Fungi and Slime Molds...Yipee!

So much fungi, so little time!

 

For my fun with the Princess Sara Quest and journey, I have to figure out who the 'bad' guys are. I swapped a mummy head to this Witch's body from the D&D collection. I thought it would be fun to have her making a potion out of some rather wilted looking fungi.

This dude is a mix up of head, hair, and body. I just put it all together because it made this minifig look rather crazy. He is holding a fungi that grows on old oak logs called 'Deadman's Fingers'. 

I feel it is appropriate for Zombie type Minifigs.

I'd stuffed these guys in my pocket when I went out to check the fence the other morning. I couldn't help but stop and set up these little shots.

My fence inspection found a tree that fell on the fence in the valley so I have to get back and fix that sometime very soon. At the moment I have access to the valley shut off. The mules like to go there on hot days as it is a cooler area.

However, I hit the bonus of all cool things in the forest on my way back home.

Fungi and Slime Molds!

I'm not going to try and ID all of them for you. Just enjoy the shots. Of the ones I know, I will give the names. Otherwise researching these would take up more time away from the pressing chores that are waiting me outside today.

Unknown Fungi. 8 shot focus stack hand held done in camera. Olympus has computational photography which will do an auto focus stack in the proper settings. It will also combine those shots into a jpg. In the past I've used Helicon Focus for this. However, since I like to get the shot and not spend too much time working in a program, I trust my OM-5 to help me out. 

[Not all the shots are focus stacked. Some were just quick shots. I have to keep moving even though I wanted nothing better to do than just explore more.]

This was about an inch and a half tall. I had a little light that I used to light it up from the side.

Happy little fungi on a moss strewn log...
the witch was using some of the wilted ones in her potion....

Here is another favorite of mine. Coral Fungi. It has a scientific name. I've ID'd it before, but I love thinking of it as Land Coral.

This is a few days old so it is turning brown. But this log ought to provide for more beautiful formations this summer.

Mark that log!

Some of my ALL time favorite Slime Molds!
Chocolate Tube Slime. I laid the lighter on the log for perspective.

Isn't this little forming one cute?

and then there are its big brothers...

the first shot was taken in the morning. The second shot was taken in the early afternoon so they could have been drying out. This stuff is usually gone in about 24 to 48 hours. 

What a lucky find for me! I haven't seen slime mold for a while since we've had such dry years.

The log I found it on. They look like they are marching across the log.

Another favorite. Deadman's Fingers. They get creepier as they get a little larger. But pretty neat in my book.

And last but hopefully not the last I find this weekend. A pretty little gilled mushroom on a moss covered log.

I mean, who doesn't like cute fungi and slime molds???