, and the gills are not attached to the stalk
•
Presence of a volva or universal veil (a membrane that encapsulates the entire mushroom when it is young)
•
Accounts for the overwhelming majority of deaths due to mushroom poisoning. (The toxin responsible for this is anatoxin, destroying the liver and kidney tissues)
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BLEWIT Clitocybe Nuda
OTHER NAMES:
Wood Blewit, Lepista Nuda
KEY FEATURES:
• Purple or bluish-purple • Bald cap, not sticky • Gills close together, attached at stalk, solid not hollow
B
lewits are a worldwide species (also known as Clitocybe nuda, with a cousin Lepista saeva in Europe) that likes trees and fallen leaves or other decomposing duff. It is pretty easy to identify and worth taking home, if only for the vivid lilac-to-lavender color. They are, in general, a cool weather mushroom, arriving in the Northeast and Pacific Coast around October and persisting all winter long—so long as there are no extended frosts. Blewits have a standard “mushroom” shape: simple cap, a thick, stocky stalk, tight gills. There will be no ring or veil around the stalk.
The cap should be smooth, almost suede-like. It will have leaf litter stuck to it from time to time, but it will never be slimy or viscid. Blewit caps are often beige to mauve. As the mushroom ages, the edges of the cap will get wavy. There are a few other blue-to-purple mushrooms around, but none that meet all these requirements. If you have a mushrooms with a suede-like cap, stocky stalk, tight, vivid purple gills, a slight but pleasant aroma and that has light, pinkish-tan spores, you have a Blewit. Sadly Blewits don’t merit the praise and adulation that chanterelles, porcini or morels do. blewits are firm and chewy in a good way. It’s that squeaky, almost crunchy texture that you either love or hate with mushrooms. They can definitely stand on their own in a vegetarian dish, if you so desire.
CORTINARIUS MUSHROOM
CORTINARIUS ARCHERI (Agaricus Violaceus)
• Entirely violet, purple, or blue • Young specimens have a Cortina (veil) between the cap and the stem • Slimy or sticky • Poisonous, mainly causing acute tubulointerstitial nephritis
KING BOLETE Boletus Edulis
OTHER NAMES:
Cep, Porcini, Steinpilz, Penny Bun, ect.
KEY FEATURES:
K
ing Bolete (Boletus edulis) and Spring King Bolete (Boletus rex-veris) are the most prized wild mushroom all around the world with excellent nutritional properties. This is one of the best edible mushrooms with a meaty texture, a great aroma, and taste. King Bolete may vary in color, shape, size, and habitat. The chef’s favorite mushrooms have used in various recipes. They are great for drying, sautéing, frying, or pickling.
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Cap brown to yellow-brown, red-brown, red
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Thick stalk, white or brown (never yellow)
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Flesh white, not staining blue or brown when cut
Most boletes are found on the ground in wooded areas and at their edges, under conifers (pine, western hemlock, Sitka spruce) and hardwoods (oak, birch, aspen). Boletes work in tandem with certain species of trees and only grow around their roots. Boletes lack gills. Instead, they have pores on the underside of their cap from which their spores are sent careening off into the world. This spongy surface looks very different from your typical field mushroom, like say a Chlorophyllum molybdites. Springs King Boletes grow under Ponderosa pines and white firs at higher elevations. These mushrooms are found in mountain forests of Cascades and fruit from May through June when the soil is saturated after snowmelt or winter rain and the air temperature is warming up. The Fall Porcini season, typically, continues from September to November, after heavy rainfalls to first frosty nights. The fungi are widely distributed in the coastal forests and parks, the Coast Range and the Cascade Mountains. Once you spot a patch and identify them as edible, remember where it is. The fungi lives beneath the ground year-round and only erupts when conditions are right. Once you’ve found a bolete, cut into it or crush a corner. If the flesh rapidly stains blue, you may have an inedible type. Discard it unless you are an expert. Some of the toxic boletes have brilliant red or yellow pores on the bottom. If your mushroom looks like that, there’s a good chance it’s not an edible bolete.
RED-PORED BOLETE
(Boletus Pulcherrimus) Brown to reddish cap, underside sponge layer, deep red to red staining blue when bruised
•
Poisonous, causes severe gastrointestinal distress
•
M
atsutake mushrooms are native to Japan and have been growing wild on the roots of red pines and other trees for more than a thousand years. Once this mushroom is smelled, it is never forgotten. In the US, matsutake mostly grows along the Washington coast, although mushrooms foragers sometimes find them in Northern California, Idaho, and Oregon. These mushrooms can also be found in the Rockies. Matsutake mushrooms have a mycorrhizal relationship with various tree species. Most often, they grown under pine and fir trees. Hunters can occasionally find them growing under hardwoods like Oaks and Tanoaks. There is another edible and very closely related species, called Tricholoma Magnivelare, or American matsutake. They typically measure around 10-20 cm in diameter, with smooth round convex caps, which have noticeably curled edges that flatten out as they age. Beneath the cap, are tan and white gills that have a cotton-like veil that shields them as they grow. They start their lives with a smooth white appearance but later develop brown scales and tan spots as they continue to mature. Matsutake mushroom season runs from September through December.
ZELLER’S TRICHOLOMA (Tricholoma Zelleri)
• Cap orange to yellow-orange or orange-brown, sometimes mixed with olive green • Gills white when fresh, attached to stalk but not running down it • Stalk with orange or brown stains or scales below the ring • Unpleasant odor, like rancid meal or cucumber
ZELLER’S TRICHOLOMA
• Common under northern and mountain conifers, growing on the ground
WHITE MATSUTAKE Tricholoma Magnivelare
OTHER NAMES:
Pine Mushroom, Matsutake, American Matsutake, Armillaria Ponderosa
KEY FEATURES: • Cap white to slightly yellowish • Odor strongly spice-fragrant (cinnamon) • Gills white when fresh, not running down stalk • Growing on ground
CAULIFLOWER MUSHROOM Sparassis Crispa
OTHER NAMES:
Sparassis Radicata
KEY FEATURES:
• Brainlike or resembling coral • White to slightly yellowish • Deeply rooted base • Fragrant odor • Growing at or near conifers
S
parassis (commonly called “cauliflower mushrooms” due to their appearance) are easy-to-identify mushrooms that can be found around the world. Sparassis is a genus comprising multiple species of mushrooms, all of which have the common name cauliflower mushroom. Cauliflower mushrooms are so named due to their physical appearance, which is similar to the vegetable, cauliflower. Cauliflower mushrooms fruit from late summer—early fall, growing at the base of living pine trees. They’re both parasitic (infecting live tree roots) and saprobic (consuming tree roots that have died).
Cauliflower mushrooms have a unique earthy taste. They also have a unique texture; when cooked, they maintain a chewiness similar to an al dente pasta noodle. The only negative thing to say about cauliflower mushrooms is that their sponge-like structure combined with growing out of the earth makes them a very messy mushroom. As cauliflower mushrooms grow up and through the soil surface and pick up soil splatter from rain, the mushrooms can become quite dirty—especially at their base. Also, their internal caverns and openings make a great habitat for ants, millipedes, and other creepy crawlies, so be prepared to encounter such creatures during harvesting and cleaning. You can save yourself some cleaning time in the kitchen by being mindful about the way you harvest your cauliflower mushrooms. Using a harvest knife, cut the base of the mushroom (which emerges from a central stem-like structure. Then, do a quick visual inspection to determine if there are parts of the mushroom that are too dirty to clean—cut those parts off and leave them.
PINK-TIPPED CORAL MUSHROOM
YELLOW CORAL MUSHROOM
• Both are found on the ground it wood, at higher elevations fruiting in spring, summer, fall • Edible and fairly tasty, but with a laxative effect on some people
LIONS MANE Hericium Erinaceus
Lion’s Mane is one of the easiest to grow at home! The fruiting block can expose substrate to fresh air and humidity which will assist in triggering the formation of primordia. Mushroom fruiting will begin within 1-2 weeks of initiation.
OTHER NAMES:
Old Man’s Bear, Pom Pom du Blanc
KEY FEATURES: • Mushroom with one large clump of spines • Hanging like icicles from a tough, unbranched base • Spines 1-3” long when mature, white or yellowish • Growing on wood of hardwoods, occasionally on dead ones
L
ion’s Mane Mushrooms are both a delicious edible mushroom and a potent medicinal. Add in the fact that they’re easy to identify and abundant in the woods, and you’ve pretty much got the perfect wild mushroom. A foolproof mushroom, lion’s mane mushrooms have no look-alikes. Once you spot a cluster of icicles hanging from a dead or dying hardwood, you’re in for a real treat. It can appear year after year on the same tree.
The season for lion’s mane mushrooms will largely depend on your climate. They’re a cool-weather mushroom; September through mid-October is a good time to find them, and their season tapers off when having hard frosts (around 20 degrees F) in mid-to-late-October. As an edible mushroom, lion’s mane has a mild seafood flavor, a bit similar to lobster. They absorb flavors (and liquid) like a sponge, which makes them versatile in cooking. While they’re a delicious edible, their real value comes from their medicinal properties. Lion’s mane is commonly cultivated and sold for it’s purported cognitive healing benefits. The mushroom contains a substance called erinacine, which has the ability to catalyze the production of nerve growth factor (NFG) and reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders, as well as a number of other neurodegenerative diseases (inflammation and oxidation, immune function, anxiety and depression, cognitive health, heart health, cancer, diabetes, digestive health, wound healing, nervous system recovery)
BEAR’S HEAD
(Hericium Abietis) Mushroom branched , with many clusters of spines • hanging like icicles from the branch tips Entire Mushroom white or yellowish with Salmon • tinge, Medium sized to very large, soft spores Growing on wood of conifers, common in the old • conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest and northern Californian • Delicious, just like Lions Head; can be stir-fried, marinated, or cooked like fish
There’s a pretty broad scientific consensus that Turkey Tail mushrooms have the following medicinal uses: Help improve immune responses against infection and common illnesses (including the common cold), improves cancer survival rates (5-year survival post diagnosis) when used in combination with traditional cancer treatments, can help combat HPV when used along with Reishi Mushroom Extract, helping the body fight free radicals and adapt to oxidative stress because of their rich in antioxidant compounds, help to improve digestion, and can help promote a healthy microbiome. This prebiotic promote healthy gut flora, that can reduce diarrhea, improve immune function, lower cholesterol, along with many other benefits of healthy gut function. Generally, turkey tails are used as a simple mushroom tea, or taken in powdered form in as mushroom capsules. If you’ve harvested your own turkey tail mushrooms, start by drying any mushrooms you won’t use immediately. This ensures that they’ll keep without spoiling for extended periods, as they’ll sometimes develop mold if not dehydrated. Turkey tail mushrooms can also be frozen for teas later on. The closest look alike are types of crust fungus, namely Stereum Ostrae. They look enough alike that these actually go by the common name “false turkey tail.” From the top surface, they look pretty darn similar. They both have rings of color, they’re both thin and tough. Once you flip them over, it’s easy to tell the difference. They do not have pores on its underside. The underside is completely smooth. It’s not known to be toxic, but it’s not known to be explicitly edible either.
FALSE TURKEY TAIL (Stereum Ostrae)
Underside is reddish, tannish or brownish • and completely flat
TURKEY TAIL Trametes Versicolor
OTHER NAMES:
Coriolis Versicolor, Polyporus Versicolor
KEY FEATURES:
• Shelflike, fan-shaped • Tough and leathery texture • Stalk more or less absent • Growing on hardwoods
T
urkey Tail Mushrooms are one of the most common mushrooms in the forest that grow all around the world, on almost any type of wood, and there are no known poisonous look-alikes. Yet they’re also one of the most expensive medicinal mushrooms to buy. The high price tag is not because they’re difficult to forage, but driven by the fact that they have so many astounding medicinal benefits.
OYSTER MUSHROOM Pleurotus Ostreatus
OTHER NAMES:
Tree Oyster, Tree Mushroom
KEY FEATURES:
• Growing shelf-like on dead trees, logs, or stumps • Cap bald, white dark grey, tan, or brown • Pale gills, running down stalk (if present)
I
n the wild, you can find oyster mushrooms in the fall. The best time is after the first frost of the year, or after other big weather changes like the first hot weekend of spring. Oyster mushrooms form clusters called shelves on rotting or fallen logs. So if you find one, you’ll often find a whole bunch close together. Look for logs, fallen trees, or dead standing trees as potential homes for oyster mushrooms. Be sure to check underneath trees that have fallen over as well, as oysters often prefer to grow in the shade.
Oyster mushrooms grow very quickly. You’ll need to find them while they’re still young or they could be quite leathery and not worth eating. Once you know what wild oyster mushrooms look like, there can be no mistaking them. These peculiar-looking fungi grow in shelf-like clusters. When you find one, chances are there are plenty of others around it. This makes foraging for them quite convenient. Those that do choose to take finding these mushrooms into their own hands, however, need to be very aware of how to do so safely. This includes accurate identification as well as proper sanitation. The bottom section of the stem should be cut off to rid the mushroom of any wood remnants. The spaces in between an oyster mushroom’s many gills should be rinsed thoroughly in order to flush out any dirt or insects. Of course, looking in the woods isn’t the only way to get your hands on some fresh oyster mushrooms. They can also be found in many supermarkets and farmer’s markets, especially in autumn. Should you become fond of this particular kind of mushroom, it’s possible to begin growing them right in your backyard.
JACK 0’ LANTERN
(Omphalotus Olivascens) • Entirely yellow-orange to olive-yellow, bald cap, not sticky or slimy • Gills running down the stalk • Growing on ground or near hardwood stumps and trees • Poisonous; causes profuse sweating, gastrointestinal distress, and other symptoms of muscarine poisoning
OTHER AUTHORS, CONTRIBUTORS AND INFORMATION FROM: www.allrecipes.com/article/what-are-morel-mushrooms www.practicalselfreliance.com www.chowhound.com/post/good-grief-hawks-wing-mushrooms www.thingmushrooms.com www.grocycle.com/oyster-mushrooms-guide www.pnwwildmushrooms.com www.wildfooduk.com/articles/identifying-white-mushrooms www.honest-food.net/blewits-blewits-everywhere www.tyrantfarms.com All That The Rain Promises and More by David Arora, Published in 1991 by Ten Speed Press
Copyright © 2021 by Abby Bergemann All rights reserved.This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means (with the exception of short quotes for the purpose of review) without the permission of the publisher. For more information or to order extra copies of this book call Don’t Get Lost Press (541) 645-0033 Produced by Don’t Get Lost Press 305 South 12th Avenue, Bozeman, Montana 59715 www.dontgetlost.com
I used to think I needed the sun to have fun. Rain was an inconvenience, something to wait out not wade in.... Mushrooms changed all that. The miracle of mushrooms is in their spontaneity and resilience. Springing from the ground that looked so hard and bleak, they seam to embody all that we carry, and bury, inside us: secret passions and dormant dreams awaiting inspiration, instigation, and conditions that precipitate growth.... I still savor the sun. Rain refreshes, sun caresses. But as I bask in the hazy glow of another lazy summer day, my life feels as empty as the sky above... I find myself yearning for clouds returning, all that the rain promises and more... -David Arora All That the Rain Promises and More