Today, our neighbors held a little rural "block party" (in quotes because we live in the country) for all the folks in our area-- a meet-and-greet gathering with food and beverages.

The instigators of this affair have a substantial plot of land and they have made little paths through the woods and put up neat little carved wooden signs with names likes "Schwartzwalder's Peak" and the like.

It was among these paths where Chaz and I were to meet our neighbors. We parked and followed a trail down toward the sound of voices and kids playing and as the forest closed in around us, I spotted something I haven't seen since I was perhaps 4 or 5 years old.

Nestled in next to a fallen tree was what looked like a volley ball lost in the undergrowth, but instantly I suspected it was a giant puffball mushroom and I had to have a look. Sure enough, that's exactly what it was.

As it wasn't my property, I left it alone. I realized it could be valuable.

When I was little I made a find just like that. I was visiting my grandparents and spotted a "ball" down in a ravine. When I went to get it however, it turned out to be a mushroom the size of my head!

I immediately ran back to the house and excitedly told everyone what I'd found. My father and my uncle went to retrieve the giant fungus and brought it inside. Truly it was enormous, and they immediately sliced it up like a loaf of bread and sauteed it in butter and before long, my relatives had eaten every last bit of that giant shroom.

After the gathering, Chaz and I mentioned that we'd seen it to the property owner and she said "well take it if you want it". Surprised, I felt I couldn't possibly take such a prize, but when I relented, she persisted that we should take it and so we did, but not before letting the kids see it and touch the strange edible mushroom.

Once at home, Chaz found out that what we had was Calvatia gigantea and with any luck, we'll eat that sucker tomorrow. =3

The plushies where there to guard it until we get hungry. Also it makes this slightly furry and a tiny bit relevant.

As you can see, this thing is BIG. That's a full-sized dinner plate it's resting on and it has a circumference of 27.25 inches. You'll notice that it is approximately .68 Totoros in height and nearly as large as Captain Kiwi (at left). It only weighs a couple pounds which makes me suspect it may be turning to its inedible spore phase, at the end of which it turns into a giant leathery bag of spores. It so, I'll let it dry and then spread them all over my woods and see if they don't pop up next year.

I might have done some stupid photoshoppery in there, see if you can spot it. The mustache came from a frozen pizza box of all things. I might have also screwed with the wording a bit. ^ ^