Tales of a Shoebox Princess

 Jim and I went up north for a little vacation and visited 10 Minnesota state parks. The mushrooms were out and had I still used actual film for taking pictures, I would have a small fortune on film and developing (had that service still existed in my local Target) prints, and then I would have cried because all the pictures would have sucked mightily. But thanks to digital photography, I could make sure I had at least a few nice, in focus pictures.  Here are a few of my favorite mushroom pictures:  Bay polypore underside of the Dryad's Saddle. I love this strange tubular pore surface  top of Dryad's Saddle Possibly an Emetic Russula? Otherwise known as "The Sickener" a gilled underside of another red Russula don't know what kind, but it popped up in the middle of a trail I like the gill action on this one Irregular pores and a woody stem Inky caps (in the back) and some puffballs (in the front) wolf's milk Green russula Gill action on the green russula Orange...

Who would have thought that in the middle of a pandemic (or maybe not middle? Maybe we are at the very beginning of one of those sci-fi apocalyptic pandemics and we're all about to snuff it...Perhaps I have read too many sci-fi apocalyptic pandemic stories) that we'd have more visitors in the span of a month than we've ever had. I just hope we don't all pay for it later, because we aren't enforcing mask wearing in the house, nor are we limiting contact with little grandchildren who are too cute to keep at 6 ft distance. Check back in a month to see if we got sick. Paul and Bethany were here for a while, then my sister came for a bit, then hot on her heels, Hayley and Austin showed up, then overlapping H&A, Jimmy (now James) came with Blair and little Jimmy. And with all the visitors, Katie and clan made sure to join in. Various pictures with our various visitors: On the Stone Arch bridge Silliness and a possible Ariel photobomb. Bethany made the face on purpose,...