Mushroom Hunters & Poker Players

In preparation for our trip to Nana and Papa's house this week we taught the boys to play poker this weekend. We figure it will come in handy to have this knowledge (in life) and will be a fabulous thing to do in the evenings (or whenever) with Papa. It was amazing how quickly the guys picked up the concept of the game and how to build a winning hand. We love cards, they're simple and portable.

Also this weekend we found ourselves hunting for mushrooms in The Forest of Nisene Marks. Mushrooms are one of the foods our family agrees not to like - even Chris. However, Coleman is in a nature class and has been hunting for mushrooms each week. Last week he brought home a King Bolete mushroom which we cooked up and ate (except Max). The fun part is just looking for them and trying to identify them, photographing them and walking through the woods together with the collective mission of discovering something new. We met another mushroom hunter while in the woods tonight, his name is Michael. What a delightful individual he was. We chatted with him as we walked and he took us to a big jack-o-lantern mushroom near his home in the woods. He recommended the book, All That The Rain Promises and More by a local guy, David Arora. The most important thing he told us was "when in doubt, throw it out". In other words don't eat if unless you are absolutely one hundred percent certain what it is. Coleman said he learned 60% of mushrooms are poisonous. Yeah, I'm not gonna just eat any old mushroom we find. . . Did I just say I was going to eat a mushroom? Wonders never cease.

Jack-O-Lantern Mushroom - Poison

We think this to be a Death Cap - Poison

Another view of the Death Cap.

I wish you all a wonderful week...I will be traveling with the boys and mostly absent from this space for a couple of weeks. I will return with some fabulous New England images and family stories. Happy Thanksgiving.