Mushrooms from the Woods

What I don't know about mushrooms that grow in the wild would fill a book. I'm interested in nature and like to identify trees, birds, wildflowers, creatures, rocks and such during walks through woods and meadows. But I've never thought much about mushrooms.

Today when taking the dogs out for their second run of the afternoon I looked down and saw this one first:

It was so unusual that it caught my eye. I've never seen one with a red cap. I pulled it up to get a closer look and then decided to take a picture. I walked a few steps further and saw yet another variety:

There was rain last night, so perhaps these emerged due to the dampness of the ground, if that is what mushrooms do. I do not know. But I walk these fields every day and have never seen these. Or perhaps  they were there and I just never noticed.

I am on a quest to be more mindful - about everything in my life; to slow down the pace and look, really look, at things and live in the moment; to think about whatever activity I'm engaging in and enjoy it to its fullest. In my limited success with this endeavour, I find it really makes a difference. To fully enjoy food by thinking about it -- the texture, the varying tastes, the way it feels in the mouth -- makes all the difference in the world. A side benefit is that I feel full sooner and eat less!

But  back to the mushrooms. Maybe the fields are full of them all the time and I've just never been mindful of them. I started looking more closely at the ground as I walked and found two more:

Now in my opinion, mushrooms aren't the most beautiful things in the world, but they are interesting! Who knows, maybe I'll get a field guide and begin scouring the ground to see how many kinds I can identify.

One thing is for sure though: I'll never eat one. Someone told me some are safe to eat and quite good; others are deadly. I would never take a chance.

But if anyone knows where I can find truffles, I'll be glad to find and eat those! I've read that in France pigs and dogs are used to sniff out truffles in the woods and a day of truffle hunting is quite the adventure and a day of celebration.

Truffles! What a find that would be! But I don't think they grow in Alabama. If they did, I might even buy a pig because I believe my dogs would eat them before I could snatch them from their jaws.