MMM 345: Lion’s Mane

Hericum erinaceus.

This is one of the current fungus species trending as basically magic tonics.  The health benefits purported range from digestive aid to better concentration and reduced depression.

There’s likely some truth in that, but it’s not like these things get double-blind studies.

The takeaway though, is that a lot of people believe it, and where there’s belief, there’s profit.

Cultivating these and selling the fruiting bodies – fresh or dried – and all manner of extracts and teas is big business right now.

I’ve never seen them in the wild, and they aren’t yet running loose in the West as some sort of invasive species.  They normally grow on rotting trees, but all the mushroom farmers seem to grow them on straw and/or wood pulp.  Supposedly quite easy to cultivate.

 

 

MMM 344: wine caps

Good morning.

Ode To The Ham Sandwich

As we have often heard and most people know (mainly from the TV genre known as “police procedurals“), a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. Fewer people know WTH a grand jury is much less what indict means. Where we all can find common ground is in the ham sandwich. Let’s meet the players

Shout out to Lithuanian Dark Rye Bread! Zajabis!

Just Pecking Away

So one might think that a “Pecking Away” post might be about the latest currency of exchange for a maudlin teen child being bartered to a man for chickens, but one would be wrong.

Alas another important study has shown a disturbing trend  in the course of events for the American male.

 

MMM 343: Amanita Muscaria

Mystical Mycology Monday: Faerie Rings

Tough weekend here.  Filled with regret over the move at this point, wish I could go back to June 2017 and slap myself, but that’s not going to happen.   Have to try and make the best of it now that we’re here.  Going to head out at first light and try to clear some manure out of the horse pens so rain and snow melt in the springtime won’t just sit up at the surface.  Hoping a little more time outdoors will help my depression, or at least force me to think things through without the distraction of all the glowing rectangles that surround me at my desk.

Saturday, I’m out driving with Possum and I see a giant one of these:

Roughly 30′ across, and the caps all had to be 8′ across.  It was big enough that someone else was already stopped to take a picture of it.  It’s a fascinating phenomenon, and even mycologists are still divided on the exact cause.

MMM 340: Bait and switch

Good morning, and welcome to a new and different MMM.

Still a few things in the binders that can be cleared out.

Dunking Minnetonka

You really should go do something more meaningful than read this pos post

Things mawr meaningful:

 

How about taking up knitting:

Gilding Your Mom’s Lily

This is that story

It could be all a lot worse if Hillary was in office. Go Donny Two Scoops!