Forest Walk and Shrooms

I am finally able to walk in the woods more often (as Drew picks me up from school and takes me to the forest directly from work.) I am loving this relaxation time and am so happy to be outside as the season moves speadily toward autumn. 

We have walked from the Hix Small Cemetery Rd. to the old County Rd. (both wooded, rocky and rooty trails that were main roads 100 years ago.)

With the trail being so rough (lots of rocks to trip over and twist ankles), Drew and Toby walked ahead and cleared the trail of branches so that I would be safe.

Drew's bridge is still standing. He constructed it about 15 years ago so that we could cross the creek at high water times. It is on the right side of the photo in the distance. My knee was complaining as we neared the creek so we had to turn around and head back to the car. Eventually, I'll be able to walk from home to here. Baby steps to health.

As we walked the trail, Drew spotted a puffball fungus ready to open and release its spores. We helped it along a bit!

And, here is a puffball that is not quite as mature.

Nearby, I spotted a type of bracket fungus, Lenzites sp. It grows and gathers its nutrients from dead wood and breaks the wood down.

The underside of this species of Lenzites has gills. Other species have pores, so you really do need to turn the fungus over to look at its underside to identify it.

The patterning reminds me of brain coral. Spores are released from within the gills.