Shaggy Bracket, the Mystery Fungi!

 

We've been able to ID the Fungi that we saw growing on the side of a large oak tree on the Florida Trails!

The first time we saw it, I said it looked like a loaf of bread and was as big as a cantaloupe.

But 4 days later it looked like the dough had been stretched out to make pizza!

It even had the sauce already on it!

 

Another view....

4 days after that it started looking like the pizza had been baked too long.

And with ALL that information, we narrowed it down to Inonotus  hispidus or the oak loving Inonotus dryophilis. Commonly called Shaggy Bracket.

We keep walking this trail just to see how much it has changed!

I found one good website that helped with the ID HERE! 

What would we do without the internet! 

On the days I don't hike, I spend some time outside in my yard. 

I sat out front in a lawn chair and saw this beautiful Cardinal and I went back inside to grab my camera.

Isn't it beautiful there among the flowers and palm fronds.

And I loved all the guesses as to what the painted rock was. My fav was what Sam wrote, "I think the rock was stating X marks the spot and now no one will be able to find the treasure because you moved it! LOL 

So you'll all be happy to know, I went back and dug up the treasure and moved it to X marks the spot! 

Now you'll have to come and hike the Florida Trails to find it!

 (just kidding...just kidding!!!)

The pretty bluebird on the mailbox was in front of my house!

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

I'm linking with All Seasons at the Jesh Studio,

AND my Monday post HERE.

The Mysteries of life!

 

Well, my title is a bit of an exaggeration but believe me when I tell you I am a person 'prone to exaggeration'! heeheehee!

I'm sharing some of the strange sights I've seen this week. And might even need your help in figuring out what in the world I have actually seen.

We started a hike at Blue Run Park a few days ago with the sight of this hand painted truck. 

I was going to tell you all that I painted my truck but I knew you would then ask when I traded my BMW for a truck. hahaha!

There was a tiny Bible on the ID sign at this Water Oak tree.

And painted rocks by some of the other signs. I even decided to pick one up. I plan to take it to another trail head and leave it there. But when I looked at the photo, I wondered what it was? What is the painting supposed to be?

We saw some amazing airplanes this week! An old Biplane, an Opsrey and the President's airplane as he flew over for a rally here in Florida. 

A few people lost their bobbers in the trees when they were fishing this week.

The Florida State Wildflower, Coreopsis is in full bloom right now.

And then there is this! Let me explain! 

It was growing on the side of a huge Oak Tree. It is BIG! About the size of a cantaloupe! I know it's some kind of fungi but haven't determined exactly which one. Anyone ever seen this before?

It's been an interesting week so far!

 How is your week shaping up?

I'm joining Angie for Mosaic Monday HERE . 

I'm linking with All Seasons at the Jesh Studio,

AND my Monday post HERE.

Ross Prairie Hike

When we started hiking here in Florida a few years ago, this is the first trail we hiked. 

And it's still a favorite!

What is that white stuff? 

Don't worry, it's not snow, it's white sand!

And this is Reindeer Moss....really! (also called Deer Moss)

A Palm tree is growing across the trail, of all things!

Aren't the grasses beautiful at this time of year! 

We are still having beautiful weather and enjoying our hikes and day trips.

What's your weather like today?

We've had highs in the 80s, cooler weather on the way. 

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays .

We might need a little orange!

When you're hiking in the woods, the color orange sure stands out!

I'd really like to make an effort to learn some of the names of the mushrooms and fungi that I see.

But I'm having trouble with the ID of them all.

I need to see if I can buy a special mushroom ID book. I've tried to buy identification books for all kinds of things here in Florida and that helps so much. 

So I'll share the beauty of them all and fill in the blanks when I figure out the proper ID!

These were all taken on last week when we had a little rain every day. The mushrooms just sprouted up everywhere. 

This black mushroom was on the golf course behind our house. 

A white mushroom is in the same area!

The rest of these were on the Florida Trails. You know where that is! We hike there A LOT! lol

  

Do you have mushrooms popping up around you after a rain?

How about a Black Swallowtail with orange dots!

I’m joining Thankful Thursdays .