Some odds 'n' ends as we wait for winter to finally be in the rear-view mirror for good!

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Does anything good ever come from the ice and snow storms we get every year?

If you're a mushroom hunter -- or just someone who loves to eat them -- then the answer would be yes.

Toppled trees and branches from ice and snow storms create a near perfect growing situation for mushrooms, Don Ruch, a biology professor and botanist at Ball State University, stated in an e-mail press release.

Ruch, who says it may only be a few more days/weeks before mushrooms are plentiful, is writing a book tentatively titled "202 Common Mushrooms of Indiana."

"The ice storm could serve to stimulate a flush -- a fruiting of mushrooms," Ruch explained. "They will be found particularly around elms under some sort of stress, such as where the soil might be somewhat waterlogged. But the limbs that fell during the winter could help stimulate a flush."

Ruch said nature has to take its course before the mushrooms spring up.

"The temperatures have to have at least three nights in a row when it's 50 degrees or warmer," he said. "There seems to be a temperature minimum that will stimulate the flush."

If you're interested in learning more about Ruch's knowledge of mushrooms, you can contact him by telephone at (765) 285-8829 or by e-mail at druch@bsu.edu . His address is Department of Biology, Ball State University, Cooper Life Science Building, CL 121, Muncie, Ind., 47306.

And if you happen to find too many mushrooms in the coming weeks (which probably will never be the case) you can bring them by the office and I'm sure I can find a good home for all of them.

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Two Greene County musicians are involved in the MAYO International Youth Orchestra Festival this week, hosted by the Musical Arts Youth Orchestra (MAYO).

Violist Matt Jenness, a senior at Eastern Greene High School, and harpist Katie Kapelsohn, a home schooled student from Bloomfield, are participating in the festival alongside visiting young musicians from around the world, around the country, and around the state.

They are spending this week rehearsing with the festival orchestra, working with well-known musicians from the Jacobs School of Music and elsewhere, enjoying festivities and recitals with newfound friends, and performing in a culminating concert Sunday at 4 p.m. at the IU Auditorium, 1211 East Seventh Street, in Bloomington.

The event is open to the public, and a donation of $10 is suggested.

For more information about the MAYO Festival, e-mail info@mayomusic.org. You may also visit the MAYO Web site at www.mayomusic.org .

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From mushrooms and music ... to golf.

To be more precise, Tiger Woods.

He may be the most talented golfer in history. He's a magician with any club, and enjoyable to watch if you're watching just for the sake of the final score.

But I find it hard to root for Tiger. The Masters last Thursday through Sunday at the Augusta National Golf Club was a case in point.

You could clearly read Tiger's lips a few times when he made a bad shot, and it was obvious what was said. He took the Lord's name in vain.

He's also known for dropping the "F bomb" and throwing his clubs (Johnny Miller shares his views on this subject in his book).

At Arnold Palmer's tournament the week before The Masters, it showed Tiger throwing his driver after a bad tee shot. Palmer happened to be offering some commentary at the time. You could tell Palmer didn't like what he and the rest of the world witnessed, and he shared a story about when he threw a club as a youth. His father took care of the problem after the round.

Hopefully someone shared that story with Tiger after the round at Bay Hill.

No one is perfect on the golf course, including myself. And Tiger touches thousands of lives through his foundation. He also does a lot of other charity work.

But he doesn't have to use such language and throw temper tantrums.

I hope Tiger was watching the three-man playoff at The Masters. Kenny Perry had a two-stroke lead going into the final two holes, and eventually lost on the second playoff hole.

Perry applauded when Angel Cabrera made an incredible par save after hitting a tree on his second shot on the first playoff hole. And when Perry lost on the second hole, he didn't make excuses. He admitted he played poorly down the stretch, and credited Cabrera for a job well done.

I wonder if Tiger would have acted the same?