Fall is....

Monday 

Fall seems to always make me feel in a bit of a rush. It makes me breathless and anxious as if I am going to 'miss' out on something. The days grow shorter and I watch the forest carefully. When the leaves begin to fall in earnest I feel more anxious.

So what is up with that? Maybe I wish Fall/Autumn with the leaves and color changes would last much longer. I want it to draw out like Spring draws itself out. Spring teases us bit by bit with little glimpses of things to come.

Fall rushes at us like a freight train.

Some days I want to run about willy nilly to try and capture everything going on. And between meals, regular duties, and daylight, there never seems as though there is enough time.

I did get out and walked around our area. I took Groot along just because this little ornament makes me smile each time I pull him out.

I can't help but find this expression infectious.

I did find fine little fungi. I have waited all year just to see these tiny fungi appear on a log in our forest. The log hosts a few different types of lichen and moss as well as these little guys.

And then there are the Wolf Farts. Well, not their real scientific names, but they are popping up all over. I imagine it is due to the heavy moisture that comes on fall nights.

The Blewits. I don't know, it almost sounds like a made up name for a neighbor that would move in next door and be very annoying.

As you can see, they are not an easy mushroom to spot in the woods. Yes, they are large but colored much like the leaves they are hiding in. True to their description, they are commonly found on a forest path. These were between several oaks and other hardwood trees.

Another interesting note. I tossed the one I brought home out into the pasture and my red mules ate it. 

Perhaps that is why I don't find any in their current pasture!

Here is the leaf press/flower press picture I was working on. Sorry, this is just a crappy shot of it with the glass reflection that doesn't really show how pretty it turned out. 

I took another photo of it on the wall. It really looks nice. Better yet, this was a frame and some paper I already had. So the cost was just my labor in gathering the items and figuring out how to preserve them.

I will probably change it up after I get bored at this layout.

Do you recall my search for the Hazelnut tree? Well when hiking with Aurora I found them!

I have to grab those photos off my aged computer yet.

The trees I thought were Hazelnut near my home? They have confounded me since August.

However!

I have them figured out now.

Today looks like a good day to sort my observations and photos of the few bushes and trees I've been photographing and watching since August.

Don't you just love curiosity?

Finding Things

...In nature....

In the shot below there is an aphid on the stem just below the bee. Not sure it you can see it unless you click on the photo and it appears larger.

Possibly a Long Horned Bee

This is a Tussock Caterpillar on a

Milkweed leaf.

They look rather fearsome.

But they are also 

referred to as a Wooly

Bear Caterpillar.

This is what we call a ground nut plant. 

Leaves of three, but not to leave it be!

American Hog Nut Plant.

It blossoms in August.

Apparently you can actually eat the seeds from the pod once they are dried out. I'm not sure I'd collect them all, but it might be interesting just to take a few this year to see how tiny they are!

Maidenhair Fern branch. This is one of my favorite ferns,
the shape of the plant is rather beautiful and distinct. 

They are starting to fade now and die off.  The photo below is from a few years ago.

Bracken Fern.

Boy that is not a fancy name for how pretty this 

fern is as it readies itself for fall. I love the colors.

Mystery fungi or

Slime Mold?

It is considered Dog

Sick Slime Mold

or Dog Vomit Slime

Mold.

Or a scientific name:

Mucilago crustacea

No name for this one. 

I just thought it was 

beautiful.

It caught my eye and I literally had to get down to get a look at it. That is a blade of grass behind it. It was still damp from the fog and morning dew.

This is perhaps a Lycoperdon perlatum.

Fun preferred names are Wolf Fart, 

Devil's Snuff Box, 

and gem studded puff ball.

I do enjoy finding the wee things in the forest and pasture and then trying to figure out what they are is a delight also.
Sort of like a Treasure Hunt.

I'll be out again tonight watching the stars. The Perseids were kind of cool and I had fun sitting out with a large mug of coffee watching the stars.

More treasures coming. I didn't want to bore anyone with Treasure overload.

Shots taken with my pocket camera and my Oly and 30mm macro lens.