first check on the mushrooms in a tree

This morning I took a little walk to check on those mushrooms I needled into a tree.  It's only been just shy of a month so I wasn't sure what to expect.  As I rounded the curve I was pleased to see they were still there, though a little droopier. 

The biggest change was in the scenery surrounding the tree.  Greens and oranges of autumn have been replaced with grey and the russet of fallen oak leaves.

No denying it, the grey season is upon us.

I'm acknowledging it but I'll have to work on the "embracing it" part.

I'll check on these guys after the first snowfall and we'll see they fare.

Have a great start to the week, all.

checking in on the mushroom installation

 

I went to check on my mushroom installation this morning, riding on a new blanket of snow.  Riding?  Yes, I was feeling a little lazy this morning and opted to take the snowmobile out to the woods instead of the snowshoes.  There will be time for quiet contemplative walks later but I have a lot to do this morning so the snowmobile it was.  Ah, the smell of 2-cycle...

 Anyway, the mushroom is still hanging in there in the tree.  The bit of snow stacked on its cap hides the fact that a good portion of it has been chewed off by some visiting critter.

 

The green wool has started to fade considerably but it doesn't appear that whatever was trying to burrow beneath it has done any more excavating, at least for the time being.

 Many of the gills are missing, as is the veil.

 

The wool is pulling off in places in long straggly locks.

 

You can see in this photo the transition from fall through winter.  It started off standing proud, then something started to nibble on its veil and cap a little, then it started to lean as something dug in its green moss, and finally to its snow-laden state.

I love watching this progress.

 

I just had a quick visit then headed back to the house, pausing a moment to watch the smoke rise from our chimney, and note that I needed to sweep off the solar panels, and and and...

 And to wish you all a peaceful weekend.

Have a good one, everybody!

You can see the progression of this piece 

Starting here

then here

and 

then here

mushroom gnawing

 

Yesterday's unseasonably warm weather lured me out to the woods to check on my wool mushroom installation.

 

It isn't hard to spot it in its perch now that the snow has melted

 

 

When I last checked on it, some little critter had been nibbling on the cap and veil.  Now, it seems those nibbles have turned to gnaws.  A good 1/3 of the cap has been pulled off, the veil is gone, and the stem juts out horizontally from the tree, indicating that it is being used as perch for said nibbler's gnawing.  (I'm guessing there's a pine squirrel with a very cozy den nearby)

 

I spotted a few tufts of wool and a gill in leaf litter below.

 

And I still think there may have been attempts to burrow into the wool-lined knot in the tree.  I thought about pulling it out to have a look but wanted neither to disturb the piece nor get some unknown nibbler jumping out onto my face, so I let it be.

 

Already the progression is interesting, from its fully in-tact autumn self to its snow-covered slightly nibbled look, to its now-gnawed posture against December greys.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

wordless Wednesday

Changing And Growing

Mother Nature decided to spoil us yesterday, after a week of grey and snowy, rainy weather, and give us a glorious sunny day.  It was perfect for playing outside, flying kites, and walks in the woods so after we gorged ourselves ate Easter dinner, that's what we did.

We spotted the first butterflies who blended in nearly perfectly with the lichen-covered tree bark.  It was only when they moved or showed the pretty blue spots on their wings that they gave up their location.

The velvet mites were busy in the leaf litter.

And I spotted this, a devil's urn, the very first I've seen.  I've read that this mushroom is a sure sign that spring has arrived in our area and that with it comes morel season.  I've never seen a morel up here but it can't hurt to keep looking.  They're delicious and well worth the hunt.

Mounds of moss dotted the still mostly grey and brown landscape, and it made a beautiful contrast.

This day of sunshine was just what we needed.  I feel my spirits have lifted and am feeling that hopeful spring feeling.  I'm feeling inspired by what I saw yesterday too and ideas have started percolating.

Like the woods, I'm making room for change and growth in my life too.  One part of which is to simplify a bit.

I've moved my work from my Etsy shop to my Big Cartel shop and I'll be adding new work there soon.  I'll still be shopping on Etsy but for now I'll be selling through Big Cartel. (the shop tab at the top of my blog)  There will be some challenges with this move; directing traffic to my new shop for one, but I feel it's the best move for me right now.   That said...like my stuff?  Tell yer friends!  (ha ha)(no, really...tell yer friends)

Wishing you all a wonderful start to the week. I hope you're seeing sunshine and feeling as hopeful as I am today.

A Particularly Nice Day

Yesterday was just as I hoped it would be.  I chilled out, played at my workbench, and took a walk in the woods.  It was lovely and long overdue.

I even made myself a little treat, a ring made of giraffe wood.

Here are some shots I took on my walk that I am finding particularly inspiring.  For those that can't get out for a walk in the woods, these are for you.  Enjoy.

I was suprised to see a patch of deflated puffballs peeking out from under the snow.  I poked one to see if it would puff, but alas, it was puffless.

I love how this rotted pine has begun to fall off in cubes.  Isn't the structure amazing?

And life starts anew, a pinecone in the middle of a rotted out stump.

This is the birch I de-barked last year.  It's now completely engulfed in mushrooms.  Isn't it fantastic?

Check out how the wood in this pine has split at the growth rings.  You can pull them out in pieces like shims.

Chick chick was waiting for me when I returned home.  She likes to sleep in the sun on the porch.

Then she and her friends did some synchronized dance moves for me.  The pics are a little blurry because I was giggling.

Have a great Sunday everyone.