Musings

I suspect this is a Cladonia species, perhaps pixie cup. These have long fascinated me, such strange shapes. I’m glad I’m not an ant having to navigate among them.

Late afternoon became sunny and pleasant, not long after we finished a mint (Mentha spp.) transplantation exercise, establishing three new colonies, two to the south, and one (the large parent plant) to the southwest. The hillfort is now empty of foliage, although I’m certain many aggressive mint roots remain. I will transplant at least one rhubarb crown to the north margin of the hillfort. It’s time; they are languishing in the shade by the sour cherry.

Posted at 6:42 PM | Comments Off on Mint-colored and minty

Pretty sure this a stand of young basswoods leaning toward the light. Like the silver-grey bark and that the trunks are mostly parallel. Bummed that a glimpse of blue tarp nudged into the shot…covering crap at an empty new hunting camp…

Yes, it’s milkweed pod-and-seed season. Note that the sunshine lasted perhaps two hours before retreating to leave us basking in overcast again. We enjoyed ye when ye were here, MrSun.

Posted at 9:25 PM | Comments Off on Autumn no-leaves

I played the weather odds and walked in the morning, thinking the afternoon would have precip, as my app showed and as happened the last two days. I assumed this color on the Uncle Dave Maple I saw on my return would be the best of the day.

Wrong I was. So, with the advent of MrSun, I went out to capture a few barberry shots.

And was touched by this Sympetrum spp., a skimmer dragonfly as I understand it, also called a meadowhawk. Insect taxonomy requires extensive study of minutia that’s far beyond my knowledge base.

Posted at 8:49 PM | Comments Off on Maple and barberry red-oranges

The fog lasted and lasted this morning, although it just looks odd in this photo of the ghost elm.

Speaking of odd, a rough-skinned heirloom squash.

Another local sign. A now truncated parking area…gravel, so unorganized.

Posted at 9:02 PM | Comments Off on October is here

Such a pleasure to take a walk in the woods. No blacktop. No zooming vehicles. Just a chipmunk cacophony on the forest floor, and wind susuration overhead.

Quite a festival of fungi on rotting logs and here and there on the…forest floor. The tiny, bright orange spheres were my faves; alas, no photos.

We had what I think of as two options leaving the trail head. We could go the Mosquito way, or we could pick the Chapel route. You can also mix it up, I guess. We selected the Chapel circuit.

Here: Chapel Beach.

Chapel Rock (with the tree growing out of it and the hole; this is only the pinnacle-crown).

The top of Chapel Falls, with the water disappearing down, down, down. I think it’s north-flowing enough that it’s almost always in shadow.

And Chapel Lake. With touches of fall color.

Posted at 8:39 PM | Comments Off on Chapel-ing without prayers

This angle is just east of north, and I sure didn’t expect to see dawn pinks that direction. Had to put my rubber boots on and mosey out to capture it. With clothes line and posts.

We spent most of the afternoon at an extended social “hour” enjoying sun and shadow alternately on the neighbors’ deck and near-constant laughing and stories. Attendees were the same as at last night’s dinner.

A guest looked over the end of the deck in the autumn-fading ferns, and spotted this beast. It looks rather like a strange and distorted morel, however it is too white and the top is separate from the stem, and the stem is holey. It is a kind of stinkhorn. Ten minutes after picking this was abundantly evident. Even flies zoomed in. And the specimen was summarily delivered to the compost pile.

Posted at 6:58 PM | Comments Off on (Don’t) squish me

We went across the road to greet the neighbors, and she gave us a big hug and took us through to the front deck to wave at her husband, out in the boat. On the mirror-surfaced lake. It isn’t usually this calm this late after sunrise. It was a gorgeous day all the way to dark.

I digress.

Her husband came in shortly with a big haul of four, fine, large fishes. These are the two largest. They are planning on a big small party in a week, so these will go in the freezer until then. And we are invited, so….

Posted at 8:29 PM | Comments Off on Yum in advance

So much individuality in these little free libraries. This is a brand new one, been around perhaps a week, at least in this location. [Note: individuality NOT personality.]

And, once again, an insect photo-bombs a flower photo. As they do.

Posted at 8:09 PM | 1 Comment »

The vegetation is still mostly green leaves and late summer, but this flower caught a dry oak leaf…thinking it might be last year’s…but, then, how’d it get airborne?…leaf blower?

Posted at 8:45 PM | Comments Off on I’m over-thinking

Amplifications to old news…. Here’s the base of the Tree of Refuge from what became my adventure in Tuesday’s rain. I’ve added ovals to show where my feets were…. Those were the good ol’ days (hrrumph)….

And here’s some fresh hickory nut shell and hull detritus. Fast shot so no new material fell on me.

Posted at 8:54 PM | Comments Off on Tree details