There's Always The Weather

[Valery_V (imported)]

Some time ago, I read a "damn interesting" article on the "Damn Interesting" website, (they really do have some DAMN Interesting stories there). When you mentioned the taro patch, I was not sure, but maybe you will find this story, "The Curse Of Konzo" to be.... damn interesting. Taro is NOT the same as cassava, and this might not be at all relevant to you, but taro is similar to cassava and I am sure that anyone who reads this will find it..... damn interesting.

https://www.damninteresting.com/the-curse-of-konzo/

I thought is was positively amazing that the cyanide (I think it was a "hydrogen-cyanide" poison) seemed precisely targeted to the victim's legs. Also amazing was that intelligent and educated scientific researchers were stumped at finding the cause of the paralysis problem "konzo", until they heard an old man talking about "not enough rain this season.... wash the poison out...." Seems that sometimes the UN-educated people just know what they know because they are observant and remember things, the scientific researchers were studying what they could observe in the present, the old guy had so many years of seeing this "konzo" problem that he remembered what years it happened more often and the years it did not happen so much.

Good luck with the taro patch, and do please keep it well watered, just in case there are enough similarities to cassava.

Yes, unfamiliar plants very dangerous piece! At us many people are fond to pick edible mushrooms in the forest. But there are mistakes when by the form similar to edible mushrooms, they are hazardous to health. There are a lot of poisoning cases in the summer...

[fhunter]

There are a lot of poisoning cases in the summer...

Isn't it a mantra: "never pick a mushroom, when you are not sure [it is known/edible]" ?

[Valery_V (imported)]

Isn't it a mantra: "never pick a mushroom, when you are not sure [it is known/edible]" ?

I totally agree with You! Since I still don't understand mushrooms, so I just buy champignons in a store in a package with a corresponding inscription .

[fhunter]

I totally agree with You! Since I still don't understand mushrooms, so I just buy champignons in a store in a package with a corresponding inscription .

I prefer the mushrooms I picked myself. So chanterelles it is And there are no similar poisonous mushrooms (at least here).

Well, and some boletes, again - those that I can positively identify.

[Paolo]

"When in doubt, throw it out!"

"There are old mycologists. There are bold mycologists. There are no old & bold mycologists."

One of the most annoying ID of mushrooms is separating Boletus Bicolor and Boletus Sensibilis. The former is tasty; the latter can cause serious gastrointestinal issues. The key ID factor is time for blue-bruising in various parts of the mushroom. Therefore, I don't touch them.

Here, we have the orange, smooth chanterelles. Cantharellus Lateritius. Hard to miss the ID of this one.

Also, a great many Tylopilus species, related to Boletes. Nearly all of them here are bitter, if not tasteless.

On the upside, the Suillus species are prolific, although peeling the caps can be annoying.

Of course, in most of the Midwest USA, the hysteria is in early spring for morels - Morchella species. Wasn't a good year for them, again. Too cold.

[fhunter]

"When in doubt, throw it out!"

"There are old mycologists. There are bold mycologists. There are no old & bold mycologists."

One of the most annoying ID of mushrooms is separating Boletus Bicolor and Boletus Sensibilis. The former is tasty; the latter can cause serious gastrointestinal issues. The key ID factor is time for blue-bruising in various parts of the mushroom. Therefore, I don't touch them.

Here, we have the orange, smooth chanterelles. Cantharellus Lateritius. Hard to miss the ID of this one.

Also, a great many Tylopilus species, related to Boletes. Nearly all of them here are bitter, if not tasteless.

On the upside, the Suillus species are prolific, although peeling the caps can be annoying.

Of course, in most of the Midwest USA, the hysteria is in early spring for morels - Morchella species. Wasn't a good year for them, again. Too cold.

We do not pick morels (some here do, but rarely).

Suillus species (had to find what it maps to here) are present, but rare. And yes peeling is 'ugh, leave me out of it'.

Chanterelles - we have golden ones here, but they are pretty similar. Also - no insects or worms eat them, so it is a plus too.

Of the more sought after, there are also Boletus edulis, they grow here, and they are good .

There are also so called 'pickling mushrooms' which are used for pickling, but the require special preparation, so unless you can pick many of them - there is no point in doing it. (they are mostly various mushrooms of Lactarius genus)

[moi621 (imported)]

It isn't even half past 7 PM

AND sunset be at 8:04PM

I don't appreciate late sunsets at all

AND :hearthrob the black skies 6 months from now.

Give me sunset by 7 PM Please

Atmospherics have been unusually HUMID

And "they" warn of thunderstorms with rain.

Not MY Desert By The Sea!

I Miss Dr. George more and more

Moi

FIRE The Weather Service and contract

with those who can deliver!

[Arab Nights (imported)]

Once it got going, the monsoon has really cranked here. Back yard is green and haven't sprinkled in 2-3 weeks. Although usually closer to 74, sunrise temp this morning was 66. Nice to open door and re-fresh the house.

[Paolo]

It's been the wettest July here I can remember! Pop-up storms or passing heavy rain every day! It's been a real challenge to cut the grass. You walk out on the lawn, and you sink to your ankles.

The garden has literally been drowned. The humidity has all sorts of fungus (but for the good ones) going. Between the black leaf drop, rust, and brown spot, the beans and tomatoes are pretty much done for. You spray fungicide, and it gets washed off before it can take hold. The only things doing any good are the special peppers I put in large recycled orchard pots.

As I posted in a reply to FHunter, the good summer mushrooms just aren't going here. Plenty of the toxic or just plain inedible ones. I found 1 smooth chanterelle. I had some red/yellow boletus pop up in the yard, but they're likely Pseudo Sensibilis, which causes serious gastric issues - sometimes - and I'm not going to roll the dice on seeing if I'm one of those people. Plenty of Lactarius Piperatus - a white milkcap mushroom that's hot. As Robin Williams said, "damn hot!" You make a 5 gallon pot of chili, toss one of those in, and you need another 5 gallon pot to cut it with! I liked one once on a dare. Almost blistered my tongue! I've got enough Destroying Angels (Amanita bisporigera) to take out half the town, though. Some odd Russalas, but I leave them for the squirrels. Another one I don't roll the dice on.

Oh, and my cucumbers are blooming and growing, but the fungus is after them, too. Very low yields. At least the purple Japanese sweet potatoes in large pots are doing well. Oh, and the taro. I had a couple little bulbs that I got from the grocery store, organic, and they had sprouts. I planted them, at Jesus' suggestion. I dug them up last year, as they don't winter here. I guess there were some little bulblets in the dirt I dumped, and now I have a nice patch of taro! Some might refer to it as "elephant ear" plants.

Heck, the rain even did some of the cleome (spider or skunk flower) in. That's hard to do. Oddly enough, I do have some of the tallest marigolds I've ever seen.

Well, if nothing else, I could be making a lot of fried green tomatoes!

[moi621 (imported)]

None of them storms precipitating here.

Just unusually high humidity while

peak temperature is hardly above 75F

The lows not below 65F

Astronomically high UV index

Poor year for a bountiful garden.

Who to blame? All PeopleKind or just ?

Moi

Even My Garlic won't sprout.