Magnificent Toadstool

Yesterday my husband brought me a beautiful toadstool and I was enormously delighted to be presented with such a fine specimen of natural beauty. Some women get flowers... and me, I get a toadstool, but that says more about me than it does about this sweet gift.  I like this kind of thing!   I think, however that it is a poisonous variety, so it got me thinking...hmmm.

Amanita Muscaria

 Here's the info I found on wikipedia.

 The quintessential toadstool, it is a large white-gilled, white-spotted, usually red mushroom, one of the most recognizable and widely encountered in popular culture. Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. 

I thought this was interesting, how such a beautiful thing could be poisonous!   However, I enjoyed it for about 36 hours, until I had my fill of gazing at it and it had become wilted and tired looking.  I wrapped it in newspaper and threw it out.

Thanks, Lance for thinking of me as you and Dale roamed the wilderness!