Fungi Friday

Fungi FridayThe title is right because I plan to publish this on Friday.  However, the day my Friend, the Fungi Finder, found the following fruiting bodies of fungi was Saturday, May 27.  She mentioned as we started out on our hike that she had found lots of different mushrooms in her yard the last time she  worked on it.  That was not surprising.  We have had a lot of rain this spring.  April was the rainiest April since 1932 and May had above average rain fall.

My Firend, the Fungi Finder did a great job of finding fungi.  Lots of them were small enough that I probably would have missed them if I had been hiking by myself.

Here is my Friend, the Fungi Finder with her faithful companions.  Her companions probably would complain if we were doing a real hike.  Our hike was  actually a  walk on a well-maintained county park trail.

Here is the one I call Scalloped Fungi.  All of the names I've given these fungi are fanciful.  We didn't inspect them close enough to try to ID them.  Neither one of us know much about fungi so I doubt that we would have come up with any true names anyway.

This one I call Tiny Scaly Orange. The key gives you an idea of the size.

Another tiny one...Tiny Orange Toadstool. Again the key gives you an idea of the size.

Spotted Toadstools

Ring Pattern Toadstools

Both photos are of the same group of fungi.  I took each from a different angle. These tiny fungi remind me of the spread tails of turkeys.

I have an old Golden Guide to Non-flowering Plants.  At the time the book was printed fungi were still in the plant kingdom.  Now the fungi have a kingdom of their own.   They are important in a number of ways.  More about that another time.

Lone Pioneer...Watercolor

This is a photo I took at a scenic overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. The tree trunk curved so the tree was growing straight up against a sheer wall of rock. It was the first pioneer in a new territory.

This is a closer shot of the same tree.

This is my interpretation of the scene. I still have a few adjustments that I want to make to this painting. And I may paint the scene again. Many artists paint the same scene or very similar scenes over and over because there are many ways to interpret what we see.

Banana Slugs String Band... Hug the Earth Festival Wrap up...Part 2

The Banana Slug String Band from Santa Cruz, California performing on Saturday, May 21, at the Hug the Earth Festival at Garbry Big Woods.

Miz Dirt explaining to Doug Dirt that "Dirt Made My Lunch". No matter how many times the audience has heard the routine, the people still respond with shouts, laughter and then an enthusiastic rendition of one of the Slugs signature songs "Dirt Made My Lunch/ Thank you, Dirt/ Thanks a bunch/ For my salad...my sandwich...my milk...and my munch/ Thanks, Dirt/ You made my lunch."

The festival first day was May 17 at Garbry Big Woods. A brief rain was predicted but the brief rain turned into a cold, hard, all day rain on the coldest May 17 since 1932. The following day was an all day event at one of the local school systems, the third and fourth days were held at the Miami County Fairgrounds because of rain. The fifth day, Saturday, was back at Garbry Big Woods on a beautiful sunny, warm day. Saturday was open to the public. The earlier days were education staff days with the local school students, about a thousand each day.

Each day during the week, a staff member from the Kentucky Reptile Zoo talked to the students about retiles of various types. Here, she is showing the students a Timber Rattlesnake.

On Saturday, staff from the Columbus, Ohio Zoo brought animals and talked to the students about them.

Dr. Insecta talked about insects and their relatives on Saturday, also.

The Saturday events schedule and locations of the events were on signs displayed throughout the park.

The following photos are of a few of the activities available for young and old. Since I was also taking videos for Tom to splice into a one hour video for viewing on the local public access channels, I didn't take many stills.

One activity in the Invertebrate Village

Pet Rock Painting

                                Making paper rockets
                            

Preparing to blast off

Preparing to launch into the pond

This boy has had a hat made by Twinkie the Clown and also had his face painted at the face painting site. He is watching Twinkie start a balloon creation for his big sister.

This little girl is on top of the world. A staff member behind her is holding her securely by the ankles. During the week, this Earth Ball was used for a variety of teaching activities.

A slice of pizza cost two dollars. Everything else was free...just the right price for an inexpensive afternoon of fun for all.

Large-flowered Trillium

Large-flowered Trillium Watercolor 7 inches by 5 inches

I was happy to get back to painting last week. For the previous two weeks, Tom and I were focused on nature related activities...first the trip to Magee Marsh and then the Hug the Earth filming.

I used a photo taken at Garbry Big Woods Sanctuary as inspiration for this painting. Painting a white flower with shadows on it is challenging. Artists use various colors for the shadows. For this one I used mostly Ultramarine blue deep. French ultramarine blue and Ultramarine blue are two other possibilities. I am painting a second similar picture and may experiment with a different blue. The random striped background is obtained by laying lightweight plastic wrap on wet watercolor and leaving it there until the paint dries.

I appreciate everyone who manages to get through the commenting process. Several people have told me they have tried to comment but have been stymied by the process. I know the feeling. Other bloggers I follow use this system and I can only sometimes get a message posted. I will continue to look for other comment posting options that protect from viruses.

Daily Word...Harmony

Yesterday afternoon, Stephen and I looked at the flowers in the yard as we usually do.  The air was hot and humid.  We could see darkness in the west.  The storms were on their way.  I knew the peony blossoms would be destroyed so I cut the prettiest ones and added sprigs of sage for contrasting color.  Peonies are one of Stephen's favorite flowers because  they bloom on his birthday.

This morning I was reading Daily Word as usual.  After birding at Magee Marsh and spending a week with the Banana Slug String Band at the Hug the Earth program, the words nicely summarized my thoughts.

Banana Slug String Band...Hug the Earth Wrap Up...Part 1

After entertaining thousands of Miami County students for four days, here is the Banana Slugs String Band still full of energy and song on Saturday at Garbry Big Woods Reserve entertaining the public at their final concert of the week.

The week before the Slugs came was beautiful in the Miami Valley.  The week they were here, there was rain during the week but none on Saturday.  The festival was held mostly in buildings at the Miami County Fair Grounds on Thursday and Friday because of the rain.  That didn't stop kindergarteners from having a great time singing with Marine Mark dressed as a Giant Redwood.

Here is Tom filming from the back of the building.  On the right, hoisted on a ladder, is the fixed video camera that takes the distant video.  Tom is zooming in and getting close ups.  Back home at the computer he merges the two videos so he has a combination of long and close views.  He also takes still photos with another camera to intersperse.  I take video and photos with my little camera of events he doesn't get to for a variety of reasons.  After ten plus years, he has a system that works.  The finished products will be shown on public access TV stations in the area and on U Tube through the park district's web site.  The primary purpose is so the students and their families can see their performances.

Next post...a few of the other events and more of the Banana Slugs String Band.

Happy Birthday, Stephen

Stephen's birth announcement.  Ray, his dad, who designed the announcement, must have realized intuitively that Stephen would grow up to be a railroad fan.

Stephen at four months with his big brothers

 Stephen at Christmas, age 1 and 1/2.

Stephen in 2000.

 Stephen and James, his brother, with Thomas in Whitewater, Indiana.

Stephen  in the shirt with the NIC on it)  helped with the middle school garden a project in conjunction with the Miami County Parks District. James, an eighth grade student, ( in the white shirt with colored speckles)  was one of the students working on the project.  I took photos.  Everyone is taking a snack break.

Stephen wearing his  CSX shirt, holding a model train and a can of Coke.  These are some of his favorite things.

                                         

 Stephen with a sycamore seed ball that he found at Brukner.  He is great to walk with.  He sees a lot that I miss.

  Stephen holding the dump truck he made with a kit.

Have a great day, Stephen.

 Lots of love from Grandma