Morel Mushroom

By Uncle Hans

You have heard me complain about the oak tees on the property here.  There were about 140 mature oaks 20 years ago.   I thought they were so cool.  Turns out they are all diseased.  They have dead limbs that fall.  The trees themselves are prone to fall in the wind.  They have caused a lot of damage.  So I am taking them down one by one.  I have about 80 left, but only a few are critical in that they are "in range" of the house.  4 of those will be cut down in the next two weeks.  Lots of work for Rex and Mary when they get here, lol!

 

 

 

 

......so, what does that have to do with a little red stick poking up our of the ground?  After years of cutting down oaks I have finally come up with a plan to replace them.  We have a beautiful huge maple right on the edge of the water.  Don't know why.  This spring I gathered up 50 "helicopter" seeds, soaked them in water, and planted them around the property.  I marked each one with a shishkabob skewer painted red.....

 

 

 

 

 ......But that is not what this blog is about.  Imagine my shock when I stumbled upon this beauty!!  It is at least two weeks past the season (although we have had a cool and wet spring)..............

 

 

 

 

 

 ......This has got to be the biggest morel mushroom I have ever met in person.........

 

 

 

 

 

 ......It is a few inches from another large one, but that one is over-ripe and fading.  Those were the only two I found........ 

 

 

 

 

 

 ......They are living in the area where our large propane tank sat for 15 years, removed almost 2 years ago when we hooked up to natural gas. 

 

     After thinking about it for a while, I decided to leave them both there "for seed". 

 

 

By Uncle Hans