"It's a magical world, Hobbes, Ol' Buddy...let's go exploring!"
Calvin's last words, 12/31/95 (Calvin & Hobbes)
ok...something else i love to take pictures of...is mushrooms/fungi!
there are endless varieties. each is unique. so many different shapes & colors.
mushrooms are in 'the fungi kingdom'.
medicinal. edible. toxic. psilocybin or 'magic'.
mushrooms are recyclers in nature. they break down wood and humus back into their original components - they provide food for living plants by returning dead trees and forest litter to simple organic materials.
but not all mushrooms are do-gooders.
some are parasitic...attacking live trees and causing deadly diseases.
(not all of these pictures are from our yard. some were taken while wandering other places.)
(fungi growing on a dead tree in Torreya St Pk, FL)
this one was in our yard. you can easily tell it's a florida mushroom...
because it has 'tie-downs'...for the hurricane season.
this one looks like it has finger indentations.
little fuzzy ones out back
a trio...like steps...(where are the smurfs?)
"Every now and again take a good look at something not made with hands—
a mountain, a star, the turn of a stream.
There will come to you wisdom and patience and solace and, above all,
the assurance that you are not alone in the world."
Sidney Lovett
o~o~o~o~o~o
if you saw my last post...
you might remember i started working on another 'window hanger'...
made of glass and decorated with butterfly & dragonfly wings...and pressed flowers.
it's not finished yet...here's what i've done so far...
this is the front side...i work on the back...adding the wings & flowers...
using 'mod podge' to adhere and coat.
close-up of the front
this is what it looks like from the back
after the mod podge has completely dried (i usually let it set for 24 hrs at least)...
then i give it the first overall coat of mod podge.
it dries for at least 24 hrs between coats...and i normally give it 2 full coats.
then after it's completely dry...i'll give it a coat or two of clear glaze.
THEN after this is all dry...i'll wrap heavy gauge copper wire around the edges...
making a loop for hanging!
you can see a picture of the one i made before on my last post.
(i'll post a picture after it's finished!)
o~o~o~o~o~o
one more thing before i go...
remember the young yellow rat snake in the shed (again...last post)...
well, he's still there...trying to find a comfy spot...
well...as the squirrels are gathering and burying acorns...
and the hummingbirds have left for warmer weather...
and the ground is crunchy under foot with fallen leaves...
we've had the fireplace going on a few cold evenings. nice!
Happy Autumn!!
"Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over
to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you,
you will suddenly know everything there is to be known."
~Winnie-the-Pooh
'til next time...stay cool...
laura :]
Hi Laura,
ReplyDeletewonderfull mushrooms pictures, and some of them are excellent to eat, especially the white one, is name in Austria is Riesenbovist, the yellow ones are very good too Pfifferlinge
and you have some OParasol and Mandelpilze this is one of the healing-mushroom.
And you now got 2 more house-animals forever-lol.
Take care about you
Just Awesome...
ReplyDeleteJust falling in love with your pictures..They are really nice...
i love snakes as well..
have fun!!!
Nidhi
Great photos. I love the first one, looks like pretty flowers growing on the tree. Very interesting to hear about tie downs...
ReplyDeleteMMMMM! Mushrooms-love'em. I especially like your Florida Mushroom. You have found quite a variety. I know when they pop up in our yard, we always have to take pictures-some of them look like spacecraft. They really have an art form of their own. The snake must trust you to stay like he has. They sometimes won't bother you if you leave them alone. He really wants to stay awhile. And, do you have to carefully hold the flowers and wings to keep them from coming apart when you mod podge? Your dried flowers sure have good color!
ReplyDeleteQuite a nice collection of mushrooms! First one is so pretty--they look like flowers carved out of wood.
ReplyDeleteNot sure I would want the snake hanging around...but I'm sure he helps keep the mice under control!
Love the window hanger!
Another really interesting post, Laura, with great pics! I love the first fungus especially, and the scary yellow one.
ReplyDeleteThe second snake shot makes me laugh... he looks as if he's having such great trouble getting comfortable :)
Cool photos of the mushrooms. I like the colors especially the ones with rings of color.
ReplyDeleteHexenessel, wow!! thanks for all the mushroom info! i get a little nervous about picking them for eating...or healing. some look so similar to others...and can be toxic. i prob need to get a good ID book because we do have so many kinds around here!
ReplyDeleteThe princess, thanks for dropping by! yeah...snakes...i'd like to see more around here...but they're so good at hiding...usually. and we have so many owls and hawks...i think maybe that helps to deplete the snake population too!
Cathy, thanks for wandering...yes! here in florida...even the mushrooms have tie-downs during hurricane season! the SMART mushrooms anyway...
Susan, yeah, the mushrooms are pretty cool looking...some DO look almost alien! the pressed flowers and wings...yes!! delicate!! even using tweezers is sometimes too much. for the really delicate ones i use an x-acto blade to just prick it and hold...then put in place. i've lost petals & wings in the process. i don't press my own flowers. i've tried...too time consuming for me. i buy online.
Kateri, thanks for swinging by here...i agree! that first pic looks like they're carved! and yeah, those rat snakes are GOOD snakes to have around...we welcome them!
Alexia, thanks!! yes, that first pic is really interesting...i think they look like flower petals! i looked for that little snake again yesterday....didn't see him, so he either moved on...or found a better hidey-hole!
VM Sehy, THANKS! yep! the mushrooms...each one is unique! the shapes...colors...so many different kinds...popping up all the time!
well, thanks everyone!! for stopping by & taking the time to leave a note! :]
Who would have thought fungi could be so stunningly beautiful! I love how you've captured them. Like abstract art!
ReplyDeleteYour hanging is coming along beautifully, Laura...I still do NOT like the snake..your friend? JP..:)
ReplyDeleteAm in awe of the fungi pics - such variety, colours and shapes. They're just begging to be photographed ;-)
ReplyDeleteYour window hanger is beautiful and I appreciate you showing how it's done.
Love that you're letting the little snake stay put. I'd want a bit more distance between us, so I enjoy reading about it from the safety of my 'puta !! Cheers :D
Really cool pics!!! :)
ReplyDeleteBright yellow mushrooms... now that's a first!
You get a true autumn feel from the post..great work!
...a quick thanks...busy busy...have so much catching up to do!!
ReplyDeleteCarmi, yes!! each mushroom...piece of fungi...IS like a work of ART!!
Home In The Hollow!! yeah jp...that snake obviously thinks of himself as a friend!! no question about it!!!! haha!!! he just keeps hanghing around...
Susan...yup!! those fungi...awesome!! each is so different from the next! as i was wandering the yard...i could hear them whispering..."me...me!!! take a picture of ME!! i'm next!!" :]
The Amused Medic! the yellow mushroom...really weird yellow! so BRIGHT!! i wonder if that one's poisonous...
maybe Hexenessel will read this and answer...
hey!! THANKS all for stopping in...and i appreciate what you have to say!! always. laura :]
that was a marvelous window hanger....i love it
ReplyDeleteTHANKS pranky!!!! for stopping by...and liking the window hanger!! i appreciate it!! :] laura
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are awesome. Very pretty! :)
ReplyDeleteawesome mushroom pictures! your window hanging decors are fantastic as ever! i feel like i have been missing a lot having been away from the computer for a community retreat and coming around your blog again, i feel all the more inspired today! thank you Laura :)
ReplyDelete