The Backyard Science group regularly publishes The Daily Bucket, which features observations of the world around us. Insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds, flowers and anything natural or unusual are worthy additions to the Bucket and its comments. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note you write helps us understand the patterns that are unwinding around us.
During Fall clean-up time, I scrutinize the backyard for any out-of-place features. Some, like Corsican Mint volunteers, get to stay and are even encouraged. Others, like the following specimen of what appears to be a brain from the pilot of an alien spaceship, puzzle me.
Below the dripped orange juice, I provide a picture and a little more.
Near as I can tell, its some kind of fungus.
Its spores appear to be sprouting along the sand margins that border each paving stone. I'd think the sand would have zero nutrients, but over a year, organic debris may become entrained in the sand; bits of leaves, spercks of dirt, bird poop, and so on.
It feels firm to my touch. The bottom looks like the top when I pry it up. It sure looks different from a mushroom, but vaguely similar to the pale fungi I see tucked into the folds of trees on occasion.
The big pieces are now in the compost pit. I'll leave the tiny spores and watch them for amusement. I really should get out more.
And that's the end of this fungi-crusted Bucket.
"Spotlight on Green News & Views" will be posted every Saturday at 1pm and Wednesday at 3:30 pm Pacific Time on the Daily Kos front page. Be sure to recommend and comment in the diary.
Now It's Your Turn What's interesting to you? Please post your own observations and your general location in the comments.
Thank you for reading. I'll work this morning so I'll respond to comments before lunchtime, PDT.