Warm, rainy December night complete with thunder, lightning, something scurrying across the cabin’s pine ceiling. Return of the flying squirrels? They were probably grounded by the weather. I was up reading well before dawn, and by 9 Althea and I headed out for a hike. The rain had stopped, and after checking the bird feeders we headed out to the ridge trail, where I immediately spotted a new (to me) mushroom on a jagged maple stump. Hard to miss that orange glow in the drab winter woods, kindling a faint hope that I’d spotted an out-of-season fruiting of chicken of the woods. A closer look quashed that uncharacteristic fit of optimism. This mushroom had gills and looked more like an oyster, but not one I’d yet encountered. iNaturalist suggested the Stinking Orange Oyster ID, and that’s what I’m going with unless someone there thinks differently. It does look like an oyster, and it does stink. Apparently it’s edible, but who’d want to?
