So Much To Share...

 Yesterday, after grazing and breakfast were finished, I took a little time to work in the garden - cleaning up the last of summer's growth.  

The first of this fall's saffron crocus had bloomed and opened, revealing the three dark red threads of saffron that I will pick and dry.  There are a lot of other plants up, so more flowers will emerge over the next week or two.

I harvested a good-sized bag of arugula, that had come up from seed from the past spring's planting.

The sugar peas are still doing well, despite the sub-freezing nights we have had lately.

When I was done in the garden, I headed back to the barn to see what everyone was doing.   I noticed that Ollie was flat out on the ground...

Snoring!

 Oh, how I love sneaking up on my animals, when they have no idea I am there, and capturing them in their natural behavior. 

I sat down in the dirt a few feet away from him and waited.

"Oh, hello there, I didn't see you sitting there!"

Ah, yes, a vigorous back-scratching is the perfect way to wrap up a nap...

followed by a good, solid shake....

and a thirst-quenching drink!

Yesterday was so lovely... sunny and windy.  We seized the day and went for a hike in our woods with the dogs.

This time we stayed off the trails and walked through the crunchy leaves.  We both love investigating old rotting stumps to see what fungi we can find.  Yesterday, we saw several we had never seen before - they are all varieties that are typical for September through November in our neck of the woods.

Clustered bonnet mushroom - not edible

It's these hard-working, yet beautiful fungi that keep the forest healthy - both by decomposing dead matter, and by working closely with plant roots to help provide nutrition for and communication between the plants growing there.

Here are a few of yesterday's finds (none are edible) ....

Angel wings - highly toxic

Coral pink merulius  

Toothed jelly fungus

Purple jelly drops

Silky parchment fungus

Red-banded fungus beetle on a decayed Hemlock Varnish shelf fungus

The most amazing part of fungi, to me, are the structures that are rarely seen.  We easily see the fruiting bodies - the mushrooms - but the bulk of fungi live beneath the ground.  It is here, beneath the ground that the mycelium spread, intertwining with roots, providing a sort of neural network for the plants above.  The picture below is a great illustration of fungal mycelium.  

We found this fungi beneath a rock.  You can see the tiny, white, root-like structures  emerging from the fungi.  These are the mycelia.  

The tip of each white thread is known as a hypha - and this is where all of the growth occurs.  It is the hyphae that absorb nutrients and send them through the mycelium to the rest of the fungus.   Not all fungi produce mushrooms, however, all fungi have hyphae that grow to form mycelium.

Isn't it fascinating to explore what lies beyond the beaten path?

We'll return on Monday with more fascinating tales!  Until then, we are sending our love!