First Week of February 2018

This first week of February was a dilly. Not a dilly dilly. More like the pit of misery. It has been colder than usual but we won't let that get us down. Soon warmer weather is bound to come in.  Despite the cold weathers I have been out and about in the garden. Not a lot I can do right now but I just can't stay inside all the time. The stepping stone below has given me the sign of the time. I have never noticed this before on this stone. It must have been very happy to have company.

The things I have noticed most are first of all the birds are giving me the signal that things are changing. They are tuning up for the time when their songs will fill the air.

Inside I have been reading the book Gathering Moss A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Robin is a scientist and a Native American. In her book about mosses she has really drawn me into that mossy world. I have learned a lot with her way of adding a human aspect to the way of looking at moss. 

The book sent me scurrying out into the garden to see if any moss was reacting to the sun that is pouring in despite the cold temperatures. Sure enough... this little bit of cushion moss is greening up. 

Also, on this stick that I brought home last year a little bit of moss is beginning to show. This is a different type of moss than the little cushion moss. See how it stands up. Now if I can just figure out what kind I have here I will be pleased.

I would like a nice crop of moss someplace in the garden. I think the little cushion moss that came in uninvited is showing me where to try this. 

Do  you have  a mossy area in your garden?

Fungus, Lichen and Moss

I tell you, these wet, warm, for winter, days are just right for breeding and growing all types of fungus, lichen and moss. I had a good time walking through the park today. We took a trail through the woods and it was facinating. Now don't get your hopes up thinking I am going to be able to tell you what the names are on these things. I don't know much about them really. I think it is one reason I am so facinated with them. Sort of like Owls. You know they are there but they only show themselves when conditions are just right, mysterious. These mushrooms have stems. Not unusual at all but I thought it unusual to find this type of mushroom growing on a log. Usually I think of this type of mushroom (one with stems) as growing in the duff or on the ground that is rich in humus.

They could be the Deadly Galerina. Not Edible. Don't worry. I don't pick mushrooms I just take their pictures.

This is the largest of the lot of em. It was growing by itself. It sort of reminded me of a Horseshoe Crab. This is the underside. I know it helps to see the underside as well as the gills when you are trying to id these things.

This one below is a cup mushroom of some sort. It is black and the outside is hairy. Makes me think it is a Hairy Black Cup.

This jelly-substance-like thing is probably Red Tree Brain. It is some weird looking stuff.

There were just oodles of Polyspores and other shelflike fungus. It is just amazing the colors and sizes. This one caught my eye because it had grown around a couple of stems that were growing by it. It was a fairly good size.

Most of them were fairly small. The colors just made me want to get out my colored pencils right there and start drawing.

This one was strange because it was growing out the end of the log instead of on the long side of the log.

I usually don't see them growing here.

These were all growing on the side of a log. All tightly packed together.

Now these odd looking things I couldn't decide if they were puff balls that had puffed or if they were a type I am not familiar with. They had all opened if this were the case. Some looked like they were deflated and lying on their side.This one looked like a horse's hoof to me. Can you see that?? Or is it just me??

Most of them on this one log looked like a horse's hoof but this one looked like it had melted. Or possibly like a snail with a strange looking shell.

Some of the moss was putting up spores. It appeared to be growing by leaps and bounds too. It was so green. Wonderful to see so much green.

On this stick was three types of things growing together. Some kind of bluegreen lichen, a green moss of some sort and a white fuzzy looking mushroom. I thought it made a pretty picture.

Wouldn't these colors make a pretty room??



Below is more of that bluegreen stuff with kelly green moss growing around it.

Do you have anything strange growing over in your neck of the woods?