Hobby Hunting

My In-laws were in town last week. I hope they had a good visit. It was uncharacteristically HOT while they were here. Then, it rained and rained which was followed by cool weather. This, of course, created perfect weather for FUNGUS!!!! 

The growth of these peculiar wonderments excites me. My kids in their youngness share my exuberance for finding mushrooms; I wonder if it will last. When they want to share their fun about fungi with others, I have to explain to them how not everyone appreciates all of God's coolness. LOL. (or my dorkiness)

I still haven't found the charger to my camera, so I have to rely on my phone camera . The pictures are close to unacceptable, but they are all I have. 

If after reading the descriptions, anyone has any information pertaining to the ID of these mushrooms, please let me know. 

Our location is South Carolina. We are under 50 miles to North Carolina. 

1) Cap is scarlet red to reddish orange to orange with yellow margin

small fragile mushroom

cluster of 6+ mushrooms growing in grass

It's october

gills appear to be unequal

stalk appears to be translucent yellow at substrate and orange brown near cap. it detaches easily

gill colors are buff or yellow

cap shape is conical to umbonate in differing levels of maturity

cap less than 1.5 cm

no visible ring or scales

MAYBE a waxy look to cap

maybe a Mycena or a Hygrocybe

but my resources don't indicate any specific species

2) Puffball growing on ground in grassy area, including adjacent to mobile home. Numerous.

cool wet weather in october

appears to be stalked with cute little spines

inside of mature spore releasing specimen appears to be olive-brown with puffs of brownish green

outside of mature puffball is cracked

interior of immature pure white

measured up to 5 cm

pore opening at top in mature

this appears to be the gem studded puffball aka the common puffball, 

Lycoperdon perlatum 

There also appears to be a different nonpedestal puffball. This looks like the spiny puffball or L. echinatum but it's range is only to Pennsylvania. 

3)Mushroom group of approx. 8 growing in grass

cool wet weather october

cap and stalk white turning brown

convex or bell-shaped cap

gills appear free, close together

partial veil present, ring present on stalk

immature gills appear pink

mature gills appear chocolate brown

bugs, flies, gnats on mushroom (maggot found escaping during spore print)

spore print appears to be dark brown

cap is about 1 and a half inches to 2 inches

no noticeable smell

This is probably the Meadow Mushroom or Agaricus campestris

4)Mushroom found alone and in groups in grassy yard (found near above mentioned meadow mushroom)

cool wet weather october

ruing present

cap is yellowish or creamy brown or brownish yellow

stalk and immature gills appear off white to creamy yellow

mature gills appear gray or purplish brown

cap has rough edges

gills appear to be free, maybe adnexed

gills are close together, numerous

spore print is brownish

no noticeable odor

maybe Garland Stropharia, Stropharia coronilla 

S. coronilla's range is only supposed to be to NC, but I feel this is an accurate match. We are not far from NC. It is possible the range has grown.

5)tough orange jelly-like/coral fungi

no cap and stem

found on a car path (not really a road, more like a drive way with 2 paths of gravel)

the fungi was growing on a submerged piece of decaying wood near grassy meadow

fungi was firmly attached to the substrate

cool wet weather in october

tips are slightly darker than rest of the structure

maybe an antler jelly

most 'branches' are unforked (a few are)

seems to bruise brown after much handling

possibly a Calocera sp.

6)small fragile brown mushroom

widely spaced gills

brown stalk

no ring 

cap conical with possible striations (found damp with dew)

found in grassy pasture

it looks like the lawn mowers mushroom, Psathyrella foenisecii  but it may be out of season

I'll take healing for 100 Alex....

I haven't exactly stuck to my every monday thing, but I didn't believe it when I wrote it. However, the utterance of the commitment has at least prompted me to write about once (every other) a week. Looks like my DH may come home for good. PTL!!

My kids have been taught and can successfully do somersaults. Believe it or not, but I can too. I was  trying to teach them the somersault technique, but I was 'skeeered' to try it myself. It has been years and 50 pounds since I last attempted one. Finally, I thought I should try it and actually show my little people what exactly I was trying to get them to do. To my surprise, I didn't hurt myself! So, I did about 100 of them. Oh, I was sore the next day. A few days later, my kids impressed with the way mommy can tumble, begged me to do another. Remembering my triumph, I strived to display the perfect tumble. As soon as my feet came up, there was a booming echoing CRACKkkk. To my surprise, it originated from my neck. My neck was immediately sore, and I couldn't go through it's full range of motion. I thought surely this was not good, but what the enemy intends for evil--God will use for good. GLORY! I slept well that night: an astonishing feet for normally I awake to excruciating tearful pain in my lower back. [The pain is an intense pressure on the bones, but I also feel pain, tingling and numbness down the left side of my butt, my left thigh radiating all the way down to my left foot which had been numb for several days prior to the neck CRACK incident. From my own description, I know that the psyiatic nerve is involved and perhaps a slipped disk or something not right with the vertebrae.] When I awoke, it was moments before dawn and I could feel both feet. I was able to sit straight up in bed (I have been rolling out of bed, onto my knees and then pushing myself up with the help of the bed. There were some days that I couldn't even roll, and the only thing that got my outta bed was prayer and the need to mommy my kids).  I think that somersault-neck crack was used to pull, stretch and realign my back.  Prayer Works. God Heals.

Princesses and pirates on parade

Chick-fil-a in Myrtle Beach had a princess and pirate dress up day. We went. They got a free meal just for dressing up. We were dressed up by Halloween Express; we are related to the owner of the Halloween Express in Colonial Mall in North Myrtle Beach. 

They each got a voucher for a free game of putt-putt golf after they completed the scavenger hunt. Then, they had a contest. The pirates (about 15) were first. The cows and the manager were the judges. DS really worked his 2 year old pirate aRRRRRggg. He had a cute little cutlass and a darling parrot. HE MADE IT TO THE FINALS!! He and another of the finalists, were dueling the entire contest. DS with his cutlass and the other with his hook. Unfortunately, DS didn't bring home the win. We decided it was because he was only 2, and the judges figured it could better be appreciated by an older kid. The child that DS was dueling with won. However, DS did score 2 free kids meals for 2nd place. 

The princesses (about 30) were up for their competition. DD was shy at first and behind everyone. I told her to say excuse me and get to the front. She did. The manager said for the girls to show their princess faces. I told my DD to smile...and she turned it ON. She wore the cutest most adorable smile and kept it on while the cows walked the line appraising the princesses. It was so special. DD WAS A FINALIST TOO!!! She kept the dazzling smile on AND SHE WON! She received 52 free kids meals vouchers.  What an unbelievable blessing. It was a lot of fun too. Now DD has proof that she is a true princess. 

My hambones

My pirate

my princess