Fairy Ring

Oberon, Titania, and Puck with Fairies Dancing
William Blake, c 1786

As I was leaving my home the other day, I saw a number of mushrooms growing in a neighbor's yard. I drove back home to get my camera. The mushrooms, Chlorophyllum molybdites, were so large, some eight inches in diameter. These mushrooms are poisonous and are most often mistaken for edible mushrooms in the United States. I took a few photos and went on my way. On the way to the grocery store, I saw lots of other mushrooms growing in lawns. I thought to myself, it must be mushroom season in Florida.



The next day on the way home I took a different route and noticed a yard with lots of mushrooms. I was so delighted because I discovered a fairy ring. I had my camera with me and I got out and took some photos. I couldn't help but imagine little fairies dancing in the center of the fairy ring; later resting under the caps of the mushrooms. My camera wasn't high enough to capture the fairy ring in it's full glory, but the mushrooms were all growing in a circle.




Gary mentioned he saw some mushrooms growing in our lawn and mowed them down. I exclaimed, "Let the mushrooms grow, let the mushrooms grow!" Gary said, "Why?" I said, "They're food for the gopher tortoise". Gary shook his head wondering if it was true. I guess he knows sometimes I live in a fantasy world. Later I let Gary know turtles do eat mushrooms and can even eat some poisonous mushrooms without ill effects.

Triumphal March of the Elf King by Night
Richard Doyle (1824-83)

Although I didn't tell Gary that mushrooms are fairy umbrellas, where fairies take refuge from the sun and rain; and a fairy ring is the dance hall of the fairies.