first mushroom harvest

remember these little guys?...

king oyster mushrooms on 2/17/17

well, today they looked like this...

king oyster mushrooms on 2/27/17

so we decided to eat them.

actually, we just ate the biggest one of the cluster.

staal tossed it in the frying pan after he cooked some of his famous burgers.  it was delicious.  firm, meaty, mushroomy goodness.

happy mushroom people

thinking of you (for mama)

the sun is shining
dancing a golden dance
with everything it touches
birds sing
the bells and chimes ring gently
speaking the silent words of the passing breeze
and i am thinking of you
and wishing you were here
or
more truly
i wish i could know
that you too saw and felt and heard these things
as i do

how everything glistens

a sunny morning
after a rainy night
after a rainy week
after a rainy month
we sip coffee
and look out into the garden
water droplets cling to stems and leaves and trellises
catching little rainbows of sunshine
tiny, shimmering stars
a constellation
constantly changing
as the sun picks its way along a familiar path through the tangled branches of live oaks
and birds jostle the green of the garden searching for breakfast
sending sprays of meteors to the earth
“how everything glistens”, you say
yes
and between our two hearts also
flows and lingers such radiance
shining out into the world
illuminating this new dream we share
how glorious it is
how full of wonder
how everything glistens

more mushroom progress

king oysters pinning on burlap bundle

duck creek

last year the ducks really had fun splashing and foraging in the little creek that runs along the western edge of our property.  although it's been running for quite some time this year they hadn't ventured down that way until this afternoon.  until now it's been running a bit too hard for them to feel comfortable.   for the last couple weeks i've watched them keeping an eye on it as they forage under the oak trees.  we're still getting rain but it's been lighter so it's been soaking in and there hasn't been as much runoff to feed the creeks.  today the creek is flowing but calm and the ducks decided it was safe for a swim.  staal and zane and i enjoyed watching them splash and flap and run around in their little creek.

oyster mushroom update

it looks like we're having some success with our january 29th oyster inoculation.  the burlap bundles and the nursery containers are showing signs of good colonization and one species, the king oyster, has gotten so happy it has started making babies...

top of the king oyster burlap bundle showing some good colonization

closer view of top of king oyster burlap bundle

bottom of king oyster burlap bundle

king oyster colonizing the straw in a nursery container...the sweet, mushroomy smell is amazing

noticed something interesting protruding from one of the drain holes at the bottom of the king oyster nursery can tower...

closer...

baby oysters!

those little guys will be big tasty mushrooms in no time.  neat.  very.

happy valentine's day

love and heart-shaped waffles to you all.

charlie mingus

late morning
on a rainy day
standing in the kitchen
breakfast dishes washed
jazz coming over the speakers
dressed in that beautiful blue shirt
(the one that complements your eyes so well)
and brown knit slippers
pantless
you explain charlie mingus's life and music to me
and i think to myself
what a strange and wonderful reality this is