This is it - 3 tiny morels. However, I did have fun hiking, alone in the rain. The forest trails are loaded with people "Covid" hiking, so I picked a day when no one else would be venturing out.
Its also the time of year for the slimy orange fungus on Eastern Red Cedars, to make its annual appearance. Cedar Apple Rust Fungus requires both trees, cedar and apple to be present. The fungus begins to appear in early spring on cedars. The spores then are blown to nearby apples. Then in the fall, the spore migration heads back to the cedars. Although, this fungus is not harmful to cedars, it can ruin a apple crop. The following is from Mass Audubon Blog - Your Great Outdoors:
In 1914, apple growers wrote the Cedar Rust Act of Virginia allowing them to destroy cedar trees on neighboring property in an effort to control the fungus. While most people enjoy eating apples, a lot of people also like eastern red cedar trees, especially if they’re on your own property. You can imagine how people reacted when they woke up to see their neighbors cutting down all their cedar trees.
This all came to a head in a classic 1928 court case where a judge determined that apple trees were more valuable than cedars, and therefore more worthy of protecting. Cedar tree owners would not be compensated for their losses, but would be allowed to keep the wood from the cut trees. Remember to thank those folks who lost all their cedars next time you bite into a delicious apple!
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