Rainy Season

 We enjoyed a respite, yesterday, from the drenching rains of earlier in the week.  

Although it remained overcast and misty, it was wonderful to be back outside again.  Rain has a way of slowing down the pace of life; giving us extra time to enjoy the little things - like breakfast by candlelight on the screen porch.  We take our time, enjoying the birdsong, as we eat a meal of fresh farm eggs, homemade sourdough toast, sautéed homegrown asparagus, and some homemade yogurt with a little local honey and fruit.  By the looks of the blueberry bushes and the woods bramble, it won't be long before we can enjoy fresh fruit from the farm.  It's a luscious time of year and we take care to enjoy every small piece of it - the spectacular nature, the homegrown bounty, and all of the other things we miss during the long, dark months of winter.

The equines are a bit bedraggled these days - a consequence of shedding during rainy season.

  It will take a little bit of work to get everyone clean and shiny once again.  But, that will have to wait for sunnier days... especially with horses who love to roll in the mud!

I had to laugh at the angle of this photo...it's a funny angle that makes his head look bigger than his massive body.  In person, he is a heavyweight!

Speaking of heavyweights, I really must take a scale to the barn so that I can measure how big Pete is.   When I lift him, he feels like he weighs 30 pounds.  He is one seriously large tomcat, and such a love!

The gardens are quickly filling in.  A few days of sunshine will make everything explode in vibrant color.

We took the dogs for a woods walk after breakfast, 

exploring our forest trails while keeping an eye out for all of the little things that can so easily be missed.  We've been awaiting the return of ground mushrooms and were happy to see that a few species have begun to bear fruiting bodies.  

There were the old favorites, like Reishi...

Turkey tails...

tiny brittle stems...

and so many more, 

hidden in nooks and crannies...

and popping up through the forest floor.

We found a new one... a violet-toothed polypore...

beautiful colors, easily missed if one isn't completely present with eyes searching for small interruptions of pattern - a slight change in color or texture.

A few slime molds (also in the fungi family) were found on decaying wood...

Jelly fungus (also a type of slime mold)...

There happens to be a mud hole towards the end of our walk in the woods - one that Forrest always finds and uses as his own personal mud bath and cooling-off station.

Thankfully, there's a rather large puddle in the outdoor arena that he then uses to clean himself.  You've gotta love a self-cleaning dog!  And he always smells fresh!

It looks as though today might be a sunny day and give us a chance to catch up with all of the mowing. Have a lovely weekend and we’ll chat next week.