I've written about our friends, Dick and Joan's cabin, nestled in the Strawberry Tract of the El Dorado National Forest, last May.  Whenever I get the chance to experience it again, I become pretty gleeful.  Today, on a beautiful day in May, we picnicked at one of my favorite spots... along the South Fork of the American River!

The Snow Plant is part of a group of non-green flowering plants, that is related to the heaths (blueberries, cranberries, rhododendrons), called the monotropoids.  Are they parasites?  Yes, but in an unusual way.  They are parasites on fungi but they don't kill the fungi.  The fungi infect the short, stubby roots of the monotropoids, and transfer food and water into the roots.  The fungi live in the dense litter of dead leaves in wet forests.  Why the bright color? Nobody really knows. Such a bright color might attract pollinating insects in the rather shady forest floor areas where they grow.  Joan said there is a fine for picking them.  I do love discovering the vibrant color amongst the pines.

It was wonderful to discover various hues, hidden in the forest.

This foray gifted us with the unique experience of finding Morchella, or what are lovingly called by my mushroom loving friends, Morels.  These fungi are prized by gourmet cooks, particularly for French cuisine. Commercial value aside, morels are hunted by thousands of people every year simply for their taste and the joy of the hunt.  It is THE THING to do right now in Tahoe!