Autumn Awe

My ride today was a short one and I brought home some of the red maple leaves for a craft project. They are drying now after being washed from road muck. There were millions of them down already so I had a choice of the ones that pleased my eye. The hard part was to keep them from blowing out of the cubby as I didn't bring a container. Here are a few of the shots I took on this ride.

please click on image for more detail

Fog and Fungus?

Saturated Air - Also known as FOG!

Spider webs on grass that is damp with morning dew may be a symptom of a bigger problem called dollar spot fungus. The branching mycelium of dollar spot fungus looks like spider webs or cobwebs on morning grass, but unlike spider webs, dollar spot mycelium disappears when the dew dries.

Beachfront Fungus! (maybe)

If you see webs on lawn grass despite proper lawn maintenance and without the characteristic brown spots, it might be grass spiders. The spiders like to hide in a part of the web sheltered by fallen leaves, rocks or debris. They quickly run to another part of the web when disturbed, and they can deliver a painful, but otherwise harmless, bite.

Grass spiders are beneficial because they catch and eat insects that feed on lawn grass.

(well I did not see any spiders and that's a good thing because I was barefooted!)

Source

Mishmash

Weather is not cooperating! I can usually find something to get into, though; like going to the local Goodwill store and finding something special. As most of you know, I live in an old log cabin. I picked this up, thinking it would fit in there, then put it back, and went on my way. Later going through every aisle and nothing grabbing my attention, I started to leave and heard the picture calling to me. "Take me home! Take me home!" I knew I had to go back and, hopefully it would still be there. I should have remembered that if something interests me to put it in my cart, go on, and return it later if the charm it had when I first was attracted to it had faded. I was lucky. It was still there. Price - $2.00! Half price because it had the number of the day marked on the back -  #37. The picture had been professionally framed and the back is plain brown paper with no credits. I won't take it apart. Besides the apples, the colors, the faux wood frame, the fine handiwork was what really grabbed me. How many hours did it take to make? What kind of person spent so much time to complete it and why this particular picture?

After returning home, I tried to research the item and only found one comparable - on e-Bay. A metal advertisement sign. Now I did already know who the Shakers were and I also knew that they had a lot of experience gardening. There wasn't anything about Shaker applesauce, although recipes of wonderful Shaker dishes were "out there."  What do you think?

Then I rode the golf cart around the block to check on the Sword beans that are growing in a neighbor's site. One is climbing the power pole (maybe to reach the top!) and another is on the porch post. The promise of more 12 inch long beans is firm. They are fun and unusual.

The mushrooms are popping up everywhere. These were about 25 ft. from my front door!

The first thing that came to mind when I saw this bush was from a childhood workbook task I remember, "one of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong..." Well I guess it does, but it is strange looking.

Click on image to view larger.

Between the Raindrops

It is NOT raining! ...at the moment...

The fungus are popping up here and there and everywhere! This is just a small sample of the varieties I see.

Earlier I saw a squirrel sitting on a branch holding a mushroom upside down between its paws and it was nibbling on the stem. Of course I didn’t have the camera with me. I was just on a ride to get some fresh air. I went back and started out again with camera on board. This egret thought it saw something but didn’t, after all.

Please click on image to view larger

It was a nice ride but clouds were threatening again so I went back to my cave. 

 

Odds, Surprises, and Beginnings

One of my blogging friends who likes to take nature oriented photos wrote that she'd like to see some of this artwork because she wasn't aware of it. I have, on the top of our cabin log wall a small piece that was burned by my "middle" daughter quite a few years ago. I have made one for her of a rooster to give as a gift to her friend.  Here's a picture I took today of mine. It's a bit beat up now.

Since my blogging friend likes birding and sketches them, the link here will better show her what I'm taking about. We have a category at our annual agricultural fair where magnificent works of this art are displayed and judged. 

Two good links below will show you the wood burning style.

Fungus Art Article

Additional Fungus Art Article

Meanwhile, back at the ranch I'm keeping' very cozy under my new Sherpa throw. Just see how colorful and lovely it is! Perfect! This was an unexpected gift from Texas that arrived by UPS up here ON TIME! Thank you Cindy.

And to finish off this disjointed blog, I'd like all to know that I popped open my 12" sword bean pod from SC because it was totally dried. It had great tone and sound and would have been a perfect rattle in a musical band - so now instead, we will see all the vines to be grown in 2014.

Coming soon…….ham bone for split pea soup.

Curiosity Satisfied

Yesterday and this morning, because it's really raining and nasty outdoors, I've been trying to catch up with identifying some of the photographic studies of the subjects I find at the campground. Lately it's a little purple flower, fungus on tree, mushrooms on the campsites, and a pet bug - a very tame bug that stayed with me for quite a while.

The internet is so very helpful and I've found a great site to help me with this endeavor:

http://healthyhomegardening.com

As you know by now, I've always been interested in the natural and beautiful things that surround me. Now I know that the little lavender flowers I photographed have a name.

Mazus

The large and damp bulbous growth on the side of a tree is a giant Birch polypore! I hope it's still there when I go to SC in May. I want to cut it open and examine it closer.

Giant Birch Polypore

Agaricomycetidae (Gill Subclass of Boletaceae)

Boletaceae- Bolete Family

Puffball

Box Elder Bug (Isn't he beautiful!!)