Hunting the Wild Mushroom but Finding an Azalea
Last weekend, Village Creek State Park posted a ‘mushroom walk’. The plan was to gather a small group of interested individuals and walk through the park noting the location of mushrooms.
It was a lovely weekend–not too hot, not too cold, not too windy, not too humid.
We decided it would be fun to out and about—and so did a hundred or more other people.
The line at the ranger station was backed up five or six cars.
After I paid our annual pass—well worth the $70, we hunted for a parking spot–next to the dumpster as suggested by the ranger as no garbage was being collected on a weekend. We walked over to the starting spot—and discovered at least 60 people not counting babies in arms and toddlers and dogs all waiting for the ranger to begin his talk.
We followed along for about ten feet, decided it was a lost cauue and walked along a different trail. The trails forma a network through the area with some benches and footbridges over some of the boggiest areas.
A fire had gone through the area several years ago—and tropical storm Harvey had deposited lots of sand…one year we volunteered to shovel sand off one of the trails and picnic spots. New trees have been planted in some areas but this tree is a reminder of that fire.
Here is the area planted with the new trees–they are about a foot high, a few closing in on 24 inches.
We doubled back on the mushroom trail and found a bracket fungus.
But I was delighted to fina a wild azalea. We have the domesticated ones in our yard but these are spectacular.
It was the only one I found—here is the entire bush.
And to give an idea of the typical landscape here;
The water is ‘tea-colored’ a result of the tannin from the plants but it offers wonderful reflections of the sky and trees.
Sylvia Weir Art 
Goodness, that azalea is indeed spectacular. You are making me antsy to get out in the wilds but we still have too much snow and cold.