Hiding, Reading, and a Possible Theft

A couple weeks ago I had made a comment about disappearing as part of my Poetry Friday posts. I'm sure that for some of you that sounds a bit like a joke. I can't really disappear of course. But I do go into hiding on a somewhat regular basis. This weekend was one of them. Other than breakfast on Saturday with Jeff and a brief drive that day, I haven't left the house since Friday. I did check email for most of the weekend. I certainly didn't write any. I grumbled whenever the phone rang. Other than occasionally checking Facebook and a video chat this afternoon I had almost no contact with the outside word. I was a hermit this weekend. Lately I'm feeling overwhelmed. This was my way to cope. It appears to have worked. I feel refreshed now.

What I did this weekend was read. I read five books this weekend. Most of them were young adult so it isn't the grand achievement that it sounds like. I burrowed into the couch and read some of the classic YA stories that I've heard so much about. I read Ursula LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea, Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three, Susan Coolidge's What Katy Did, and E. Nesbit's Five Children and It. I made another library run to pick up a graphic novel called Page by Paige which has to be one of the most brilliant books for creative people I've ever read. I copied tons of quotes out of it. I must own it. The reading was good this weekend. I might (and I mean might) continue on with the Earthsea series, and you know how I feel about series. I lost myself in books this weekend. And found some wonderful characters.

I also received a bill that has me a little worried. On Saturday Jeff picked up the mail and noticed that there was a bill from one of the local health providers. It was addressed to me, but was for someone I don't know. Nothing about the name was familiar. After losing my wallet in February I was terrified that this person had used my insurance. Of course no one was open on Saturday or Sunday. So today I called. I guess this person was seen at the hospital and gave my name as a guarantor. I'm pissed. I concerned that this is a case of identify theft. Or that this person has my wallet. I was kind of hoping that whoever had found it had just taken the case and tossed the rest of the wallet. Now suddenly I'm not so sure. I've talked to the hospital and their billing and the issue has been resolved. But there is a feeling of uneasiness in my mind. What other bills will I be getting? And who is this person? Thankfully I research people for a living. Time to do some digging on my possible thief.

'Shrooms

Today was cold and a little rainy so of course I had to get out in it. Why is it that I tend to stay in and read or play on nice days but the rainy days are almost always outdoor days? My dad had texted me yesterday to see about going birdwatching/mushroom hunting. I can't pass up the chance to be out in the woods. Dad was looking for morels to take home and cook up but we had no luck in that department. I was just hoping for a nice big puffball. I love that they can grow to about basketball size. 

I'm not good about staying on the path when I'm hiking. I tend to just wander off into the woods cutting my own trail or following a deer trail. Thankfully Dad is the same way. We never even touched the nice nature trail the park offered and instead set out in our own direction. The focus was on mushroom hunting but we were interested in pretty much any and all unusual plants. I found this beautiful flower hidden under some huge umbrella like leaves. It's called a May Apple.

We hadn't found any mushrooms yet although I'm not the best at spotting them on the ground. I am excellent with shelf mushrooms though (mushrooms growing into the sides of trees). I found these different types of Turkey Tails. Here is the pure white:

The red and white.

And the grey. 

All members of the same type just with different coloration. Shelf mushrooms often form on dead logs. They are normally easy to spot because they tend to be white or light colors in contrast with the dark wood of the tree. Only hen of the wood shelf mushrooms are truly edible, and only with caution. In fact, unless you can positively identify a mushroom (100% certain) you should never ever eat a wild mushroom. There are only a couple types that aren't poisonous and even the experts are wary. 

Finally we found this interesting looking Dyer's Bracket mushroom. It was the only one of size that we found. It was about the size of my whole hand and just as thick. Cool mushroom but still not edible. 

I loved getting a chance to be out in the woods. We did find this amazing tree that looks like it had been twisted up. I took a couple pictures and both Dad and I speculated on how it had gotten that way. Still not sure. That's not bark by the way. The bark was gone. 

Dad took one mushroom home to try to identify but no real good haul. No mushrooms for me tonight.