Mushrooms abound. . .

The abundance of rain has brought with it an abundance of mushroom species. . .many unknown to me. When I look up "mushroom that looks like a sponge", I'm rewarded with the following Wikipedia entry:

The genus Ramaria comprises approximately 200 species of coral fungi.^[1] Several, such as Ramaria flava, are edible and picked in Europe, though they are easily confused with several mildly poisonous species capable of causing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; these include R. formosa and R. pallida. Three Ramaria species have been demonstrated to contain a very unusual organoarsenic compound homoarsenocholine.

It is really abundant in our woods around the house, though I haven't seen it in previous years. Here's Wikipedia's image:

We weren't planning on eating it, so it's all good. 

We also have this beauty growing on a stump in our yard. My mycology friend says it's a Jack-o-lantern mushroom, and is quite poisonous. One of these days I'll learn about all of the mushrooms that abound in Maine, though it might be a bad idea given my increasingly poor memory.

When closely examined, one can see that something. . . a squirrel? . . . has been chewing on it. When I expressed concern for the squirrel's well being, my friend assured me that what's poisonous to people isn't necessarily poisonous to other mammals.

This, of course, surprises me, but then squirrels likely evolved eating all sort of things that we don't really consider food. Acorns, for example? Still. Since we use rats as the model for toxicity in drugs and pesticides, it still surprises me.
 

The not-so-good news I got this past week is that I may not be able to eat tomatoes any more. It's killing me, but then the pain from my arthritis is just about killing me too. Funny thing how memory works. I remembered a pomology professor from University of Maryland telling me that he didn't eat any plants in the Night Shade family (Solanaceae), because it made his arthritis much worse. I thought he was older than God at the time, but I think he might have been younger than I am now. This memory came back to me as I am enjoying a lovely tomato harvest. Oh my. So, I got an idea. I'd test it on myself. I started by eating about a pound of ripe cherry tomatoes. They are like candy. . .Sweet 100 is the cultivar. . .and wow. They were delicious. That night, when the arthritis pain is always at it's height, I was in agony. No sleep. Deep deep pain in my bones. . . mostly back and joints. I've been Night Shade free for almost 10 days now, and the pain has definitely lessened. Not completely receded, but I can sleep through it, and distract myself from it during the day.

What a thing. And the tomatoes just keep coming. I'm giving them away right and left, and while John still eats them, he has never had my passion for them. I may make some sauce just in case I can't repeat the experiment, but mostly I'm giving them away. 

We really do have things taken from us, one after the other, as we age. I know that I'm lucky that it's no more than tomatoes, or energy, or the ability to sit comfortably anywhere, but it still stings.

We leave for a trip to see friends in Massachusetts in a couple of days. I'll bring a bunch of homegrowns: kale, herbs, jam, and of course, tomatoes.

There is a lot of controversy on this subject, it turns out. Another pomologist with whom I was acquainted (and was the president of our professional society, The American Society for Horticultural Science) published a book on it, and because quite an evangelist on the topic. He, too, had suffered as my professor had. This is at least 40 years ago now. WebMD reports that while there is extensive anecdotal evidence that the nightshade family causes flareups of osteo arthritis, there has been no definitive study to support it. We need to start delivering medicine for the individual, not for the average. 

I'll close with a smile. Best. Dog. Ever.