Sitting In The Sun

When I took the photo for yesterday's Wordless Wednesday post I had to get down low to get the shot I wanted.  I snapped a few pics and sat back in the grass for a minute.  The weather was perfect, sunny with a breeze, the kind of weather that conjures up memories of apple-picking.  Jeans and t-shirt weather.  My favorite weather.  Autumn weather.

I took a moment to look around me and just take in my surroundings from where I sat.  There are no fancy pictures here, just a snapshot of my life at that moment.  It made me realize that I'd like to do this more often, sit in a new spot and just observe life just as it is.

My dog decided to join me too.  Though she won't be snapping photos...her photography skills are slightly lacking. (what with that embarrassing no-opposable-thumb thing and all)  She did roll around on her back for a bit, wiggling this way and that, snorting like a piglet before she collapsed on her side feeling rather satisfied with herself.

Of course the chickens had to come and have a look and wonder why The Feeder was sitting on the ground.  Actually, I'm sure they didn't care why I was sitting on the ground, they were just scoping for food.

A load of laundry was on the line, the third that day, drying in the sunshine while a Tonka truck sat idle.

I reached back to grab my lens cap off the stump behind me and noticed it was delightfully warty with Wolf's Milk Slime and had an accompanying mushroom.  (I think they follow me sometimes....and I love it)

That was my adventure.  Nothing fancy, just a few minutes sitting in the grass in between the busy-ness of life.

(note: now, had you observed me writing up this blog post later you would have seen me surrounded by a 4 year old "playing" his guitar for me and correcting me on the lyrics for Ring of Fire, me stopping to change a toxic diaper, and then the baby turning off the computer on me right as my cursor was poised over "publish".)

I hope you get some time to look around you today and observe the interesting, odd, and mundane, around you.   I'd love to hear what you've observed so if you get a moment, leave me a comment and share your world with me, won't you?

Wordless Wednesday

Never What You Think

I went out to the barn yesterday to snap a few photos of the projects my hubby has been working on; he's been back at the woodpile and is working on some bowls, serving platters, and other fabulous things, and I wanted to share a sneak peek.

  While I was out there, my usual entourage was close behind. 

As I snapped the first photo I heard a great commotion coming from somewhere within the barn.  "Bawk bawk BAWK BAWWWWWK!!!"  I looked around and spotted one of the white hens up on my husband's work bench having a serious conniption.  She squawked for a minute or so then hopped down, still clucking.  This flock hasn't started laying yet, but I wondered if maybe.... so I walked over and sure enough, her very first egg had been deposited right there amongst the saw blades and sockets.

I had to laugh.  Nest boxes be damned, this girl wants the work bench.

It was her first egg and though I'm proud of her I don't think hubby is too impressed with her choice of locale.  Hopefully we'll coax her back into the nest boxes, but who knows.   If there's one thing I know for certain, it's that things don't always work out as planned.

Mushrooms For Moochie

I was home last weekend for my cousin's wedding and while there learned that my auntie enjoys my mushroom photos.  How exciting was that?!  So here are some Monday mushrooms for Moochie. (there are lots of photos today!  As always, click on them for a better look)

Despite my constantly-nagging to-do list (nag, nag, nag) it felt like a good day for a woods-walk.  The hubs, two younger boys, and I headed out for some wandering.  We went through our trail and when we reached the fork in the oak, jumped off into state land and wandered until scrubby hardwoods gave way to marshy wetlands. 



 



We hadn't been this far before the boys were real troopers.  Even though the tall grass kept knocking them down (and A kept losing his shoe) there wasn't a single whine or complaint.  Of course they never stopped talking either, excitedly shouting "mushroom!  MUSHROOM!!" when they found something for me to photograph.  (you've learned well, young grasshopper...) 

Here is what we found.

Lots of mushrooms feasting on stumps and dead trees.



This massive stump was completely engulfed in mushrooms and they even ran out into the grass where the tree roots were beneath the dirt.

This stump is kind of flashy, boasting at least three different mushrooms.  Show-off.

This stump was blowing bubbles of pink slime.

This one ended up with grey slime.  Slightly less appealing than the pink, I'd say.

Lots of shelf and bracket fungi were hanging onto trees too.

This tiny red fungus among the moss was amazing. (and really hard to photograph)

A smear of yellow jelly, anyone?

The mushrooms didn't limit themselves to trees of course.  We spotted these on the forest floor...

This might be a Violet Cort, but I'm not sure.  Check out his sinewy stem.

A hairy cup fungus.  This one made me squeal, I was so excited to see it.

there were surprisingly pretty colors too...

and some that my boys said were "nickles" but they didn't actually mean nickles.  ahem

We saw trails of white mushrooms.

anda gorgeous teal blue-staining fungus.

We saw more lobster mushrooms, past their prime. (which makes me weep a little)

An amanita braces itself against the coming cold with its tiny cape.

 Black trumpets are one of those mushrooms that are really difficult to spot, but once you do, you see them everywhere.

We also saw frogs and toads amongst the toadstools.  The boys each had a handful.  We do the pat-down before they come back to the house otherwise they'll sneak them inside.

It seems counterintuitive to take a couple-hour walk when my to-do list is gigantic and enraged but you know, it was just what I needed.  I felt a little recharged and ready to tackle the list upon my return, and made me realize that some of the things on that list weren't really that important in the first place.

I hope you all get a little wandery time in your busy days too.

Happy Monday.