Monster Mushroom!

[best appreciated at full size against black]

Would you believe me if I told you this mushroom meaures 5" across?!!!! HOLY COW!!! One day I went out looking for new flowers and I went around a tree and stopped dead in my tracks...this ENORMOUS mushroom was erupting from the ground, so powerful that it was able to force the heavy clay soil up out of the way! I have never seen such a huge mushroom before!! After I took pictures, I finally moved on and not 20 feet away was ANOTHER ONE! After taking more pictures, I searched the area and found about 10 more, all of them 4"-5" across and every one looked like they erupted from the ground like some sort of fungus monster. Talk about cool!! :D

This image was taken in April, 2012.