Local mushrooms

I picked some mushrooms in the garden because I thought how good they would look on toast, with the size up to about 4in (10cm) in diameter, and they smelt just as mushrooms should. My juices flowed with the thought. Yum, yum! With enthusiasm I showed my wife.

Her instant response was " No way - how do you know they aren't poisonous?"

"Because they look good!"

"No! I'm not touching them! You can have them yourself if you like, but don't count me in on it!"

So I researched them on the Internet, but without definitive results. I next photographed them and sent copies to relatives and friends who know about such things. Their responses were similarly not encouraging, down to the comment "There are thousands of fungi, and I can't be sure of this one! Don't eat them!"

"Surely you can tell from a couple of photos?"

"You need to show the fungus to an expert in the field. There are too many poisonous ones about! I wouldn't eat them!"

Having kept them in a bowl during this investigation period, I now disposed of them, and upon them leaving the glass bowl the deposit they left behind was quite fascinating, but otherwise of no real value.

What had started out as being a possibly delicious light locally and wildly grown snack finished off in the dustbin. There really was no point in poisoning myself with nobody else willing to take the risk - no way!