Aliens on the Bayou!

Strange things are around us and we never even notice them. Walks through the woods can be quite exciting if you just look closely at what you are stepping on and over. It is such an amazing world. It rained off and on today making it most unbearable to me..I wanted out! I was going stir-crazy being inside so between rain showers, I grabbed the camera and headed to the woods behind the house. My footsteps were muffled not only because of the recent rains but because I have a tendency to wear leather moccasins instead of shoes. These allow me to step softly and not disturb the surrounding wildlife. Today though, I was more interested in the tiny world beneath those moccasins.

Aliens! Creatures from another World! Unexplained Beings! Last week, I posted a picture of a lichen that I had come across in the creekbed. This sparked an interest in the land of miniature..I was hooked! So this hike was to photograph lichens! Lichens..remember..the two-in-one living being..the fungus/algae in one thing! That right there tells you that these are unique! Now you tell me..are these not the weirdest-looking living things that you have ever seen?

After scouring the forest floor, I finally found my lichens! My alien world of fungi and algae! There, on some fallen hickory branches, were the most curious looking lichens ever! Bunches of them all on a handful of twigs! I had found a whole slew of the little things! As I photographed them, I came to realize that no two were alike. Each was weirder than the one before. Plus, I had no idea where some ended and the next began..they were all just sort of blended in together. All the same..yet, all very, very unique.

There were large, flat ones that were sort of silvery grey and then there were some that were wispy yet hairy and a sort of green color. A few had black dots on them and a rather large one was covered with orange dots. Some had cup-shaped little arms, some had black hairy things, and others reminded me of coral from under the sea. My goodness these things are fun! I snapped picture after picture of the Little Land of Lichens. I am in hopes that I might be able to identify some of them.

Just as it started to rain again, a bright red mushroom caught my eye. I know that I had intentions of only looking for lichens but this was just too bright and pretty to pass. It looked much like something that could have come from the movie "Alice in Wonderland". Maybe not the new movie..I have not seen it so perhaps there are no mushrooms in that version..but in the old animated version. I have no clue as to the type of mushroom this is but it has quite the striking appearance! I can almost imagine some tiny gnome using this as a stepstool or it is the throne for the elf king! Then again it might be some hallucinogenic fungus. I sure wasn't going to try eating it! After a few photos, I left the pretty little red and white mushroom to the wee people of imagination!

And just because it was there..a picture of moss. The rain drops were glistening on the little spore stalks so I could not resist. I had to get a picture of it regardless of the rain that was now soaking me thoroughly! Life is great here on the Bayou..and here in the woods near the creek. There is just so many things to see!