A Good Time for Mushrooms

Unless you are familiar with the climate in Southern Arizona, you might not think there would be a lot of mushrooms. Well, actually that is true to an extent -- certainly not like the Northwest.

But, Southern Arizona has many mountain ranges. Mountain Ranges get rain. Rain brings Mushrooms. 

And, since it is our Monsoon Season, lots of rain, and maybe not lots, but nonetheless mushrooms can be found. 

Here's a photo of one I found yesterday in Rose Canyon on Mount Lemmon:

Another Wells Grey Mushroom

Here's another "5" Star Mushroom Photo taken at Wells Grey, British Columbia. What I like about this photo is that it looks like something from the movie Avatar  -- or Alice in Wonderland. Mushrooms usually grow in moist areas where they don't get direct sunlight. Probably why I don't find Mushrooms in Southern Arizona very often. The result is that usually Mushrooms are in dark places without much color around them. But in this photo there's green grass and the sun is "spot lighting" the Mushroom. And yes, I laid down in from of the mushroom using my elbows as a tripod to take this photo.

Mushroom

And, Mushrooms

Not as many mushrooms in Southern Arizona as there are in the Northwestern US and Canada. So, my mushroom collection hasn't grown much. But they can still provide an opportunity when animals and birds aren't around. Here are a couple photos I like:

As you can see, it takes getting laying on the ground -- using elbows as tripods -- and you end up with a nice photo. The first looks like something from Alice in Wonderland. 

When You Don't See Moose

Much of the time taking a photograph is obvious. You see a moose in the river, elk jousting, a bear in the tree. But, there are other times when a photograph is there, you just have to look for it. I remember a later trip to Wells Gray where I wasn't having much luck. I walked my "moose trail" but there were no moose, no bear, and no elk. So, I started looking for other "photo ops". There is much beauty in this world that we take for granted. It is a reminder to literally stop and smell the roses. These photos of the mushroom and the puff ball may not be as exciting as a bear standing 15 feet away, but they are quite beautiful nonetheless. What's more, they don't run or fly away. You can get the angle you want. In both of these cases it was lying on my stomach using my elbows as tripods. I thought they turned out pretty nice.