A tall fella

Just a fun mushroom 20 feet from my house.

Mr. American Toad

An American toad. Native to the eastern US and Canada. He was so chill, I did not startle him at all. I have read that we should be careful touching frogs bc the oil on our hands can be unhealthy for some of their skin. Funny, when I was a little girl, everyone was like, "don't touch a frog bc you will get warts!" I am glad to see we are thinking about these little guys and their wellbeing now!

Lichen on a tree trunk in a forest setting

Old Man's Beard

Good medicine! Love this stuff! Nature's antibiotic and antiviral, according to tradition.

Bolete

My Foraging Buddies.

Note Frankie the cat leading the pack back home.

Chicken of the Woods

Found on our land in Sparta.

Bird's Nest Fungi


Many people walk right past them because they're so tiny. Once you start looking closely at decaying logs or mulch, you'll begin seeing them everywhere.

Indigo Milky Mushroom


Unlike other mushrooms, Indigo Milkcaps are mycorrhizal, meaning they form a beneficial partnership with tree roots rather than feeding on dead wood.
Because Indigo Milkcaps depend on living trees, finding them is often a sign of a healthy woodland ecosystem with well-established tree-fungus relationships.

This was my first one to ever find! I was in Fordland with my friend, Donna, on her farm. We were so excited!!

Tiny little thing...

This could be several little types of mushrooms but I did not look at underside, just snapped pic bc it was adorable!

Dead Man's Fingers - Xylaria polymorpha


Their common name comes from their appearance. Mature fruiting bodies resemble blackened, shriveled human fingers emerging from the ground or a rotting log—hence the name Dead Man's Fingers.