Mushrooms

Yesterday Don and I went for a walk along Marshal Creek. Approximately uhm..7 years ago there was a big fire there. In the years after we have picked morels there. Today we wanted to see, what it looks like. From the highway we turn right past a gravel pit, we end up right on the high bank of marshal Creek. It is still very much a burn area. Blackened, burned trees still standing up. And lots of Fireweed. It is a beautiful sight, the view to the creek and the surrounding mountains still open. The Creek is maybe 20 feet wide, and rushes over boulders. The ground is covered with a moss. The poplars are growing back, close to water the white, Grass of Parnasus is blooming. Where there is no Fireweed, there's a gorgeous blue and yellow ground cover from Goldenrod and Four-parted Gentian. Don has always been my teacher, and today by the high bank of the creek he recognizes the sound of the Kingfisher, too bad we don't get to see this beautiful bird.
Back on the highway a Black Bear, waves at us, no kidding, it was standing up and I tell you, it held up a paw, before it ran off.

Today I walk around 'moose skull lake'. The wind is blowing and the sun is shining! Most flowers are in seed, but it is still beautiful. I come upon a family of grouse, but scare them away. A family of ducks doesn't hang around for me either. Ahh but 4 ducklings get left behind, and just stay. I get to watch them, still downy, dive for their food. As I try to get closer, they hide in the shore. I carry on and close to home I find meadow mushrooms, I know they are not amanitas, but am not sure if they are meadows. I just fried up some, so if I don't continue this blog, you know what happened.