"A Walk in the Woods"

[HawgBonz]

One of my favorite chapters from "The Old Man and the Boy". So this morning I took a walk in the lil woods behind my house.
It's pretty "mushroomish" back there with all the rotting hardwood so I did a good bit of starin at the ground.. This is the creek that runs thru the "Back 40".

First up on the finds were what I believe to be Turkey Tail and some kindof Hericium fungus starting up, mebbe.
Looks very pore-ish on the bottom but they're very small..





Next up are what I believe to be Aborted Enteloma or, "Shrimp of the Woods". But I've never been certain enough to eat them.
It'd be nice if they were cause they're everywhere here and at the club.



Then I tripped across this fruit that the local ants were takin a keen interest in. But the case was still intact.
Interesting. I've never seen it before. Smelled like it was really sweet when it was ripe cause it was startin to smell of turning "hard".
Couldn't tell which tree it had come from. I got to be "Founder of the Feast" for an ant colony, anyways.. 🥴


Next up were some Pear Shaped Puff Balls growin on a log across the creek.
Some of them had a very slight tinge of yellow on the inside. I ate a few of the whiter ones on my return.



Came up the hill and checked my Indigo Milk Cap area and sho'nuf one was pokin it's head up.
But the snails beat me to it. 😅



And what got this started this morning was almost runnin over a cluster of what I believe to be Honey Mushrooms beside the neighbors driveway.
Since they were so far beyond prime I didn't bother to investigate.



Anyhoo. No particular reason. Just felt like gassin' a bit over gettin myself geared up for the coming season of woods rummaging.. 🤠

 

[beamernc]

The fruit is a paw paw. Lots of folks like them and say they taste like a cross between a banana and custard, but I don't care for them.

Paw paws a lot of times will be growing along creek banks where the water moved the fruit, it rotted and then the seeds sprouted.

 

[cubrock]

I’ve got to try pawpaw sometime. Never had it.

 

[turkeydance]

there is a pawpaw tree on the side of the road about 1 1/2 miles from my house.
apparently, no one likes them (or at least picks them) because the pawpaws fall
in the road and get run over so it looks like a bunch of bananas had a wreck.

 

[HawgBonz]

The fruit is a paw paw. Lots of folks like them and say they taste like a cross between a banana and custard, but I don't care for them.
Paw paws a lot of times will be growing along creek banks where the water moved the fruit, it rotted and then the seeds sprouted.

And that's exactly where it is. Just to the right of the pic with the creek innit. Smelled like it would be tasty.
I completely forgot about my Plant.net app. Entered the pic of the paw-paw and it brought it right up.
Weird thing. When I was growing up my Grandparents called the sticker balls off the sweet gums paw-paw.
I called my step-Grandfather Paw-Paw.
So far no adverse effects from the Pear Shaped Puff Balls.

 

[thrillhill]

Love the pawpaw fruit. I usually refrigerate it prior to eating though. Might be cheating, but it's how I like em!

 

[thrillhill]

And not that you asked, but good job! You are nailin it!

Yes on the Turkey Tail. (Kudos for posting the underside that makes a positive ID possible!)

You damn right on the scramps! Them thangs are delicious and all them shrimp woulda came home with me!

Looks like you nailed the honeys too. And you are right, they are past their prime.

On the puffballs, that's pushing the edge of edible. Any darker than that I wouldn't mess with.

You are all over it! Nice woods!

 

[HawgBonz]

@thrillhill
I was too lazy/impatient to do a spore print.. 🥴 😁 Now I'm lookin up yer tincture..
The lil PSPB's are borderline not worth foolin with.. But sometimes I just wanna find somethin mushroomy to eat.
I did notice that the ones I had today seemed a bit more "liquidy" with that yellow tinge. Prolly won't repeat that. Pure white for me.
I've ate Oysters before from down at the club and from a coupla log piles on an adjacent property had some really nice specimens on'em.
But that property got sold and I haven't had the opportunity to speak with the new owner yet.
A big ol Sulfur Shelf used to pop up on a neighbor's tree when we lived in Lexington.
Made for a nice feast..
With me on Methotrexate now some of my allergies have changed and I hafta bring everything home to try again since gettin on it.
Don't wanna find out I've got a "new" severe allergy out there in BFE.. 😁🤠

 

[Mathieu18]

Just want to say I’m Jealous of the knowledge and confidence to forage like this. I don’t love mushrooms though so maybe not.

 

[HawgBonz]

Just want to say I’m Jealous of the knowledge and confidence to forage like this. I don’t love mushrooms though so maybe not.

Ya ain't lived till ya had fresh young coon cooked over an oak fire inna woods with a side of Oyster mushroom sauté.
Mighty fine vittles.. 😁😃

 

[cubrock]

I love mushrooms. I went morel hunting with my brother in law one year and it was a blast, never mind how good those morels were fried in butter. Learning them like you guys needs to be a higher priority for me.

 

[Slacker]

I'm a huge Ruark fan.
Just found a copy of "I didn't know it was loaded". Looking forward to reading it.

 

[HawgBonz]

Learning them like you guys needs to be a higher priority for me.

I've heard a vicious rumor that there will be some classes available here soon. Which I'm lookin forward to m'self..
I'm about to burst with excitement about gettin it on here shortly with the inbound cooler weather. 🤗

@Mathieu18 - Fishin and cast netting is foraging.
We used to take Cap'n Don's lil 13' Whaler out in the shallows away from the Wildlife Creek and gather oysters.
And ya had ta shuck a few down fer "soldier's pay". Snag some fiddlers and go after Sheepshead around pylons.
Crabs, scrimps, duck, and a myriad of other edibles await..
The place is lousy with opportunity even before ya turn yer attention inland to the swamps. 😋😃

@Slacker - Man, I need to get back on that boat. I've read and re-read The Old Man and the Boy series a LOT.
But haven't ventured out too much from those. No tellin how many pigs-n-deer have walked right by me 'cuz I had my nose inna Ruark book.
The "Poor Man's Hemingway". 😁

 

[Mathieu18]

Ya ain't lived till ya had fresh young coon cooked over an oak fire inna woods with a side of Oyster mushroom sauté.
Mighty fine vittles.. 😁

I've heard a vicious rumor that there will be some classes available here soon. Which I'm lookin forward to m'self..
I'm about to burst with excitement about gettin it on here shortly with the inbound cooler weather. 🤗

@Mathieu18 - Fishin and cast netting is foraging.
We used to take Cap'n Don's lil 13' Whaler out in the shallows away from the Wildlife Creek and gather oysters.
And ya had ta shuck a few down fer "soldier's pay". Snag some fiddlers and go after Sheepshead around pylons.
Crabs, scrimps, duck, and a myriad of other edibles await..
The place is lousy with opportunity even before ya turn yer attention inland to the swamps. 😋😃

@Slacker - Man, I need to get back on that boat. I've read and re-read The Old Man and the Boy series a LOT.
But haven't ventured out too much from those. No tellin how many pigs-n-deer have walked right by me 'cuz I had my nose inna Ruark book.
The "Poor Man's Hemingway". 😁

I ain’t a great fisherman but good point and I got the tools I need for it. Good tip on the fiddlers too. We always bottom fished but there dont seem to be any flounder left so need to setup some new rigs, hopefully we can do some fishing soon. My daughter got into it at camp this year, but still lacks the patience.

We’re the beds open back then? Theyve been closed around here for a while now, though that doesn’t HAVe to stop you. Used to live near the water in Sunset Harbor on the Lockwood. Made me hungry staring out at those beds.

 

[HawgBonz]

We’re the beds open back then? Theyve been closed around here for a while now, though that doesn’t HAVe to stop you. Used to live near the water in Sunset Harbor on the Lockwood. Made me hungry staring out at those beds.

To tell ya the truth I don't know. It was Cap'n Don's gig and I went along on those occasional gathering trips. I remember we'd hit the lil island near Blue Water Point or mebbe somma those beds out in the flats between Southport Marina and the CGS over on Caswell. I seem to remember avoiding a lot of Lockwood Folly cause they were someone's commercial beds or some such. I was still gettin "sweet as a peach" most nights back then so I disremember some details. 🥴
But out-on-my-own it was mostly just grab a lil cluster and have a few when the fishin got slow or some such.
The most fun I had down there, and there was a LOT of fun down there, was to tool around inna lightweight 16' jon
and just dink around the flats checkin places out. Ala "The Boy". So mebbe it was just some kindof funky LARPing? 😁🤣🤣

 

[HawgBonz]

😋 😋 😋

 

[MCQUADE]

Chilled Paw Paws were a favorite of George Washington. I’ve got a few of them planted along the wood line but only one has started producing. Flies pollinate them as the blooms smell like rotting meat.

 

[HawgBonz]

I went out there again and looked a little while ago. With the wind semi-a-howl I was hopin' it'd knock one-r-two loose.
Bubkus..
Apparently Ricardo D Raccoon likes Paw Paws and Scrimps, too. Somethin had been in the patch..
Little does he know that there's a fat old man on the hill that likes smoked 'coon.. 😋

 

[HawgBonz]

Finally got down to the club for a few days.. Spent most of those days in my creek-n-river bottoms hoping for enough moisture to get the season's mushrooms going. Found a few that I posted in the Shroomin thread. There were a lotta squirrels out gathering and they seemed to pay me no mind for the most part out staggering thru the woods. Gimme a good frost and they'll get some attention. 😋

My place at hunt camp. Gettin loaded up to head out. Had a bag of corn to throw out at Miz Kris's modem camera in the river bot.

Low water in the river. Normally it's a coupla feet deep where I'm standing. Kris likes pics from when I'm out there.

Went to step down in a dry creek bed and the rock I'd checked out with the stick wasn't stout enough for the load (me) so I went back on my butt on the bank. Was quiet the comfortable landing, actually, and got struck lazy there for a little bit enjoying the view.
My small creeks on the side of the club were all dry.

Went back to the South side of the club and found water in just one of my little spring-fed creeks and things looked a bit more hopeful.
Still nothin for the skillet but nice to be inna bot near some water nonetheless.


Back to camp for a relaxing evening..


Does anybody care about this kindof stuff or should I not mess with it and save the bandwidth?
Enquiring minds wanna know..!! 🤠

 

[ronn47]

Finally got down to the club for a few days.. Spent most of those days in my creek-n-river bottoms hoping for enough moisture to get the season's mushrooms going. Found a few that I posted in the Shroomin thread. There were a lotta squirrels out gathering and they seemed to pay me no mind for the most part out staggering thru the woods. Gimme a good frost and they'll get some attention. 😋

My place at hunt camp. Gettin loaded up to head out. Had a bag of corn to throw out at Miz Kris's modem camera in the river bot.
View attachment 687492
Low water in the river. Normally it's a coupla feet deep where I'm standing. Kris likes pics from when I'm out there.
View attachment 687493View attachment 687494
Went to step down in a dry creek bed and the rock I'd checked out with the stick wasn't stout enough for the load (me) so I went back on my butt on the bank. Was quiet the comfortable landing, actually, and got struck lazy there for a little bit enjoying the view.
My small creeks on the side of the club were all dry.
View attachment 687496View attachment 687497
Went back to the South side of the club and found water in just one of my little spring-fed creeks and things looked a bit more hopeful.
Still nothin for the skillet but nice to be inna bot near some water nonetheless.

View attachment 687498View attachment 687500
Back to camp for a relaxing evening..
View attachment 687502View attachment 687503

Does anybody care about this kindof stuff or should I not mess with it and save the bandwidth?
Enquiring minds wanna know..!! 🤠

Love it, keep posting.

 

[HawgBonz]

Day 2 took a stroll up the top end of the "big creek".. Good flow but mighty low. Opportunity to check rockbars for flinty objects and various other crap that floats down a long creek like that. Check to see if any heavier clearing is in order from trees blowin over and what-have-ya.



Found an interesting lil shroom that had a sweet-but-peppery aroma. Haven't looked it up yet. And as per "The Deal" I have with the shrooms it got stuck well higher up in the fork of a branch so it could continue to cast it's spores to the wind.


Schlepped on down to Black Duck Beach to check one of my fav rest stops. A big walnut had fell over a coupla years ago and was jammed up against another healthy big tree and the angle was perfect for a shelter. I was givin it some time to see if it was stable. It wasn't. 🥴🤓
Now it makes a nice seat and it's still growing..



Bopped on down a lil further to the "Blue Bucket" rest area and took a lil breather here.


Saw these lil weirdies on a grape vine. Normally I'd say "grapes" but they've already shot their wad and these were on the stalk as opposed to where you'd expect to see the "bunches". Hmmmm... 🤔


Got down to the end of the line at the next 2 track where real estate between the rock cliff and the creek gets a'might thin.
Found a deer somebody didn't find or left last year. Judgin from the jaw bones he was a healthy boy.
Made a post on the Mtn Laurel and placed his noggin on it.

One the way back I found what looked like Reishi on this old tree. They were wayyy past prime and very woody.
I don't know much about Reishi cept that it grows in the mtns around/on Hemlock. So I may be completely wrong..

Back to camp for the sunset kinda/sorta and bout the time I got settled in and donned my "camp comfy clothes" got a call from a mo' senior member, the only other person on the whole place, that he'd downed a deer in the river bot on a 2 track but it had run off. That area had been thinned ~8 years ago so the underbrush, including those lovely sawtooth briars, were over head high and thiiiiick. He fetched a cold nose dog from camp to try and get it to track but that dog wasn't interested. Sorry ol' mutt.
We poked around for a coupla hours tryin to find somethin to work with but nada. There wasn't that much blood in the 2 track at the shot site. <100 yards with a 308/150gr Fusions. Another testament to placement, placement, placement. 😖

 

[HawgBonz]

Day 3-
..Took a stroll down the lower part of the big creek.

Not far in found a log with a lot of False Turkey Tail on it with some very pretty pink shroomies mixed in.
I'm thinkin Coral-Pink Merulius, mebbe.

Within a span of about 30 yards I found 2 of these old turtle shells. One was put on a post in a Holly Tree and this one gets to oversee one of my lil cookin spots inna hollow beside the rocks..


No points. But I did find this weird lil piece of metal on a rockbar. It was verrry smooth outside of where the rust had come thru.


Further down I see the Woody PTB have dropped a tree on one of the tight-ish spots beside the creek.

I've always been curious about this lil structure beside on of the few currently flowing spring fed creeks.
It's worth noting that this area is lousy with old stills and a semi-famous "manufacturer" used to own these lands.
This one doesn't look like the others.


This is bout far as I made it this trip cause I started havin dizzy spells associated with motion and there's no service down in this bottom at all.
We're tweakin my BP meds with this current weight loss so I'll hafta be a skosh cautious for a bit till we get it worked out.
Either way it was wonderful to get some time in these favorite places and a few days at camp. 🤠

 

[HawgBonz]

Last week's trip to the club for 3 days of dinkin around gettin in a few lil walks in that cold snap..
Coupla 2.5ks in some decent hills and a bit "flatter" 5.5k. Take-a-Break at The Office midday..




Down in the bot last day sittin around again before I head up n out.



I had some foot pain on the second day and was worried I'd jacked somethin up cause nothin in particular had happened. Watched a video from the guys at Kennetrek about different ways to tie your boots to relieve that and be damned if it didn't work out nicely!
Headin back down inna morning for a coupla days then to the Stop the Bleed class in Jamestown Wednesday with Kris. 🤠