Snowflakes

every time it snows

the flakes look different

they fall through the sky differently as well

today they were floating

softly

slowly

landing in piles

today they look like we imagine

when we think of snowflakes

tiny crystalline stars

I do mean tiny, like the size of a sesame seed

~

I put out the red cloth for them to land on

the other photos are taken on my car

we are officially in the season of snow and ice

i love snowflake season

 

~

*

Autumn Ice

nights have been freezing

and

so have my ponds

i love the geometrical shapes

like faceted gems

like a dream

gazing through ice

autumn leaves

grace the creeks floor

pond fish

have begun their quiet

hibernation like existence under ice

and today it is snowing
one inch so far

~

*

Tiny Realm of Lichen and Fungi

they call us pixie cups

we are tiny 

and live in the sylvan land

we grow in fanciful shapes

i have been enjoying the tiny realm of

fungi and lichen

they grow on trees

in wonderful colors

on rocks

even the black and gray speckles are lichen!

I look forward to getting to know them better

~

*

A Glimpse of this past Week

autumn colors

 

skies thrilling

mist from cold nights and warm-ish days

First Snow arrived

joy inspiring

 

next day 

a dusting is all that is left of the snow

sunshine greets us with a blue sky

stone paths i make for my grandsons joy

 

 as well as fairy boats made of walnuts and wine corks

(do you have any suggestions for simple fun tiny boats for my ponds and my grandsons?)

today it rains

all in a week

late autumn

~

*

Fairy Barf

thrilling 

how there are endless new things to discover

 

like:

Fairy puke

(a lichen)

now how can they call it that!

I feel concern, the fairies will get mad.

look at that turquoise stuff

it literally coats an entire tree stump

right over the moss and all

then these tiny pink apothecia grow

a wee island of mushrooms

found in a dark wet mossy canyon

beginning to dry out

and 

waves of gills become art

 

another new one to me

Chlorociboria aeruginascens

or 

green elfcup

it is such a joy to find new colors in the woods

as i continue learning about mushrooms

i decided to try a spore print

the black and orange fabric: a table cloth

on top of that is a sheet of plastic

i took a mushroom cap and laid it gill side facing down with a glass jar on top

next day i lifted it

and 

a spore print

wow

so beautiful and even 3-D

spore prints are one of the many ways to help identify which mushroom 

you have found

there won't be many more mushrooms this season 

as days are quite cool and nights freezing now

~

*