A Walk in the Woods - Fungi Find

Today,  I woke to the fairly loud serenade of crickets outside my window.  The darkness camouflaged the time, the crickets did not - it was early morning - 5:30 to be exact. Time to get to work.

But, I lingered thinking about yesterday.  Glenn and I took a late afternoon walk in the woods.  The day was very warm, but under the shade of the thick canopy of leaves, we were quite comfortable.  A few birds sang, but for the most part, we were enveloped by quiet.  Oh, so pleasant, so comforting.

Buddy raced ahead of us, as he always does.  Glenn walked with his usual long, and quick pace.  I strolled always being careful of each step - holes, fallen branches, rocks to be avoided.  Glenn always looking up at the tall trees, I am always looking down to keep from tripping - it has always been this way.

Occasionally, a break in the leaves allowed the late afternoon sun to stream through the dense woods to the ground lighting patches of the compact, but soft organic matter (built-up leaf fall over the years); spongy beneath our feet.

I would stop to take a photo of a single mushroom, a group of mushrooms, a colorful mushroom.  Each fungus/fungi provided one  frame, a snapshot, of a particular environment; all coming together as a total of the wooded surroundings.  I would take only a few more strides before stopping for another photo.

I also collected downed acorns to plant in my yard.  I have been trying to start a few oak trees, over the past three years, without much success.  I will keep trying until I get five oaks growing in the spot I have allocated for them.

Soon, I was alone.  Glenn was gone.  Buddy was gone.  I was at peace, for a minute.  Then I remembered what a neighbor had asked, "Have you seen the mama bear and her two cubs?" Fright took over as I scanned my immediate area for bears.  I noticed scat, was it from a deer or from a bear, for the first time.  My pace quickened.  My breathing quickened.  I was on my own.  I started back in the direction from where I came, I thought.  No.  The woods were different, not as open, more shrubby.  Was I headed in the right direction - out, or was I going deeper into the forest?  Keep calm, do not panic. Minutes seemed like eternity.  Another photo op...yeah, I have a second to spare as I snapped the shutter fast - I hope I did not blurr the picture....another sweeping look as I continued to hasten my stride.  The only sound was the crunching of dried leaves coming from my own steps - that was good in a sense - no bears, but no Glenn and no Buddy either.  Where is that dog when I need him?

Finally, I made it safely out of the woods.  Glenn caught up with me within minutes; asking where I had gone.  I responded, "Want to see my neat pictures?" as my breathing returned to normal.

At night, I went to bed listening to the sound of a light rain, water gurgling down the gutters, and knowing I was safe inside my home. I thought about the day as I drifted off to sleep.

I slept well.