Wonders...

Nature is always surprising me at every turn with odd things to find.

After our last heavy rains [more expected this weekend], I found this white stuff on a large chunk of wood.
It looked like frost at first. 

No, it wasn't. It was some sort of slime mold. Eeeks, that name sounds horrible, but little slime molds that can be found in the woods are pretty neat and some are just odd looking and beautiful. I've found some incredible brilliant colors of slime molds growing on wood over the years.

Nature just keeps me smiling!

In my shady wildflower garden, I found these beautiful tiny pink flowers. The flowers themselves are no larger than a pencil eraser.
When I looked at the photo on my laptop, I found this!

Imagine! I found a Katydid Nymph and I wasn't even looking! Katydids make a lot of noise in late summer. I found it interesting that over the years I probably confused Katydids with Grasshoppers as they are very similar.

I found a much more common insect when I was pulling weeds. I was so pleased to see the Yellow Swallowtails fluttering about in the same garden.

I found this insect resting on some Oxeye Daisies in the morning pasture. One of the best ways to find summer insects is early in the morning. According to Insect People, find flowers or places that the bugs will rest in the night to catch the early morning sun and warm up.

Mystery Insect

I suspect that it is some sort of fly but who knows???

Meanwhile, in the pasture, I found beautiful but not so nice weeds. The land to the east and west of me do not do any weed control or mowing. Such is the nature of our wild woods and meadows. Both neighbors at one time had cattle which really cut down on many unwanted plants.

However, there is nothing to do about it, so I make the best of it. 

Oxeye Daisies are pretty
with dew on them.
Many mornings, they have 

cool insects resting on 

their petals.

I cut these down, but they love to 

grow on the fence between

or properties.

Nightshade

Multi flora Rose
Actually, the mules will eat blossoms 

and leaves off these

if there is nothing else

left in the pasture

to eat.

Sheeps Sorrel?
pretty, but not useful

for 

grazing.

From slime molds to insects, to dew drops on plants. Nature keeps me wondering.

I really do enjoy my walks and am glad that I stop to look now at everything I can find. Grasses, bushes, trees, and even slime molds can be beautiful.

PS~~ Mica update. She is walking normal now with her diaper cushion and shows no sign of lameness. Her abscess is healing nicely and we do a daily foot wash and wrap for now.

Mules in the Meadow

Fun stuff

 The Gritty Girls

This is just going to be ...

the Fun Stuff. 

Why not? 

Mirth is out picking mushrooms. I think she is looking for those psychedelic ones!

We TOLD Harriet NOT to play with the food!

Hobby enjoys wandering the woods looking for cool fungi. She found Scrambled Egg Slime Mold aka Dog Vomit Slime Mold. Real name: Fuligo Septica 

Hobby and Susan stop to cool off in the creek after hiking.

Garden Gargoyles discussing the Welcome Friends sign. Obviously they are not impressed.

It is obvious that some of the gals need a bit more education on how to carry a load on a skid steer...

No one was injured.

This weather has been bad for mowing and some outdoor activities. But if one likes fungi and slime molds, this is absolutely great weather.

More on that soon.

Sneak peek:

Rain, Slugs, and Bugs

So the rain brought out Slugs and bugs...

And very cool fungi. Some sort of slime mold??? 

Found Black Nightshade. Nasty stuff.

Slug heads in Fungi.

Witch's butter perhaps? Being guarded by my tiny soldiers.

Bright yellow slime mold. Some of it creeping over the Witch's Butter.

Chicken of the Woods? Old?

Grasshopper.

A sluggo stand off...

A very cheerful dog enjoying the cooler weather...

Ready???

Hummingbird Moth!

This is the fastest moving moth I have ever encountered and this is only the second time in 30 years that I've seen one. The first time I could only watch and wonder.

It probably took at least 30 or more tries before I finally got half way decent shot of this moth.

It's wings are translucent and it is sort of beautiful and ugly at the same time. 

That was my rainy day. Not that interesting unless you are a bug or slug or some sort of slime mold.

However.

I had some very cool stuff happen today. Thursday. I'm still mulling it over.

 

Fun fun Fun..gi and Slime Mold

What should a person do when they live wayyyy out in the country during a a time when you don't feel like co-mingling with other humans?

It is the end of September and the forest is full of creepy, ingenious, and strange growths. So, I spend an hour or so each day walking around the section of the woods that is deep and dark. Where the logs are moss covered. Where old bones from animals lay. It is a place that I didn't go through often because the canopy is so dark and there is little undergrowth.

It is a spooky part of our woods.

I never knew there could be so many things to see in such a small area!

The hard part is trying to figure out what on earth I am finding!

Some of it is easy. Old Chicken of the woods. When fresh, they are bright orange. These are old, but still very impressive in size. Apparently it can be eaten if you know your Fungi. I wouldn't eat this though. Looks a bit on the yucky side.

Blobs.
I found Blobs of white in spots all over the forest floor. I've seen them before but just ignored them while hiking. Not this week. I decided to go ahead and try to figure out what these strange things were.

So at first I poked it with a stick and then with my finger. They feel like a mushroom or fungi. I did some digging and came up with a possible ID. The Shrimp of the Woods. One site said it was a malformed aborted mushroom and another said it was a parasitic fungi that ate other fungi. I am not going to go ahead and give it the scientific name as I am not really quite sure. I have more investigating to do.

I've collected many photos in the past few days and am still trying to figure out what I'm seeing.

Slime Mold?
Here is a photo of my foot in the middle of the white stuff. Is is slime mold? What stage is it if it is?
I really have no idea of what I am seeing so I just photograph it out of curiosity .

Here is a close up of the white stuff. It is gorgeous! It looks like a snow-scape doesn't it? 

Here is the edge of the 'stuff' with a dime for size reference.

It isn't really slimly and icky. Just a bit odd. 

I hunted around the forest a bit more and noted something white on another log. 

Think of the size of flea eggs when you see this as it is a macro shot with my little Tough Camera in the microscopic mode:

I will go back once a day to see what this turns into. I've been trying to do some investigating and slime mold has a 'fruiting' stage.

Oh heck, I have NO idea what I am talking about here.

Just that this stuff is cool, interesting and worth photographing as it changes.

Perhaps I can figure out what it is one of these fine days.

Something tiny but pretty. Yellow Fairy Cup Fungi!

I found this on a piece of wood. Thank goodness for its bright color or I would have missed it. 

The forest always has some sort of surprise!

Here is a slug hugging a tiny puff ball!

And for the last shot of this day another group of fungi growing on a log.

I call these Fungi...a Happy Little Family.

I'm pretty sure I can imagine woodland creatures hiding nearby.

By the way. The color of the trees are magnificent. In the past few days, I've had to run a few errands and I've been able to stop and take some photos.

But this fungi stuff is fascinating also. 

More fall color photos tomorrow. I promise!

And more Strange Fungi or Slime Mold too!