You may have to enlarge the picture to see what I'm talking about here.
The Farm on the lower right is the house I bought back in 1972, when I first moved to France. As you can probably see, it was a large house with a good range of beautiful stone built barns and outbuildings.
In the lower middle of the picture is a small Chestnut copse (that was also ours), and just above it a large dark ring in the grass.
This ring is what some refer to as a 'Fairy Ring', where mushrooms grow. In this case it is a ring of Giant Puffballs, and is the biggest I've ever seen; it has a diameter of about 50 metres.
When it is Puffball season, the ring would show as white. The Puffballs are HUGE; some the size of footballs.
Our present home is in the top left hand corner; the pool being covered with its winter black tarpaulin.
I thank Google Earth for the picture.
A mystical puffball ring. The outline is quite obvious. Very strange. No dancing there at midnight on a full moon?
ReplyDeleteNot by me, anyway!
DeleteA perfect circle as well.
ReplyDeleteIt really is, isn't it.
DeleteThat perfect circle is amazing, spooky even.
ReplyDeleteYou should see it when the Puffballs are there! Amazing.
DeleteLooks like the fairies used a copass there; that circle is perfectly round! Are the mushrooms the variety that you can eat; I know some grass growing mushrooms are?
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria x
Compass x
ReplyDeleteYes, these are Giant White Puffballs that are edible when still young and white inside. They are sliced into 1 cm rings and fried. Personally I don't eat them as we have others that are far superior.
DeleteWhat a sight that must be, magical and quite wonderful. We've had four giant puffballs growing along the old railway line, so far this season. Someone took the last one - they'll find it makes very dull eating.
ReplyDeleteI've never liked them, but they do have their admirers.
DeleteFascinating view of your place and of your fairy ring, which must look lovely in the moonlight especially if there are puff balls growing as well. Quite persuasive, I would think, to encourage a quick dance around the ring?
ReplyDeleteMy moonlight dancing activities remain private.
DeleteAmazing. I believe in fairies.
ReplyDeleteSo do I Yael.
DeleteI believe in fairies also.
DeleteIsn't Google Earth wonderful and fascinating?
ReplyDeleteWithout it we wouldn't have been living where we do now. (Long story.)
I recently looked at a friend's house in Somerset (by typing in her address), and discovered that she lives in the most beautiful little cottage. I'd never have known otherwise. Brilliant.
DeleteJean...give us a blog entry about that... I am sure that it will fascinate!
DeleteI agree.
DeleteI love Giant Puffballs... cut in large slices, they make excellent pizza bases. The remains, I cut up into "cubes" and freeze... these are then used as tofu!!
ReplyDeleteI agree that they are tasteless... but they are a wonderful flavour carrier.
The ring is a sight, even in darker green on paler green!
I'll try that if we are lucky enough to find another one.
DeleteTofu is pretty tasteless anyway, so that's a good idea. I use Hedgehog Mushrooms in much the same way, they're quite bland too but if cooked with Chicken (or Pork), you feel as if you're eating twice the amount.
DeleteThat is an old fungi. The largest organism in the world is so large that it has only just been recognised as a single thing. It is a fairy ring which stretches across hundreds of miles and across two northern countries including Alaska. They estimate its weight as more than 200,000 tons. I have just bought an Elizabethan cook book which reommends boiling puff balls in milk. It also has some good recipes for quince if you are interested...
ReplyDeleteOur Quinces are over, and all on the compost! Yes, I've heard about that huge mushroom mycelium. It's strange to think that such huge organisms exist.
DeleteGoogle Earth, the spy in the sky. It is useful and my husband loves it, but I'm not really comfortable with it. However, we live in a world where there is a camera everywhere, and it is only going to continue and get more invasive.
ReplyDeleteI did notice in the above that our washing is out on the line. Embarrassing!
DeleteI've heard about Fairy Rings, and hope to actually see one (or even part of one) some day. Meanwhile that google overview that you've shown us is really impressive. Thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteI love Google Earth, one can find such wonderful things.
DeleteThe fairy rings are popping up around here of late. Never ate a puffball, but have heard when they look like white bread in the middle, they can be cooked in olive oil or butter and garlic with a splash of wine and it sounds good. I've never seen one over baseball size so I'd love to see the big ones.
ReplyDeletePuffballs are rather bland, they would need plenty of garlic butter to make them interesting.
DeleteInteresting Cro and shows up well when enlarged. I believe you can slice puffballs and eat them fried in butter. We often get them on the farm but have never tried eating them.
ReplyDeleteThey're OK, but not wonderful. As you have a good supply of Field Mushrooms, I'd stick with those!
DeleteWhat a beautiful view of your homes and land. Do you still own the stone buildings ?
ReplyDeletecheers, parsnip
No, I sold our first big house back in 1980, and bought something even bigger. I'm now happily in a small cottage with a beautiful open view. Much more sensible.
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