After the fog lifted on Sunday (5th), Jim and I took an afternoon walk on the grasslands. Indeed, it was a very pleasant temperature in the upper 60s. Unlike today’s temp, eh. In any case with the rain, no complaints here.
A huge cedar was twisted. In fact, no others nearby trees were broken which seemed odd.
Mosses holding the soil along the cut bank.
A curly root!
Inside a rotten log, Jim spotted ice from Wednesday’s ice/sleet event.
Next, a toothed polypore fungus stood out on the fallen tree.
Then right behind me, a cluster of Jack O’Lantern (Omphalotus) fungus! This genus only grows on decaying wood. If you don’t see the wood, then you can figure that wood is buried under the soil. So I leaned to the Southern Jack O’Lantern (O.subilludens) for the deep gills and the very short fibrils. My reference book, (Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States: A Field Guide to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida) said sometimes they smell and sometimes not. In fact, this one did smell. Additionally I might add, not pleasantly. Phew! Moreover, I would say it was faint smell of a skunk.
The twisted cedar really is puzzling. What did the ant have? Looked like some kind of nymph to me.
I was not sure. The ant didn’t slow down so the I couldn’t get a photo of it. 🤷🏻♀️
Fun day! Impressed the ice was still there. Good sighting.
Your ant was photo bombed by that fly LOL!
Ha ha!
All of the windy roots remind me of my Phalaenopsis orchid roots when I repot them!
I guess a lot of plants have curly roots. Since I am not a gardener, I only see the roots on a cut bank. LOL