Smile! You're On...

The trail cameras out on the family property have captured some delightful pictures of does with their little ones. 

I always love seeing these candid moments where we get a glimpse of what the critters do when we're not watching. 

Although, sometimes it seems like they go out of their way to pose for the camera. Doesn't that look like a perfect family photo? 

The youngsters dash along behind their moms learning to navigate the deer world while being altogether too cute. 

I have some more of these to post and will try to get them up in a day or two. After the last sort of depressing fire update post, I thought something cheerful was in order! :)
 

Yes, I've Been Quiet...

In case you've been wondering why I've been missing in action lately, I confess that I haven't had the heart for much in the way of creative posting. 

Over seven months after the fire, my house looks like this. There's not a scrap of drywall or insulation, they still haven't gotten all the old plumbing removed (much less new installed), same with electrical, fire remediation is still going on in the basement, which has been scrubbed, sandblasted, disinfected and is now being deodorized. Ductwork, furnace, water heater, are all gone - the basement is a huge empty space. I could go on, but I won't bore you all with further details. 

The latest completion estimate is December 31, 2026. I'm hoping for a Christmas present of getting my house back, but I have days... 

 My family has been great, my dog is confused but coping and I have so much to be grateful for.  

I'll try to get myself rolling with the blog again. I have some pictures to download from the camera and prep for viewing. I also have some fun trail camera pictures. :) 

Flowers and Foolishness

 Piper has great patience with me when I stop and photograph things in which she has no interest. 

Things like sweet starflowers  showing bright green and white against the brown of last autumn's leaf duff interest her not at all, but I love their cheerful blossom faces with the long, bright yellow eyelashes. 

She also doesn't have any use for the pink lady slipper orchids which are a rare and special treat for me. 

Piper also didn't particularly care about this unusual specimen, which took me forever to look up and identify. Of course, I don't have any of my books at present, so I had to rely on online resources and these don't seem to be pretty enough to rank on the who's who of wildflowers lists. In case you, too, are unfamiliar with this strange and almost otherworldly plant, may I introduce you to Conopholis Americana, otherwise known as Bear Corn. If you look closely, those little spiny bits are actually tiny flowers. It's a parasitic, non-photosynthesizing plant that depends entirely on oak roots for its existence, though happily, it doesn't seem to harm the oak at all. I found it fascinating, but Piper remained unmoved. 

She does like to see what I'm doing, though, and frequently photobombs my pictures. That small black bear behind the trillium is Miss Piper coming in to check on my progress. :)

 

20

I was reflecting this morning that today would have marked the 20th anniversary of my reopening Stampeaz. We almost made it to that milestone! I had some fun things planned for celebrating the day that won't happen now, but that's okay. Many wonderful things happened along the way. 

I met some of the most wonderful and amazing people because of Stampeaz - both in person and online and I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I appreciate all of you. Sharing the adventures of art, carving, letterboxing and the quest for a better carving material  enriched my life. 

Thank you!

More Meandering Mushroom Memories

As promised, here are a few more mushroom pictures from before the fire. 

I always love the fall fungus walks, because the woods smell like mushrooms and earth - and there's magic in the air. 

Newly blooming mushrooms peek out from the ground to tease the eye. 

Bigger, bolder specimens add more color and texture to the forest floor and I can imagine wee folk sheltering from the rain under their spreading caps. 

Lacy fungus adorn tree trunks like Elizabethan ruff collars. 

And there are occasional growths of stadium seating for tiny fair folk to sit and watch the moonlight dancing!

Flights of fancy often overtake me when I let myself imagine what might go on just beyond our ability to sense it. :)

Mushroom Meandering Memories

I finally finished the latest round of loss list paperwork after the house fire (the deadline was Monday and they sent me additions as late as Saturday afternoon!). 
 

I thought it might be a good opportunity to step back in time and ignore the blowing snow and fire cleaning for a few minutes to celebrate an autumnal mushroom walk Piper and I took before all the excitement began. The bear's head tooth on the decaying fallen tree behind Piper was one of the main reasons for the excursion. They're delicious! 

My mushroom books are all in the pile of things they are trying to clean, deodorize and reclaim (fingers crossed) so I'm missing my reference books and haven't done any identification work. 

There were different textures, colors and growth habits everywhere. 

I thought these (whatever they might be) were particularly interesting It looked like the emerging fungus was being parasitized by a different fungus. These were blooming on the ground near the base of trees and stumps. 

I will post more of these in a day or so. It was a lovely walk with lots to see - and I hope it's a nice break from the cold, wind and snow.