This was one of the best events of the season and the best attended. This is no surprise to those who know Keith Davis, our chief COMA FORAY Mycophagy chef. After our walk around the wooded pond environs, he and wife Christine and their two boys treated us to a brunch complete with fresh mushroom pizza, salad, home-made muffins, varius dips, cheeses, vegetables (including Keith's home-grown heirloom tomatoes), fruit and cookies. And there was water, wine and Mimosas! Adding to these delectibles were the fresh bread and jam, and autumn olive ice cream made by our other great cooks, Kathy and Joe. If that doesn't make you wish you were with us, nothing will!

As for fungi, I was very pleased with our collections having come across at least two fungi I have never seen before. The first surprise was a Gomphidius glutinosus (sounds like a fungal disease, doesn't it). Looking at it from a distance, I thought it was a large Bolete, perhaps even an edulis or one of its look-a-likes. As I got closer, however, I could see it had gills tinged tannish. A slug had taken a notch out of the decurrent gills running down the stipe. The base of the stipe was a bright yellow, reminding me of the 'foot' of Tylopilus chomapes. Someone. probably George, said it was a Gomphidius and by the time we got back to Keith's place, Matt helped us key it out in Gary's book as being species 'glutinosus.' It was a beauty - and later Keith found two more younger specimens, also under conifers. The other new find for me, and possibly every else, was Inonotus tomentosus, a rather large polypore that grew on the roots of pines. At first I was certain we were seeing Hydnellums, but seeing pores rather than spines beneath the cap brought us back to square one. I finally did find a photo and description that matched our specimens and the conditions they were growing under: Inonotus tomentosus.