Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Our Very Own New Year Stinkhorn

Good morning, and Hello 2023! 

  A year ago, last January, we hiked out of the deep woods into an open area of coastal forest that had been cleared, the fallen trees and a layer of debris left to rot on the ground. Everywhere we looked, emerging from the detritus, were large, bright red, oddly-shaped, and very strange looking fungi.  Neither of us had seen anything like it before and we were pretty excited! 

You can see the post and photos here. 
  
  Well, one day this first week of January, we discovered something bubbling and red emerging from the pine needle carpet in our backyard. It continued to emerge over the day until we realized …



we had our very own 
little Stinkhorn garden 
popping up in front of the sunroom!
 

    While the shapes are different from the ones we saw on our hike last year, once you see it Stinkhorn is pretty unmistakable. 

  And if there was any doubt, the odor is a DEAD giveaway! 

  I think it’s here in our yard because I tend to pick up bits and pieces of things on our hikes and bring them home to the garden along the sunroom — things like oddly shaped pieces of wood or bark. One of these could easily have carried the Stinkhorn spores from the area where we first saw them. 


  So, today I am sending out into the Universe my New Year wishes for you, friends . . . 

for pleasant surprises, 

for health and presence to enjoy them, 

 and for as much adventure this year as your heart desires!