Okay, let's get it out of our system: "The fungus among us." There. We said it.
Fungi are their own selves . . . so much so that they live in their own Kingdom. Chemically and genetically more similar to animals than other organisms, we would not have beer without the contribution they make . . . or champagne . . . or bread. Therefore, without the fungi, no Eucharist. What?!
They also break down dead organic matter, enabling thereby the recycling of nutrients throughout the whole ecosystem. Without fungi there would be no penicillin.
And, of course, there's the other side of fungi: athlete's foot, ringworm, leaf rot, rusts.
Of course there's this other side to you and me as well. So we won't get too cocky. Instead, we'll walk quite slowly . . . early on a late summer day . . . after most of the flowers have come and gone. Treading carefully, camera at the ready, our meditative walk will take us into the heart of this other Kingdom . . . a path, perhaps, into yet Another One.
The photos on this page were taken on August 25, 2013 along the Limberlost Trail in Shenandoah National Park ~ Virginia
