Observations

The past week, we took a hike on a nearby logging road after a few rain showers. We've been seeing fungi starting to produce mushrooms, and we are eager to learn about them.  We continue to monitor for critters on our two trail cams on the property.  Below are some random shots of what we've been seeing lately.

 We found a few chanterelle mushrooms a ways off the road.  They are tasty, although we didn't pick any yet.  We'll wait until we get a good rain which should bring up more.

 Near the chanterelles were these cauliflower mushrooms.  They are supposed to be delicious.

 Another chanterelle.

 It looks like elk used this alder tree to rub on.  I read that bull elk do this to strengthen their neck muscles for rut, and to leave scent.

 This banana slug uprooted this mushroom and has been eating away at it.

 We saw several rough skinned newts traveling through the dampness.

 This little bat was sleeping behind a deck chair that was leaning against the house.  I noticed it was there several days in a row.

 Nick helped me identify these flowers as some kind of crocus, possibly saffron crocus.  They came up in a small area of our yard and don't seem to have leaves.

Some of the squash I grew.  I'm holding a Marina di Chioggia, the orange ones are Turk's Turbans, and the two smooth green ones are Kabocha squash.

A bobcat came by two nights in a row this week not far from the house.