Strawberry pot 'shrooms

It's official. Our world this summer is a lot wetter than last year at this time. According to an article in the Arizona Republic, Flagstaff has enjoyed 1.74" of rain since the official start of the monsoon season June 15 and we in Prescott have had 1.55". During the same period last year, it measured zilch. Zero. Nada. Furthermore, in the higher country this year, the snow pack lasted into March in places.

This may not sound like much to folk in wetter climes, but in the dry southwest, months with over 1" of rain are wet and welcome. All of which might explain the picture above. One morning last week, I saw little mushrooms cropping up in the cups of my aged strawberry pot. That's never happened in all the years that I've had this big planter.

By the next day, the little umbrellas had opened up and two days after their appearance, the 'shrooms were melting down, as many do. Coincidentally, the dotter displayed a fine batch of Alaskan mushroom pictures yesterday.

A local friend who is an old-timer in these parts once explained to me about the early monsoon superstition; viz., if the rains come too soon, the season will accordingly be a short one. I hope that science (and a long rainy season) prevail over the old wives and their tales!

X-Files Goodness!! Coming to a theater near you July 25, says the website for the new Mulder-Scully movie. The trailer here, and news about an on-line premier event July 23 here.