"George" George@least wrote:

Nice to hear someone else turns tilt-stem mushrooms. Do you do oval
stems too?

Hadn't thought of doing that. I'll have to try it. First time I left the
bark on and got oval cap and base I had a Gleeful Happy Feet Moment!

The combination fascinates people. The thick bark is also
an asset on branch bowls.

Your experience with drying willow is spot on. Unless you put it out
in bright sun to dry, it's going to survive. Turned about twenty feet
of a trunk that fell across the drive a few years back, and the wood
was anything but ordinary-looking with the adventitious buds and the
shimmering grain reversals that make it hold together so well when
drying. It is by nature a sponge, so it demands a lot of finish to
show off best.

AHA! That may be my 'muddy' problem - not enough finish. Thanks for the
tip.