It was an extremely wet summer this year. When it wasn't raining, the temperatures soared, when compared to tundra standards. We, in the far north, are not used to the tropical standard and I feel comfortable speaking for the majority when I say we don't care for it all that much for the most part. I sometimes felt especially whiny about these two facts, and then I would run across something as sweet as this little mushroom to remind me that without the conditions, they wouldn't exist. If you were to spot this mushroom in your travels, you needed to take advantage of the fact and photograph it now, rather than later. Later, it would be gone! Eaten with little DNA left to even note their existence. I learned this lesson the hard way. I imagine a shrew or other mousy creature had taken a bite of this one. I didn't want to disturb his dinner, and was wondering if he was hiding somewhere in the downed tree logs watching me!