These cute things magically appeared overnight from the deluge of
rain we've had this week. They pop open like tiny patio umbrellas in
the sunlight. Or maybe it's the elves, from our "knock on wood"
trees, who open them and take cover from the rain or sizzling sun.
That Elf
Riding his awkward pair of haunchy legs
That weird long-eared Elf
Wobbling down the highway
Don't overtake him, don't try to drive past him,
He's scatty, he's all over the road.
He can't keep his steering, in his ramshackle go-cart,
His big loose wheels, buckled and rusty,
Nearly wobbling off
And all the screws in his head wobbling and loose
And his eyes wobbling
Ted Hughes
GREAT pics! I have to agree that elves or fairies must be the culprits! :)
ReplyDeletesimply divine photos, willow! i'm going back to look at them AGAIN!!
ReplyDeleteHughes wrote magical stuff for children.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots, Willow! Did you actually hit the ground and crawl to get that under-the-umbrella angle, or did you swivel out the camera's LCD screen and just lower the camera? Heh, heh! I've done both, depending on how wet the ground is!
ReplyDeletenice macros, at least them seem to be elves of good spirit...
ReplyDeleteRoy, I hunkered down there on the wet ground with my butt in the air! My dream Nikon camera would take better pics, but my little Canon PowerShot, point and click did a pretty darn good job.
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny about you trying to get that shot. I love it when those circles of mushrooms appear overnight. My daughter told me they were fairy rings.
ReplyDeleteDaw!
ReplyDeleteMarvelous angles and composition! You must have had some wet knees and elbows to get those shots. Thank you for the lovely eye candy! I'll have to make sure my eldest (Earth Doctor in training) sees them. He is absolutely fascinated with fungi!
ReplyDeleteThat pic underneath the mushroom was impressive! Loved the poem, too.
ReplyDeleteLove your photos dear Willow.
ReplyDeletebeautiful 3rd pictures
ReplyDeletethey are magical things
There's something special about mushrooms and toadstools popping up and yes I always thinks of elves and fairies. Love the photos and the typewriter in your sidebar.
ReplyDeleteYep,it's the elves!Nice photos.
ReplyDeleteWhat a magical world mushrooms bring to us.
ReplyDeleteEnchanting! And yes, I'm a believer. xx
ReplyDeleteThat second picture was strangely perverted to me! Only I could find that in the picture of a mushroom! LOL! Great shot though!
ReplyDeleteAs usual, fantastic pictures. It's the final one I love the best. Such talent.
ReplyDeleteYou've really captured how mushrooms can be light and powdery, not slimy at all. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHello Willow,
ReplyDeleteI agree, the last pic is the nicest. Well done for prostrating yourself for our delectation.
hi willow, i'll pick up on donna's comment. my grandma used to show me the "fairy rings" when they popped up in her garden. she was a very gentle and magical woman who made sure that i knew that the fairies were responsible for all the good things that happened in her garden. it was the pixies you had to watch out for!!!
ReplyDeletethose are clever and beautiful pictures of the mushroom willow. i'm glad you contorted yourself to whatever degree you needed in order to share them!!! have a lovely day. steven
That first shot is like a velour fungi
ReplyDeleteGreat pics Willow. It's amazing how fast they grow.
ReplyDeleteThose are some great pics with a point and shoot!
ReplyDeleteAre 'shrooms as magical as pumpkins? Maybe. Do you think?
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by the beauty of nature. Always. My daughters see a dewdrop and tell me stories about fairies taking baths. It's like they are born with the knowledge. When did we lose the wonder? Thanks for bringing some back my way!
ReplyDeleteJust as I always say..don't mess with elves!! Great pics..Just got back from my run in Central Park..we too have had record breaking rain..and very colorful, some red, little sprouts are pushing up!!
ReplyDeleteWillow, It's wonderful seeing the world through your eyes! Faerie Rings in yards with too much moisture are viewed as bad, but with a little ingenuity, they can become beautiful art. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou got that right. I liked that top picture a lot. I never saw an elf. I have seen a UFO. Does that count?
ReplyDeleteI assume you put the camera down between your ankles? I still do it that way and read lots of blogs where some followed the advice and got some interesting pictures too. I was out and about in my PJs this morning getting all wet, bending over the grass and snapping pictures around my ankles. Once in a while I get a big winner. And then I am happy for the rest of the day.
Between your pictures and Ted Hughes's words, I just took a mini vacation here.
ReplyDeleteOtin, only you would come up with the Freudian side to mushrooms.
ReplyDeleteGetting in place to photograph such little mushrooms must have been quite a sight...I'm afraid I'd never get back up! Great shot and super poem...I love the thought of elves prancing about!
ReplyDeleteFantastic macros, Willow! And I' mwondering if it wasn't garden gnomes? But I'd still bet on the fairies...
ReplyDeletewonderful post and love the photos :)
ReplyDeleteBack to say, thanks for stopping at Pick a Peck of Pixels, because it means so much for me to reach my goal there of 10,000 visitors or followers. With people coming around and commenting is will happen. Just wait around and see.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope you do get that Dream Camera. The Nikon D80 and when you get it buy a second battery so you will always have a fresh one handy. I got two Canons left and each takes a different battery but I can't begin to tell you how many times I have had to grab the second battery to finish the project.
Tell your hubby you want one right now or you will stop fixing him green beans and ham hocks with diced up onions. Oh so good on butter bread. You will have one in no time.
What a coincidence!
ReplyDeleteI took Midget to Fordham University today for a pre-school reading class, and we spied the exact same mushroom on the campus lawn.
Your pics are fabulous.
Next time you take those ankle shots I want WT to video you. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the mushrooms...their gills are beautiful. Perfect for those fairies and elves to rest under.
(Being a Leo I just have to ask.........) 'can you eat them?'
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Ted Hughes was born (in Mytholmroyd) just 2 miles from where I Live.
They look like they'd be delicious sauteed in a little butter.
ReplyDeleteTony, I don't know enough about wild mushrooms to know which are edible and which are poisonous. And I'm not about to test them to find out. :P
ReplyDeleteMaybe someone out there in the blogosphere knows?
Willow, not too sure on this one but most yard fungi are a no-no. I remember going wild berry picking with my Grandmother( time warpin' here ). One of her simple rules: If it's pretty; it's poisonous! Unless your sure...
ReplyDeleteI LOVE cumin - meant to comment yesterday. YUM ! more great recipes. Merci !
ReplyDeletenice photos. did you get your kneews all wet doing those?!
ReplyDeletenibble some of those and you WILL be in elfland...
ReplyDeleteLove this poem by Ted Hughes. Isn't amazing how fast those mushrooms grow? We would have giant ones over night in humid N.J.
ReplyDeleteHope you've been having a great summer, Willow!
Catherine
Loved the fairy-level view of the underside of the mushroom! Inspired!
ReplyDeleteI especially love the third photo!...no need for fancy cameras ...and such a wonderful poem...it made me smile:)
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos of the toadstools!
ReplyDelete