Horn of Plenty

Yesterday, I wrote about the debut of the Black-shouldered Spinyleg, a dragonfly that seems to always appear around this date. Today, I want to highlight another time-reliable organism, this one an uncommon mushroom known, depending on who's doing the cooking, as the Horn of Plenty or the Trumpet of Death. Craterellus cornucopioides is a dark, rarely seen, but eagerly sought after fungus that used to be separated into at least three species but has recently been merged, based on DNA evidence, into one. This makes life easier for mycophagists, folks seeking out wild edible mushrooms, since, if you can find the fungus, you no longer have to fret about taxonomy. You can also pat yourself on the back for having found one of the choicest and most delicious varieties in the universe. These pop out in a certain spot along my walk path every year at about this time, but, true aficionado that I am, I won't tell you precisely where this is. My camera doesn't geo-tag any images. My lips are sealed... until the cooking's done.