Video in Hungarian, no subtitles
Since 25 August, I have only published articles in English on the blog. I have more than two thousand articles in Hungarian. But I have not forgotten my regular readers. This video is also for them.
Crazy time
Today I took only one photo during the morning. At the end of the day, after I cleaned up my place, I took a photo of the beautiful fruiting bodies. An incredible number of people brought mushrooms. I've never had so many people in one morning. I was really tired. Species of the genus Agaricus are still harvested in large quantities. Mostly field mushroom A. campestris was brought, but there were at least ten species. Someone also brought a yellow stainer A. xanthodermus with a diameter of about 20 cm! I've never seen anything like it. It was a thought-provoking size. The fruiting bodies of at least fifty species of mushrooms have turned up on my table. Tuesday will be equally busy.
On storytelling
Life is unfair, cruel and difficult. It is full of conflicts, most of which are never resolved. So we have a primal need to master reality through storytelling, to deal with trauma, to experience success. Good stories empower us, teach us, entertain us.
We have been telling stories to each other for thousands of years. In primary school you must have heard of the three literary genres: lyric, drama and epic. The Iliad will be familiar to you. As a writer, I deal with epic poetry. I write novels. How did it start? Like everyone else. I continued with my favourite story, The Frog King. Then later, the last full-page drawing of a comic book based on a science fiction novel lit the furnace in my writer's workshop, with the protagonist holding the heroine in his arms. The fire of creation was kindled, the desire to create, and my first artistic self, the writer, emerged.
It is important that the writer is a reader first! I learnt to read at the age of seven and read one book a week until I was thirty, or about 1,000 volumes in twenty-three years. Reading is surprisingly rewarding. One of its positive benefits is that it has enabled me to speak fluently and continuously, which requires that I can think coherently! This is also due to reading. My good advice, please take it, read!
A mixture of reading, classics and popular fiction.
Please ignore the social networking apps, they're bad for you. They distract you, they exhaust your brain, they steal your life time, which you could spend creating if you were born to be an artist.
The writer uses his brain. Writing is continuous thinking. It is extremely demanding! It requires an incredible amount of concentration. For your own sake, you need to spare your brain the useless information that would be a waste of your skills to interpret. You are capable of much more - you are capable of much more! Writing, that is, thinking in a continuous, focused way, is one of the highest human achievements! If you can do that, you can praise yourself.
Your brain, your body are your most valuable personal possessions. Cherish them both. Self-esteem is based on recognizing their value. Using them is a source of pleasure. It is good to live. It is good to create. Live! If you want to be a writer, don't just drift, shape your life! Watch, learn, practice. I'm not just sitting in front of my computer. I even tried aikido. I gardened. I've led hikes. I worked abroad. And, of course, I trained myself. Of course, I still do many of these things to this day. I lead an active life. As a writer you have to be present in reality. A good writer is a good observer and a good professional. He pays attention to detail. Take the first step.
Forget about shame and expectations. The most important thing is to make it a joy to create. Enjoy it. In the beginning, just write down what comes to you. Practice. Just like when you were a kid and you took a clay paste and made something out of it. And you never thought of Rodin's Thinker! It's important not to set yourself an irrational goal. Here are the devastating facts. There are eight billion of us on the planet. In many countries of the world, there are professional writing schools that are churning out writers of outstanding talent. And yet not all of them become bestselling authors. It makes you very miserable to aspire to something that is unattainable. In Hungarian, you're not going to be a world-famous, big-selling author. In fact, you can get into quite a lot of trouble if you think that writing is a way of making a living, or if you see writing as a source of livelihood in the first place. It's not. It's a joy. So stay with me and listen to me if you want to do well for yourself.
So you've been captivated by a story and realised you might as well write one yourself. Meanwhile, it never occurs to you that if you don't learn to read and write at primary school, you'll never get the idea of writing. It's surprising that almost no one realises that writing is a luxury. You sit in your warm room, banging away at the keyboard with a belly full of food. You are in an exceptional position! A pat on the back is in order. Another fact, nature knows only one success, the living being is alive. You live and you create. Fantastic!
Rejoice, for you are indeed fortunate. So don't push yourself with world success or publishing. Learn to write first and finish your first book.
Writing is a profession. It can be learned. There are online tutorials in English to help you get started. If you really have the germ of talent, you can find an editor, or a master, who will be of great use to you, because he will point out your blind spots, your weak points. An editor is tough but sober. You need him badly. I put my two hands together that one of our fantasy writers was my master. One of the great old men, the one who picked me up.
Again, good advice, he does other creative activities besides writing. If no one can see or hear you, dance and sing. It doesn't matter that you can't sing and dance, the very act of making noise and moving is good for you. It relaxes you, it energises you. Or, if you're more relaxed, paint, crochet, whatever feels good. But make sure you move! The brain needs oxygen. And eat right. Healthy body, healthy soul.
Believe me, writing is stressful. You need all your strength to perform at your peak. That's why it's important not to distract yourself. Be purposeful. Put everything aside when you sit down to write. I even turn off the internet. I come off the network and only have the word processor open.
It's important to have an agenda! The brain likes order. In fact, it's an added bonus if you use tiny rituals.
For example, listening to your favourite song before you create, doing a little dance, making a cup of tea, etc. The ritual can be anything. However, it is important to be rested and relaxed, with nothing to distract you. You need to concentrate and pay attention to so many things you won't believe it. When my brain is spinning at top speed, I am able to control the text, keep a lot in mind, and constantly use language in a demanding and varied way, paying attention to the unique traits of my characters as their actions and words shape the story.
Believe me, it's a fascinating experience, like being a Formula 1 driver.
Where does inspiration come from? From everywhere. Because our brains get a lot of stimuli every day. But there's always one that hits you right on the head. You recognize it. It's an aha moment. It's a little different for me, because I don't consciously pay attention to the signals. I have better things to do than react to random impulses. However, in the evenings, my brain goes wild and in between the daydreams of processing stimuli, I have deep, conflict-processing, or storytelling dreams. These are amazing. It's like being a camera in a movie. At the same time, the brain pours information about characters and events into me. They often include spoken text and music. They are colourful. They are all very powerful experiences. The last one was on 5 November 2021, which inspired me to reopen the creative workshop of my brain after fifteen years.
I think it's time I finished my treatise.
You know exactly what you want. Go create and enjoy yourself.
We have been telling stories to each other for thousands of years. In primary school you must have heard of the three literary genres: lyric, drama and epic. The Iliad will be familiar to you. As a writer, I deal with epic poetry. I write novels. How did it start? Like everyone else. I continued with my favourite story, The Frog King. Then later, the last full-page drawing of a comic book based on a science fiction novel lit the furnace in my writer's workshop, with the protagonist holding the heroine in his arms. The fire of creation was kindled, the desire to create, and my first artistic self, the writer, emerged.
It is important that the writer is a reader first! I learnt to read at the age of seven and read one book a week until I was thirty, or about 1,000 volumes in twenty-three years. Reading is surprisingly rewarding. One of its positive benefits is that it has enabled me to speak fluently and continuously, which requires that I can think coherently! This is also due to reading. My good advice, please take it, read!
A mixture of reading, classics and popular fiction.
Please ignore the social networking apps, they're bad for you. They distract you, they exhaust your brain, they steal your life time, which you could spend creating if you were born to be an artist.
The writer uses his brain. Writing is continuous thinking. It is extremely demanding! It requires an incredible amount of concentration. For your own sake, you need to spare your brain the useless information that would be a waste of your skills to interpret. You are capable of much more - you are capable of much more! Writing, that is, thinking in a continuous, focused way, is one of the highest human achievements! If you can do that, you can praise yourself.
Your brain, your body are your most valuable personal possessions. Cherish them both. Self-esteem is based on recognizing their value. Using them is a source of pleasure. It is good to live. It is good to create. Live! If you want to be a writer, don't just drift, shape your life! Watch, learn, practice. I'm not just sitting in front of my computer. I even tried aikido. I gardened. I've led hikes. I worked abroad. And, of course, I trained myself. Of course, I still do many of these things to this day. I lead an active life. As a writer you have to be present in reality. A good writer is a good observer and a good professional. He pays attention to detail. Take the first step.
Forget about shame and expectations. The most important thing is to make it a joy to create. Enjoy it. In the beginning, just write down what comes to you. Practice. Just like when you were a kid and you took a clay paste and made something out of it. And you never thought of Rodin's Thinker! It's important not to set yourself an irrational goal. Here are the devastating facts. There are eight billion of us on the planet. In many countries of the world, there are professional writing schools that are churning out writers of outstanding talent. And yet not all of them become bestselling authors. It makes you very miserable to aspire to something that is unattainable. In Hungarian, you're not going to be a world-famous, big-selling author. In fact, you can get into quite a lot of trouble if you think that writing is a way of making a living, or if you see writing as a source of livelihood in the first place. It's not. It's a joy. So stay with me and listen to me if you want to do well for yourself.
So you've been captivated by a story and realised you might as well write one yourself. Meanwhile, it never occurs to you that if you don't learn to read and write at primary school, you'll never get the idea of writing. It's surprising that almost no one realises that writing is a luxury. You sit in your warm room, banging away at the keyboard with a belly full of food. You are in an exceptional position! A pat on the back is in order. Another fact, nature knows only one success, the living being is alive. You live and you create. Fantastic!
Rejoice, for you are indeed fortunate. So don't push yourself with world success or publishing. Learn to write first and finish your first book.
Writing is a profession. It can be learned. There are online tutorials in English to help you get started. If you really have the germ of talent, you can find an editor, or a master, who will be of great use to you, because he will point out your blind spots, your weak points. An editor is tough but sober. You need him badly. I put my two hands together that one of our fantasy writers was my master. One of the great old men, the one who picked me up.
Again, good advice, he does other creative activities besides writing. If no one can see or hear you, dance and sing. It doesn't matter that you can't sing and dance, the very act of making noise and moving is good for you. It relaxes you, it energises you. Or, if you're more relaxed, paint, crochet, whatever feels good. But make sure you move! The brain needs oxygen. And eat right. Healthy body, healthy soul.
Believe me, writing is stressful. You need all your strength to perform at your peak. That's why it's important not to distract yourself. Be purposeful. Put everything aside when you sit down to write. I even turn off the internet. I come off the network and only have the word processor open.
It's important to have an agenda! The brain likes order. In fact, it's an added bonus if you use tiny rituals.
For example, listening to your favourite song before you create, doing a little dance, making a cup of tea, etc. The ritual can be anything. However, it is important to be rested and relaxed, with nothing to distract you. You need to concentrate and pay attention to so many things you won't believe it. When my brain is spinning at top speed, I am able to control the text, keep a lot in mind, and constantly use language in a demanding and varied way, paying attention to the unique traits of my characters as their actions and words shape the story.
Believe me, it's a fascinating experience, like being a Formula 1 driver.
Where does inspiration come from? From everywhere. Because our brains get a lot of stimuli every day. But there's always one that hits you right on the head. You recognize it. It's an aha moment. It's a little different for me, because I don't consciously pay attention to the signals. I have better things to do than react to random impulses. However, in the evenings, my brain goes wild and in between the daydreams of processing stimuli, I have deep, conflict-processing, or storytelling dreams. These are amazing. It's like being a camera in a movie. At the same time, the brain pours information about characters and events into me. They often include spoken text and music. They are colourful. They are all very powerful experiences. The last one was on 5 November 2021, which inspired me to reopen the creative workshop of my brain after fifteen years.
I think it's time I finished my treatise.
You know exactly what you want. Go create and enjoy yourself.
Eight mushrooms
Since 20 August, 80 millimetres of rain have fallen. Of course, we are still missing about 100 millimetres of rainfall at a depth of one metre. We have had a very dry summer in Békés County. I have not seen a fruiting body for months. Now the mushrooms are growing them in amazing quantities. The genus Agaricus is particularly active after the long forced break. Eight species have gathered on my table today. Shroomers brought other mushrooms, but today there were not as many species as on Tuesday. Well, there will be plenty again on Sunday. Tomorrow will be nice weather. Lots of people will be out picking mushrooms. Back to Agaricus species. One has neither a Hungarian nor an English name, Agaricus biberi. The others: horse mushroom A. arvensis, salty mushroom A. bernardii, Medusa mushroom A. bohusii, field mushroom A. campestris, copper mushrooom A. cupreobrunneus, coastal mushoom A. litoralis, blushing wood mushroom A. silvaticus. The all fruiting bodies were edible.
I had a fleeting desire
I received a very big gift in December 2019, completely spontaneously. Someone invited me to Western Australia. It was the only intercontinental travel my life back and forth. To this day it is an unreal memories to cross the Great Plain by train and board a Boeing 747 at the international airport. On the flight from Dubai to Budapest, many different nations were represented. Then I arrive at the airport of one of the most famous cities. Dubai airport is incredibly big! As a Hungarian national, I was amazed as I tried to find my way around it while waiting for my early morning transfer. I boarded an even bigger plane, an Airbus 380, which took me and others - mostly returning Australians - to Perth. Flying over the Indian Ocean, for example, as the plane passed over the Maldives, was an unforgettable adventure for me. I genuinely wondered how bored most of the passengers were with flying! And I was bursting with excitement.
When I saw the approaching coastline (I was lucky to be sitting next to a window on this flight), I felt the excitement of the explorers of old. Land at last! Although I only spent 11 hours in the air, the confinement and cramped space towards the end was overwhelming. I couldn't really move. Despite being very far from home, I felt like an experienced old mercenary on a new mission. In fact, it is my mercenary mentality that makes the madness of the human world bearable for me. Any shit comes up, I can assess it, react, even in a matter of seconds. That's why I didn't think twice about accepting the invitation to fly halfway around the world to get from the north to the southern hemisphere. I knew it was going to be a very interesting adventure that would give me valuable experience. It's good to know that I never go on holiday. I always collect data in every situation. Even in my sleep.
One of the things that really touched me was the ocean. Standing on the shore, feeling the wind blowing, hearing and seeing the waves, smelling the distinctive scent, and taking a handful of water and tasting how salty it is. The Ocean threw the truth in my face. As a Hungarian, living in a small town, moving within a 20 km radius, I know nothing about life that is much bigger than anything I have ever been able to comprehend. I was standing on the beach and tears were flowing. I am still in tears. Few people admit it, but Hungarian society as a whole is built on an abusive system designed to break people down and enslave them. Feudalism has never gone away in my country. There are masters and servants. It is quite commonplace that women are even worse off than men. Alcoholism is a widespread disease. Hungary is a terribly depressing place, of which the tourist perceives nothing, because he is only here for a short time, and for those who come as guests, my country is a magical place.
But for me, Western Australia was the magic. As a nature walker, I was fascinated by the vastness of the wilderness. In fact, Western Australia has 135 national parks. My host took me to a few during my stay. The opening picture was taken in Kalamunda National Park. Unfortunately I only had a small compact with me. The walk through the eucalyptus forest was fantastic. I got used to the European oak forests, the running deer. In Kalamunda kangaroos were jumping around. A whole other world surrounded me. I felt and knew that I could work here for months as a green-hearted photographer and writer. My bad luck that I was here during the worst drought. The small watercourse was dry. I saw no sign of fungi. Still, the real, untouched, wild forest inspired me. What a fortunate place in the world, the ancient island continent, where the human-nature ratio has not been upset and our species has not consumed nature in a self-destructive way. For me it really is a fantastic world.I was so far south that Orion, the famous constellation in the winter sky, seemed to be upside down. Below it, the Eridanus, the river of the Underworld, meanders towards the south pole, its brightest star, Achernar, never visible from Hungary. I always wanted to see it. The first night I looked up at the sky in Perth, there it was above me. I have seen the Achernar, the Ocean, cockatoos, koalas, and quoakas, and many other specialities. It was a wonderful experience. I knew I had to return to Hungary. I had to drink the bitter cup. But my wishes were granted. I got to go to a very special place in the southern hemisphere and experience what it's like to be in the wild, when you know that for hundreds and hundreds of kilometres there will be no cities. And my last wish, which flashed before me like the blue fairy of the ocean, was to visit all national parks.
Note: During my stay, my host shared local problems with me. I am Hungarian. I know the shit of human existence. I do not wear rose-colored glasses. My heart is green. I have seen homeless people in Perth. Cops came out on the street where I lived. I've seen where the rich live. I also saw how vulnerable it is to be a semi-legal immigrant. Yeah, being human totally sucks. Toxic animals or toxic people. Oh yeah. You get to choose where you die and what you die from. Life is wonderful.
When I saw the approaching coastline (I was lucky to be sitting next to a window on this flight), I felt the excitement of the explorers of old. Land at last! Although I only spent 11 hours in the air, the confinement and cramped space towards the end was overwhelming. I couldn't really move. Despite being very far from home, I felt like an experienced old mercenary on a new mission. In fact, it is my mercenary mentality that makes the madness of the human world bearable for me. Any shit comes up, I can assess it, react, even in a matter of seconds. That's why I didn't think twice about accepting the invitation to fly halfway around the world to get from the north to the southern hemisphere. I knew it was going to be a very interesting adventure that would give me valuable experience. It's good to know that I never go on holiday. I always collect data in every situation. Even in my sleep.
One of the things that really touched me was the ocean. Standing on the shore, feeling the wind blowing, hearing and seeing the waves, smelling the distinctive scent, and taking a handful of water and tasting how salty it is. The Ocean threw the truth in my face. As a Hungarian, living in a small town, moving within a 20 km radius, I know nothing about life that is much bigger than anything I have ever been able to comprehend. I was standing on the beach and tears were flowing. I am still in tears. Few people admit it, but Hungarian society as a whole is built on an abusive system designed to break people down and enslave them. Feudalism has never gone away in my country. There are masters and servants. It is quite commonplace that women are even worse off than men. Alcoholism is a widespread disease. Hungary is a terribly depressing place, of which the tourist perceives nothing, because he is only here for a short time, and for those who come as guests, my country is a magical place.
But for me, Western Australia was the magic. As a nature walker, I was fascinated by the vastness of the wilderness. In fact, Western Australia has 135 national parks. My host took me to a few during my stay. The opening picture was taken in Kalamunda National Park. Unfortunately I only had a small compact with me. The walk through the eucalyptus forest was fantastic. I got used to the European oak forests, the running deer. In Kalamunda kangaroos were jumping around. A whole other world surrounded me. I felt and knew that I could work here for months as a green-hearted photographer and writer. My bad luck that I was here during the worst drought. The small watercourse was dry. I saw no sign of fungi. Still, the real, untouched, wild forest inspired me. What a fortunate place in the world, the ancient island continent, where the human-nature ratio has not been upset and our species has not consumed nature in a self-destructive way. For me it really is a fantastic world.I was so far south that Orion, the famous constellation in the winter sky, seemed to be upside down. Below it, the Eridanus, the river of the Underworld, meanders towards the south pole, its brightest star, Achernar, never visible from Hungary. I always wanted to see it. The first night I looked up at the sky in Perth, there it was above me. I have seen the Achernar, the Ocean, cockatoos, koalas, and quoakas, and many other specialities. It was a wonderful experience. I knew I had to return to Hungary. I had to drink the bitter cup. But my wishes were granted. I got to go to a very special place in the southern hemisphere and experience what it's like to be in the wild, when you know that for hundreds and hundreds of kilometres there will be no cities. And my last wish, which flashed before me like the blue fairy of the ocean, was to visit all national parks.
Note: During my stay, my host shared local problems with me. I am Hungarian. I know the shit of human existence. I do not wear rose-colored glasses. My heart is green. I have seen homeless people in Perth. Cops came out on the street where I lived. I've seen where the rich live. I also saw how vulnerable it is to be a semi-legal immigrant. Yeah, being human totally sucks. Toxic animals or toxic people. Oh yeah. You get to choose where you die and what you die from. Life is wonderful.
Where the pines live
Today I had a different plan than worrying about Russian aggression. I live in the south-eastern corner of Hungary. The sole ruler of my country is engaged in dubious political manoeuvres because he believes he can restore Great Hungary. The national leader is an ethno-nationalist running amok. One of the self-destructive stupidities of Hungarians is that they don't understand that anyone who usurps power to make laws to take away the wealth of the country is a robber and is doing them harm. And the European Union continues to give money to the Hungarian scoundrel who is inciting against Brussels. People have lost their minds. I am paralysed by the level of stupidity. What the hell am I supposed to do with all these self-harming fools? I have enough problems to deal with. I cannot take on the fate of others! It is impossible. Why people have lost their common sense to protect their interests and keep their nation alive. Not to scatter and use up national wealth, but to preserve it and enrich it with new ideas. Why do they give up their freedom of choice and believe stupid propaganda?
There is nothing special about me. I simply like to collect information, observe and think since I was a child. Basic fact follows, one means of survival is to observe the environment. If you're not informed, you can die. More and more people are forgetting this. The internet, which I first joined in February 1997, was a wonderful invention that I thought could really connect people. I didn't think that the weakness of the human brain, that it is an extremely energy-intensive biological device, would take global communication in the wrong direction. Our brains conserve energy wherever they can. It's a fantastic organ, but it's difficult to run. For example, our willpower is finite. When you run out, it's very easy to get tempted. We are prone to spontaneous, unthinking reactions and fail to reflect on the correctness of the information we receive. Another cancer of the modern age is the incredible media noise. We are inundated with useless information from all sides, which quickly exhausts our attention and willpower. The apparent anonymity and facelessness offered by the internet increases our audacity to act out our aggression.
Now you rightly ask what my thoughts so far have to do with the title of my post and my photos? The internet is a hotbed for all sorts of fake news that mask reality. They are designed to blind people and make them look the wrong way. Although most people are truly unable to face reality. For example, climate change is disrupting our lives. In the high mountain spruce forest, I see that this is a real process. A few days ago I got the news that in spruce groves a Caesar's mushroom Amanita caesarea was found. Mediterranean, heat-loving mushroom! It is not a natural habitat of spruce forest, but the hot summers caused by climate change have allowed it to colonise. This is an obvious sign of climate change. The fungus doesn't know, and people don't care, that spruce trees are dying because of hot, dry summers. The beautiful, real, original forest is on the brink of destruction. I stood there among the old trees and I was impressed.
You are unaware of what values are being lost because you allow your attention to be diverted. You do not realise that your life is in danger. You think the big-mouth strong men will protect you. They can't protect you from themselves, from their own weakness. The Hungarian bastard built a stadium next to his country house and moved into the castle in Buda because he deserves it. The community is unable to defend itself against threats that it cannot accurately identify. But there is no community. The profiteers have succeeded in breaking up and dividing society. Democracy is merely an empty charade. Most elected representatives are mere puppets, dancing to the tune of those who pay them and shamelessly damaging society. The national asshole is also chasing his own crazy dream. I have been writing in vain for more than ten years. I have only the faintest hope that, after my death, someone will finally understand what I've been talking about and change will begin. Although I also fear that it is too late already.
There is nothing special about me. I simply like to collect information, observe and think since I was a child. Basic fact follows, one means of survival is to observe the environment. If you're not informed, you can die. More and more people are forgetting this. The internet, which I first joined in February 1997, was a wonderful invention that I thought could really connect people. I didn't think that the weakness of the human brain, that it is an extremely energy-intensive biological device, would take global communication in the wrong direction. Our brains conserve energy wherever they can. It's a fantastic organ, but it's difficult to run. For example, our willpower is finite. When you run out, it's very easy to get tempted. We are prone to spontaneous, unthinking reactions and fail to reflect on the correctness of the information we receive. Another cancer of the modern age is the incredible media noise. We are inundated with useless information from all sides, which quickly exhausts our attention and willpower. The apparent anonymity and facelessness offered by the internet increases our audacity to act out our aggression.
Now you rightly ask what my thoughts so far have to do with the title of my post and my photos? The internet is a hotbed for all sorts of fake news that mask reality. They are designed to blind people and make them look the wrong way. Although most people are truly unable to face reality. For example, climate change is disrupting our lives. In the high mountain spruce forest, I see that this is a real process. A few days ago I got the news that in spruce groves a Caesar's mushroom Amanita caesarea was found. Mediterranean, heat-loving mushroom! It is not a natural habitat of spruce forest, but the hot summers caused by climate change have allowed it to colonise. This is an obvious sign of climate change. The fungus doesn't know, and people don't care, that spruce trees are dying because of hot, dry summers. The beautiful, real, original forest is on the brink of destruction. I stood there among the old trees and I was impressed.
You are unaware of what values are being lost because you allow your attention to be diverted. You do not realise that your life is in danger. You think the big-mouth strong men will protect you. They can't protect you from themselves, from their own weakness. The Hungarian bastard built a stadium next to his country house and moved into the castle in Buda because he deserves it. The community is unable to defend itself against threats that it cannot accurately identify. But there is no community. The profiteers have succeeded in breaking up and dividing society. Democracy is merely an empty charade. Most elected representatives are mere puppets, dancing to the tune of those who pay them and shamelessly damaging society. The national asshole is also chasing his own crazy dream. I have been writing in vain for more than ten years. I have only the faintest hope that, after my death, someone will finally understand what I've been talking about and change will begin. Although I also fear that it is too late already.
I'm being swept away by the fungi
At seven in the morning, when I was unpacking in the market hall, I hoped that there would be fewer people on a weekday and that I wouldn't be exhausted from all the talking by noon. Of course, the good observer part of me knew I was going to be busy. By noon I had 38 species of fruiting bodies on my table. And I was very tired. I looked at the mushrooms. I wrote the species list. I took a deep breath and tidied up. I know that I have more to do on Friday and Sunday. It's really good weather for mushrooms. It's been years since we've had a September like this, and such an abundance. It's really amazing. I am happy for the mushrooms. I love the feeling of autumn. The air of dawn full of the scent of mycelium.
Only the Agaricus genus drive me crazy. My photo shows two species. Below is the field mushroom A. campestris, above A. pseudopratensis. They are very similar. Now imagine someone picking a basket full of both and putting it in front of you to sort them out, because he recognised them all as good and edible mushrooms. This is one of the most frightening possibilities. The Agaricus species are the scary ones, when there's a mix of good and bad, and you sort it out. Moreover, very young fruiting bodies do not yet clearly show the key characteristics. As a professional inspector, I stare in horror at the cute white mushrooms. Hobby shroomers are happy to pick them in the meantime. Deep air. I am a professional. Really. I'm not afraid of white mushrooms. I'll be tough.
How much easier it is for me when they pick common fieldcap Agrocybe pediades among the fairy ring champignon Marasmius oreades. The difference between the two is clear, Agrocybe on the left, Marasmius on the right. The fairy ring champignon is an excellent delicacy mushroom. It's very popular, a lot of people are looking for it, it's just tedious work to collect it. Few people know that one of the components of its unique odor is hydrogen cyanide. It is toxic in its raw form. However, cooking removes the toxic compound and the mushrooms are safe to eat. It is very important don't to eat mushrooms raw! Mushrooms as a food are wonderful, but there are risks involved. Fortunately, there are good, edible mushrooms that are easy to identify.
My linked article is still in Hungarian, but you can recognize the mushrooms from my photos. The first mushroom seen on Tuesday, the parasol Macrolepiota procera, is mentioned in the article. It's very hard to mistake it for anything else. However, there was a case of poisoning many years ago, when an occasional mushroom picker, in complete ignorance, mistook panthercap Amanita pantherina for parasol mushroom. Fortunately, she recovered quickly. The panthercap isn't as deadly poisonous as the deathcap Amanita phalloides, which is indeed life-threatening. As a white gills fungus, the deathcap is immediately distinguishable from the brown gills mushrooms. However, the Agaricus species mimics each other back and forth. That's why sorting them is scarier. Fortunately, they are not life-threateningly poisonous, but the poisonous species can give you a pretty nasty upset stomach. Mushrooms, I'm ready.
Only the Agaricus genus drive me crazy. My photo shows two species. Below is the field mushroom A. campestris, above A. pseudopratensis. They are very similar. Now imagine someone picking a basket full of both and putting it in front of you to sort them out, because he recognised them all as good and edible mushrooms. This is one of the most frightening possibilities. The Agaricus species are the scary ones, when there's a mix of good and bad, and you sort it out. Moreover, very young fruiting bodies do not yet clearly show the key characteristics. As a professional inspector, I stare in horror at the cute white mushrooms. Hobby shroomers are happy to pick them in the meantime. Deep air. I am a professional. Really. I'm not afraid of white mushrooms. I'll be tough.
How much easier it is for me when they pick common fieldcap Agrocybe pediades among the fairy ring champignon Marasmius oreades. The difference between the two is clear, Agrocybe on the left, Marasmius on the right. The fairy ring champignon is an excellent delicacy mushroom. It's very popular, a lot of people are looking for it, it's just tedious work to collect it. Few people know that one of the components of its unique odor is hydrogen cyanide. It is toxic in its raw form. However, cooking removes the toxic compound and the mushrooms are safe to eat. It is very important don't to eat mushrooms raw! Mushrooms as a food are wonderful, but there are risks involved. Fortunately, there are good, edible mushrooms that are easy to identify.
My linked article is still in Hungarian, but you can recognize the mushrooms from my photos. The first mushroom seen on Tuesday, the parasol Macrolepiota procera, is mentioned in the article. It's very hard to mistake it for anything else. However, there was a case of poisoning many years ago, when an occasional mushroom picker, in complete ignorance, mistook panthercap Amanita pantherina for parasol mushroom. Fortunately, she recovered quickly. The panthercap isn't as deadly poisonous as the deathcap Amanita phalloides, which is indeed life-threatening. As a white gills fungus, the deathcap is immediately distinguishable from the brown gills mushrooms. However, the Agaricus species mimics each other back and forth. That's why sorting them is scarier. Fortunately, they are not life-threateningly poisonous, but the poisonous species can give you a pretty nasty upset stomach. Mushrooms, I'm ready.
After the weather changed
The macro mushroom Agaricus crocodilinus is one of the best edible mushrooms in Békés county. Its cap can be up to 30 centimetres in diameter. It was an amazing sight. I grinned as I lifted the fruiting bodies.
Now many people are mushrooming. On 20 August the weather changed. It has been a long time since September was wet and cool. I am surprised and happy. On Sunday morning from 7am to noon, a lot of people came with a lot of mushrooms. I was tired. How did I walk home? Then I rested. I didn't go anywhere today either. The shroomers will come again to me tomorrow.
I have not counted the species. I did not have time to write a species list. But there was at least 25 of them. The Agaricus were the most common ,10 species, as everyone recognizes the genus. There was an Agaricus that I don't know. Of course there were many yellow stainer A. xanthodermus. Selecting these is not always easy. I also saw "Boletus", "Xerocomus", other bolete in large numbers, 8 species. The penny bun Boletus edulis was a gift. A shroomer brought it to me from the mountains. All the other fungi grew locally! It was amazing. So there were certainly 25 species on my table.
This picture shows the fruit bodies of three species of Agaricus. The left group are all yellow painters. The mushroom on the rightmost is horse mushroom A. arvensis. The smaller fruit body next to it is also edible Agaricus. The colour of their gills was actually light greyish purple. I shone with my mobile phone's LED under their caps. Hence the unrealistic colour. Sorry. However, you can see that the mid-aged fruiting body of the poisonous A. xanthodermus has pink gills. It grows in incredible quantities in fields and forests. It's easy to pick a lot of it. Shroomers will recognise it as an Agaricus, but unfortunately it causes indigestion if the chemical smell hasn't put them off eating it.
On the way home I took some habitat photos of the mushrooms. This is the poplar fieldcap Cyclocybe cylindracea. Of course, they also brought me some of this during the morning. It is also a good, edible mushroom in Békés county. I like it too.
Although mentally I was very tired yesterday, physically I felt relatively strong despite the ill, and I detoured from the Csabacenter to the Csabagyöngye, where I took the photo. Then I got home and dropped everything. A quick cold-shower, lunch, editing the pictures, and off to bed early afternoon. I had no energy left to work on the novel. But the story is taking shape in my mind. I'm on a long journey. Just don't get carried away by the mushrooms.
Now many people are mushrooming. On 20 August the weather changed. It has been a long time since September was wet and cool. I am surprised and happy. On Sunday morning from 7am to noon, a lot of people came with a lot of mushrooms. I was tired. How did I walk home? Then I rested. I didn't go anywhere today either. The shroomers will come again to me tomorrow.
I have not counted the species. I did not have time to write a species list. But there was at least 25 of them. The Agaricus were the most common ,10 species, as everyone recognizes the genus. There was an Agaricus that I don't know. Of course there were many yellow stainer A. xanthodermus. Selecting these is not always easy. I also saw "Boletus", "Xerocomus", other bolete in large numbers, 8 species. The penny bun Boletus edulis was a gift. A shroomer brought it to me from the mountains. All the other fungi grew locally! It was amazing. So there were certainly 25 species on my table.
This picture shows the fruit bodies of three species of Agaricus. The left group are all yellow painters. The mushroom on the rightmost is horse mushroom A. arvensis. The smaller fruit body next to it is also edible Agaricus. The colour of their gills was actually light greyish purple. I shone with my mobile phone's LED under their caps. Hence the unrealistic colour. Sorry. However, you can see that the mid-aged fruiting body of the poisonous A. xanthodermus has pink gills. It grows in incredible quantities in fields and forests. It's easy to pick a lot of it. Shroomers will recognise it as an Agaricus, but unfortunately it causes indigestion if the chemical smell hasn't put them off eating it.
On the way home I took some habitat photos of the mushrooms. This is the poplar fieldcap Cyclocybe cylindracea. Of course, they also brought me some of this during the morning. It is also a good, edible mushroom in Békés county. I like it too.
Although mentally I was very tired yesterday, physically I felt relatively strong despite the ill, and I detoured from the Csabacenter to the Csabagyöngye, where I took the photo. Then I got home and dropped everything. A quick cold-shower, lunch, editing the pictures, and off to bed early afternoon. I had no energy left to work on the novel. But the story is taking shape in my mind. I'm on a long journey. Just don't get carried away by the mushrooms.
Autumn is here
I sip hot green tea with honey and think about the weather forecast. Three days from now, it's going to be like the end of October. From the North Pole, large amounts of cold air will flow into Central Europe. The chill that marks the change of season has already hit. I have a cold. Or maybe I've got Covid, but I'll know that when I've taken the test and done it. I'm not going mushrooming this week. I'll get better first, and I'll prepare for the significantly cooler weather.
Those wonderful champignons
The Agaricus genus is well known in my country for two reasons, one is many mushrooms living and growing in the pastures, and the other is the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus.
The picture shows two species: macro mushroom A. crocodilinus (left), salty mushroom A. bernardii (right). The phablet is big, but the musrooms are bigger! Both species are edible and marketable mushrooms in Hungary. The huge mushrooms fascinate shroomers on the steppe. Shroomers are looking for Agaricus species. Most of them are really good and edible. However, some species are poisonous! The yellow stainer A. xanthodermus. It is very similar to a good, edible horse mushroom A. arvensis. Identification of Agaricus species ranges from fairly easy to very difficult. The two giants in the picture are easy to recognise. However, A. xanthodermus can easily mislead shroomers, as it does not always turn yellow and is not always odorous. It is a very annoying fungus. Fortunately, the flesh on the bottom of the stem turns yellow and when you heat it up, the fenol smell intensifies. Unfortunately, it causes very unpleasant stomach upset when consumed. It is an intensely negative experience. Be careful when collecting mushrooms!
The picture shows two species: macro mushroom A. crocodilinus (left), salty mushroom A. bernardii (right). The phablet is big, but the musrooms are bigger! Both species are edible and marketable mushrooms in Hungary. The huge mushrooms fascinate shroomers on the steppe. Shroomers are looking for Agaricus species. Most of them are really good and edible. However, some species are poisonous! The yellow stainer A. xanthodermus. It is very similar to a good, edible horse mushroom A. arvensis. Identification of Agaricus species ranges from fairly easy to very difficult. The two giants in the picture are easy to recognise. However, A. xanthodermus can easily mislead shroomers, as it does not always turn yellow and is not always odorous. It is a very annoying fungus. Fortunately, the flesh on the bottom of the stem turns yellow and when you heat it up, the fenol smell intensifies. Unfortunately, it causes very unpleasant stomach upset when consumed. It is an intensely negative experience. Be careful when collecting mushrooms!
The shroomer and the writer
In the early afternoon, I walked home along the canal bank, where all kinds of mushrooms grow under the hornbeams, oaks and alder trees. I was not disappointed, thanks to the rains they were plentiful. We are now having the kind of weather in September that we should have had in June. We had no early summer rain and three months of drought and heat. It is unbelievable how many trees have died this summer. Climate change is changing our natural environment and our lives. But for now I'm glad for the rain and the mushrooms. I didn't want to pick mushrooms, but I brought some home to study. In my bag from left to right horse mushroom Agaricus arvensis, cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus, inkstain bolete Cyanoboletus pulverolentus. Although the latter may be fragrant bolete Lanmaoa fragrans or other bolete, which is rarer, so it is not among the common fungi I know.
It is a habitat picture of inkstain bolete. Its old fruit bodies have grown huge! According to the literature, it is a smaller mushroom. I had no idea it could be so big! Maybe it really is another fungus. Or maybe it's just the hot summer and the construction of the cycle path that has disturbed the bolete and made it go crazy. I discovered its habitat in 2017. I watched it for years, but it didn't grow. Now I have found about twenty fruiting bodies. I love it when my favourites surprise me.
In the morning, at the market, a mushroom picker brought two giant puffballs Langermannia gigantea from his garden. He was very lucky. It is one of the most sought-after mushrooms in the country. I told him to be more patient next time, because they will grow even bigger. The giant puffball prefers habitats with high nutrient soils, such as locust with nettles. Popular breaded, but also very good grilled. I've eaten it both ways. It is considered the "big game" among edible mushrooms, and its appearance signals perfect weather, which mushrooms love. And mushrooms are loved by shroomers. The shroomer part of me would be running around with sparkling eyes, and the writer part would be sitting on her butt working on the novel. I laugh at myself. I love autumn. I love nature, and I love travelling, both inside and outside. It's strange, but life gives me everything I want. I just have to be patient and persevere.
It is a habitat picture of inkstain bolete. Its old fruit bodies have grown huge! According to the literature, it is a smaller mushroom. I had no idea it could be so big! Maybe it really is another fungus. Or maybe it's just the hot summer and the construction of the cycle path that has disturbed the bolete and made it go crazy. I discovered its habitat in 2017. I watched it for years, but it didn't grow. Now I have found about twenty fruiting bodies. I love it when my favourites surprise me.
In the morning, at the market, a mushroom picker brought two giant puffballs Langermannia gigantea from his garden. He was very lucky. It is one of the most sought-after mushrooms in the country. I told him to be more patient next time, because they will grow even bigger. The giant puffball prefers habitats with high nutrient soils, such as locust with nettles. Popular breaded, but also very good grilled. I've eaten it both ways. It is considered the "big game" among edible mushrooms, and its appearance signals perfect weather, which mushrooms love. And mushrooms are loved by shroomers. The shroomer part of me would be running around with sparkling eyes, and the writer part would be sitting on her butt working on the novel. I laugh at myself. I love autumn. I love nature, and I love travelling, both inside and outside. It's strange, but life gives me everything I want. I just have to be patient and persevere.
The camera doesn't make the photographer
The other day a friend complimented my photos and said I must have a good camera. Well, I took this picture with the 8 megapixel single lens camera of a four year old cheap smartphone and did a bit of editing with the Snapseed app. I titled the picture Last Sunset. The moment before death, when we see one last time the colours and light that equals life. Then we are enveloped in nothingness, represented in the image by the black. I don't believe in the merciful lie. That is why I appreciate life and observe its phenomena with admiration. I welcome light and colour with open eyes. I see the harmony. "Oh, it's beautiful." And no matter what I have in my hand, I get the photography done. Seriously, it annoys me when people are unable to see that all creation is intellectual work. Damn, it's not technology or some miracle, it's the result of human's efforts. The writing also isn't wonder. The human mind works and creates a world out of text. By the way, photography and writing are also quite specialised activities. Animals don't do that. They are developments of human civilization.
Autumn still life
The autumn crocus Colchium atumnale its flowers are beautiful and lovely to look at, but the plant is very poisonous. However, I love it because its flowering is a clear sign of the beginning of autumn. Békés county has been stripped of its natural vegetation with the sole aim of becoming a grain-producing region of the country. However, climate change is making the growing season increasingly dry and hot. Even in winter, rainfall is sometimes scarce. In other regions the autumn crocus blooms in masses, here there are only a few dozen.
The smoky dapperling Leucoagaricus barssii has been popping up everywhere lately. The shroomer picked it in a black locust plantation. She hoped to find a parasol mushroom Macrolepiota genus. I said it was a relative of that, but we don't eat Leucoagaricus. However, the fungi and crocus became a beautiful still life.
The smoky dapperling Leucoagaricus barssii has been popping up everywhere lately. The shroomer picked it in a black locust plantation. She hoped to find a parasol mushroom Macrolepiota genus. I said it was a relative of that, but we don't eat Leucoagaricus. However, the fungi and crocus became a beautiful still life.
Mushrooms in the town
It rained most of the day on Friday. It hadn't been like this for months. But even this rain could not end the drought. Only the top layer of soil is soaked, with very little water in the deeper layers. Many trees have died of thirst. But fungi respond quickly to the invigorating rain. On 20 August it rained for the first time in a quarter of a year. Two weeks was enough for the fungi. One after another, the fruiting bodies of the species appeared. Fortunately, more rain is coming! September gives mushrooms to hungry mushroomers, including me. Of course, I couldn't help myself and grabbed the big camera and went around my urban mushrooming route, which is a good ten kilometres. The first picture is of pavement mushroom Agaricus bitorquis, which has the characteristic of pushing up the ground and therefore always has a dirty hat. This is a well-known fungus. Another important feature is that it has a double ring. It's a tasty mushroom, but I don't pick mushrooms in the city because of all the dirt, I just take photos.
I also found a toadstool, Agaricus iodosmus, which I was very happy about, because I had been looking for it for a long time. It's an important fungus, because it looks good and tasty, but it's sneaky. It gives you a nasty upset stomach if you eat it. As you can see in the picture, where I touched it, it turned yellow. The typical mushroom odor of Agaricus was overpowered by the chemical smell. This is an important property of poisonous Agaricus species. I turned over a single fruiting body for photography. I did not touch the others. It's silly to kick up poisonous toadstools, because they don't hurt anyone if they don't eat them.
It was Leucoagaricus, it wasn't Agaricus. In fact they are very similar, both belonging to the order Agaricaceae family. However, the genus Leucoagaricus has a creamy white spore while the Agaricus has a dark brown one. I didn't have to turn the fruiting body inside out to recognise it. This is a well-known fungus to me. I took a picture. I like to take habitat photos. The unity of the mushroom and its environment is so reassuring. One of the wonders of nature is that after it rains, mushrooms appear. Where there was nothing, there are mushrooms everywhere. I've loved this since I was a kid.
As a child, I was fascinated by the fact that food could grow along the road. The fourth picture is of an edible mushroom, the hat of which you eat after you're sure you've recognised it. This is the poplar fieldcap Cyclocybe cylindracea, one of my favourite mushrooms. Its English name refers to its favourite food. And indeed it is most often found on the remains of dead poplar trees. It has a good odor. I can feel it from far away when it is brought to me. In Hungary, almost every market where mushrooms are sold has a fungi inspector. I'll be working on Sunday, so it's time for bed. I'm sure the shroomers will bring lots of mushrooms.
I also found a toadstool, Agaricus iodosmus, which I was very happy about, because I had been looking for it for a long time. It's an important fungus, because it looks good and tasty, but it's sneaky. It gives you a nasty upset stomach if you eat it. As you can see in the picture, where I touched it, it turned yellow. The typical mushroom odor of Agaricus was overpowered by the chemical smell. This is an important property of poisonous Agaricus species. I turned over a single fruiting body for photography. I did not touch the others. It's silly to kick up poisonous toadstools, because they don't hurt anyone if they don't eat them.
It was Leucoagaricus, it wasn't Agaricus. In fact they are very similar, both belonging to the order Agaricaceae family. However, the genus Leucoagaricus has a creamy white spore while the Agaricus has a dark brown one. I didn't have to turn the fruiting body inside out to recognise it. This is a well-known fungus to me. I took a picture. I like to take habitat photos. The unity of the mushroom and its environment is so reassuring. One of the wonders of nature is that after it rains, mushrooms appear. Where there was nothing, there are mushrooms everywhere. I've loved this since I was a kid.
As a child, I was fascinated by the fact that food could grow along the road. The fourth picture is of an edible mushroom, the hat of which you eat after you're sure you've recognised it. This is the poplar fieldcap Cyclocybe cylindracea, one of my favourite mushrooms. Its English name refers to its favourite food. And indeed it is most often found on the remains of dead poplar trees. It has a good odor. I can feel it from far away when it is brought to me. In Hungary, almost every market where mushrooms are sold has a fungi inspector. I'll be working on Sunday, so it's time for bed. I'm sure the shroomers will bring lots of mushrooms.
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