Shrooms

So I pull into the driveway today only to notice what I immediately described as a forest of mushrooms.  We've had quite a bit of rain lately.  Usually, a good rainfall causes a few (2-3) mushrooms to sprout up in our yard, but today it was more like 48.  Yes, I counted.  So this got me to thinking... what makes these pop up after a good rain?  So after a little googling, I thought I would enlighten you as well.  Long story short, there's probably some sort of decaying matter in your soil.  That could be dying tree roots, dead plant roots, building materials from when your house was built, etc.  So when mushroom spores (that can come from anywhere and possibly just floated in the air until they landed in your yard) germinate, they send out long, thin filaments called hyphae (this is where I get lost/uninterested).  Basically, those hyphae then help the decaying process of whatever is in your soil.  So mushrooms are a good thing, because they are a sign that something that needs decomposing in your yard is actually doing so.  They are quite often poisonous, so don't serve them for dinner!  You can mow over them or just kick them off if you don't enjoy the view.  And now you know.  :)