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autumn colors & urban toadstools

11/9/2014

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I found this little beauty in a shrubbery triangle between the sidewalk and an apartment building on Capitol Hill. Amanita muscaria is considered THE Quintessential toadstool (and I honestly thought that this must have been a ceramic one as it was so perfect); I have to admit I was hoping to see a little gnome hanging out somewhere close by...

In the science realm: the mushroom has been used for centuries by shamans, and are known for their hallucinogenic properties.
This from BBC: "The Sami have a custom of feeding fly agaric to their deer and collecting the urine to drink. The reindeer's digestive system metabolises the more poisonous components of the toadstool, leaving urine with the hallucinogenic and psychotropic elements of the fungus intact. Drinking the urine gives a 'high' similar to taking LSD. Under the hallucinatory effects of the drink, the Sami thought their reindeer were flying through space, looking down on the world. The reindeers' liking for the toadstool hallucinogens are such that they, in turn, have been known to eat the snow on which intoxicated humans have urinated, creating a reciprocating cycle."

I am intrigued with the Aminita/Shaman/Santa connection, and the discovery of the science behind the myth!  For those interested, check out Santa Claus is a Mushroom! I would also like to recommend When Santa Was a Shaman; both are guaranteed to spice up your holiday conversations with unusual historical and cultural facts (& perfect with Dr. Byrne's Eggnog).

P.S. and about that red nose...
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    Tracey Byrne~

    I taught K-12 students from north of the Arctic Circle to the Puget Sound Ecoregion, garnering  40 years of experience as a classroom teacher, learning mentor, and private tutor. 

    I spent most of the 1980s and 90s in Alaska flying airplanes, floating wild rivers, winter camping, teaching, parenting, and living off the grid. 

    Here in Seattle, I am an advocate for environmental stewardship, place-based education, and outdoor play. I share my enthusiasm for birds, bugs, and backyards and have been a featured writer and photographer for Pacific Horticulture. 
    ​

    All photographs © T. Byrne unless otherwise noted.

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