Saturday, January 02, 2010
The Seasons: Winter 2010
*
San Francisco Peninsula * Wild MushroomsThe rains came and the threat of drought has disappeared. Driving north on Hwy 280 a few days back, the rolling hillside near Stanford looked a lush green. Come May they will turn into the color some call "California gold". But before that the daffodils will apear on both side of Hwy 280 to the delight of the motorists. We are fortunate to live here in the San Francisco Bay area....high cost of living and all. And the political climate is liberal, tolerant; quite different from the Central Valley about 100 miles south-east where there is no dearth of bigots.
January 1st was cloudy but not too cold (50 degrees F, 14 C). Sugarloaf Mountain trails in San Mateo were muddy and slippery at some points but that did not deter hikers from trudging up the hill to look at the bay and the east bay across the San Mateo Bridge.
Cluster of Oyster Mushrooms
©Musafir
Beautiful, and delicious. I sautee them with chopped garlic and ginger; add firm tofu cut into dominoes, some Hoisin Sauce and Tamari (soya sauce). Good with steamed rice.
Witch's Butter
©Musafir
Said to be edible but insipid; I don't pick them.Amanita muscaria (Fly Amanita)
©Musafir
Poisonous and hallucinogenic.
A Virgin Air flight taking off from San Francisco Intl Airport
©Musafir
San Mateo Bridge, looking east
©Musafir
A patch of blue among the clouds
A patch of blue among the clouds
©Musafir
"Not even a hat--
and cold rain falling on me?
Tut-tut, think of that!
---Basho (translated by Harold Henderson)
