One of my Emeritus Professor buddies, Dr. G. E. Michaels, was visiting my office this week, and I showed him our website of camping photos. He is a world-renowned expert on mushrooms, fungi, molds, spores, etc. He's always going to Russia and China to study and lecture.

The red mushroom you photographed along the Holcomb Creek Trail is a Ganoderma lucidium. That mushroom lives for years. Each year it gets larger. "Gene" said the one in our picture was at least two years old. The Chinese use it to make an aphrodisiac tea.

I'll send y'all some of the ganoderma tea if my buddy Gene finds it in one of the local health food stores. I'll enclose a warning note for your wives. Ha.

Scott, KD4MSR

8/7/2003