All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once. —Sir Terry Pratchett, humorist, satirist, author (1948-2015)

As I write what’s going on in our little world, it’s mid-afternoon, the sun is shining, the leaves are swaying in the breeze, and the temperature is 84 degrees. By the time you read the newspaper — whether in person or online — we should have had some evenings in the 40’s. As of today, it is the prediction, and I’m looking forward to a little coolness. The temperatures have not been unpleasant at all this summer, though a bit humid. Usually by this time the grass has shriveled and turned brown. Walking across the yard sounds like walking on potato chips. But not this year. In fact, last week a rosebush burst out into a dozen roses. Next to the rosebush the purple clematis bloomed. The zinnias are still blooming but have started looking a bit tired.

While these observances are signs of lingering summer, fall is definitely showing. The ash tree started first. Daily buckets of leaves cover the decks and the ground. I love sweeping leaves as much as Sam loves cutting grass. When you’re finished you can see the product of your labor. It’s very rewarding.

Gusts of wind have also swept through the silver maple, the old oak tree, as well as the magnolia. The oak and ash are the most prolific. Pecans are holding their own as are the pines. Some changes are slow while other changes seem to happen right before your eyes.

Mushrooms appear in the early fall. One morning down near the mailbox a dozen mushrooms with a brilliant red top shaped like an egg sprouted overnight. Atop the red were white polka dots or splotches. The mushrooms were mesmerizing, looking altogether like something in a Disney movie, like perhaps a little elf should appear. The following day the brilliant dome, having lost its dots, had opened into a more orange colored umbrella. The day after that, all the mushrooms had disappeared.

Turns out the mushroom is called by several names, two being the “fly agaric” or the “fly amanita.” The mushroom can be extremely toxic and also super hallucinogenic. There are critters that eat the attractive mushroom including slugs, gnats, and red squirrels. I would think our red squirrel probably wiped out the mushroom patch as it was gone overnight. Biologists have found mushroom remains in the dens of squirrels but no evidence that the mushroom was toxic to the squirrels.            

There were a number of other rather generic looking mushrooms that sprung up after the rains. A few years back we discovered a death cap mushroom. It’s a pretty little perfectly formed white mushroom and highly toxic. Humans have died due to misidentification of this common mushroom. We plucked ours from the yard with a paper towel and discarded the beauty.

Mushrooms can be particularly attractive to dogs and cats and toxic as well. The death cap has a “fishy” decaying smell. A quick lick may make the pet sick while ingesting may be fatal. So, keep a look out for the devious mushrooms of fall.

Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].