One thing I have learned about nature is that it will not wait for you, it will not cater to your schedule, and it will not care if you show up late to the party. While we can anticipate more general aspects of the natural world, such as the inevitable change of the seasons, these natural miracles become evermore fleeting as we view nature on a more granular level. To me, this is just another aspect of what makes nature so amazing.
When I go out for my walks, I often leave with a particular intention or goal in mind. Lately, this intention has been to find morel mushrooms, something I have continually failed to achieve for weeks on end now. Despite this, I am yet to end one of my walks disappointed. Rather than travelling through the woods with blinders on, eyes trained on the forest floor, I prefer to wander, eyes open for any and all of the fleeting moments I may find. I very well may be walking right past my prized morels, but there are plenty of other treasures to be found as well. To find morels would be ideal, but you will not find me complaining if I do not.
Whether it is waking up early to see a sunrise just as it peaks above the distant horizon, catching a glimpse of a rare bird out of the corner of your eye, or finally stumbling across a fruiting of your favorite edible mushroom in the forest, bearing witness to these ephemeral moments makes me feel all the more interwoven with the world around me. Moments like these can at times feel like rewards from the universe in response to my efforts to learn more about it, even if they are not the rewards I set out to receive. I consider such rewards consolation prizes for my efforts.
While you will find no images of morels here, I hope you enjoy some of the "prizes" I found from my most recent walk. As always, feel free to offer your suggestions if you believe I have misidentified anything!
Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus):
After hours scouring the woods and leaving with an empty basket (but a full SD card on my camera), I was greeted by these fresh oyster mushrooms growing right in my front yard! Cooked with lemon and butter, they made for an exceptionally tasty consolation prize :) I guess my blinders were still on when I first left my house that morning!
Six-spotted tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata):
Common watersnake (Nerodia sipedon):
Blue racer (Coluber constrictor ssp. foxii):
Green frog (Lithobates clamitans):
Painted turtle (Chrysemys picta):
Snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina):
American robin (Turdus migratorus):
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos):
Canada goose (Branta canadensis):
Pussytoes (Genus Antennaria):
Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris):
Large white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum):
Threeleaf goldthread (Coptis trifolia):
Garden yellowrocket (Barbarea vulgaris):
Sweet crabapple (Malus coronaria):
Thank you for walking with me.
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