Rainy winter makes for all kinds of mushroom monsters

Afternoon update by Bill: “I’m a little early today, but reporting another .15″ since this morning. That brings my backyard total to 25.1″. This is the first time I have been over 25″, even for a full season, since rain year 97′-98′ [which ended up around 38″]. On this date in 1998. the total was 28.4″.”

We’ve previously highlighted the “spooky black” mushrooms in Menlo Park resident Eric Sabelman’s backyard, one example of the rains this winter prompting the sprouting of all kinds of ‘shrooms all over town.

We came across the ones pictured here in west Menlo on Vine Street. They are about the size of a grapefruit in diameter, and this was one of five clusters. Maybe a wise reader knows what kind they are.

Meanwhile, InMenlo weather watcher Bill Russ reports this morning: “As of 7:35 pm, another .2″ to report. My season-to-date figure is 24.95″, and the tempo is increasing. By the end of the day my backyard will exceed 25”.

Photo by Linda Hubbard (c) 2017