Morels and masks

Aren't they pretty? Someone gave me them at my cooking class. I will fry them in butter

My wall of masks. Top is a plastic and cloth mask bought in Venice: middle two Indian metal and the bottom is a ceramic mask bought yesterday

rhubarb flower growing. Some say I should cut it off so the energy will go into stem production

columbine

sunrise today

another male tags after him whose plumage isn't as bright. His yearling son?

According to the forecast, thunderstorms were to begin at 9:25 so I ran and biked early only to find that they will come at 3:30 instead just as the sprinkler system guy comes. As our outside tap leaks, Steve has shut the outside water supply off, which is a real pain to get the few things I have watered so I hope this is not cancelled.

 

Morels seem to grow best in Michigan. I suspect we have some in our communal forest that I have yet to explore due to alleged presence of ticks. Ticks seem to be latching on to people who haven't even waded through underbrush this year. But someone in my cooking class says that this year, there were a bumper crop of morels in her yard. And they are big! There is a toxic look alike called the false morel which has a larger stem to head ratio. True morels are hollow inside versus being full of some white cottony substance so I will check that out before consuming.

 

Subject of our class? Herbs. She tried to incorporate as many as possible in our pasta primavera and various sauces for fish. We were given mint sprigs to plant at home. Not needed here. Since we had a mild winter, some plants came back that normally would have died: kale, a bit of the Swiss chard,and rosemary. Also the cilantro reseeded so I have a zillion plants. Never can have too much cilantro. There is actually a gene for the ability to taste cilantro. For those who lack it, cilantro tastes like soap. I am a taster though so yay.