It has been above freezing. Good. It has been raining. Not so good. It lends a late autumn look to the landscape just when we are ready for spring.
We decided to adjust our perspective.
After all that running around on woods paths looking for colorful things, I am overwhelmed at the thought of trying to figure out their proper names. Feel free to speculate and educate. If you click on an image you can see it better.
Mr. Tootlepedal should enjoy the lichen and fungus and moss. Birgitte should enjoy all the red things. I am enjoying the candle, as the Cowboy has been quite aromatic this evening. I suspect he’s been listening to the political commentators again and has a touch of indigestion. (Miss Sadie is not affected. She puts her paws in her ears and yips “La-la-la-la-la-la-la” until I turn off the radio.)
I don’t know about you, but I miss Babs. Mondays just aren’t the same without her.
Torch Lake Views 
Carsten
March 15, 2016
And I enjoy your meticulous composition of words. As always 🙂
Gerry
March 15, 2016
Thank you, Carsten. For some reason I am having a considerable amount of difficulty herding words into paragraphs lately. It’s nice to hear that these found favor with you.
WOL
March 15, 2016
I like the candle too. Color is due to come back here too. Summer bleaches us out, and by the fall, what little fall color we have is quickly over. Trees that bloom have almost done blooming (Yay!) and leaves are coming on the trees. GREEN! is happening.
Gerry
March 15, 2016
To see green Around Here we must seek out moss or pine trees (or cedar, or spruce, or balsam fir). Fortunately we have a good supply of these.
shoreacres
March 15, 2016
Of course I’m lichen these photos. I know — cheap. But still fun. I only this month learned that lichens live in a symbiotic relationship with fungi. My favorite quote of the month? From lichenologist Trevor Goward: “Lichens are fungi that have discovered agriculture.”
Gerry
March 15, 2016
I’m lichen that quote, too. You are up and at ’em again this morning – very sensible. The Writing Studio and Bait Shop is wrapped in fog at the moment. Miss Sadie is still asleep, or a-doze, more likely, as she will spring into action the moment the kibble rattles into her dish. The Cowboy has already been out; he is a busy boy. Based on my experience with livestock, I suspect that ants are cowboys that have discovered aphid-herding.
Giiid
March 15, 2016
Wow, that looks great, and very uplifting. Now I have a clue about what you have been doing the year you weren’t blogging, – you have been upgrading your ability to catch strange and beautiful things, with your digital net.
These fungi are looking interesting, I don´t think they can be found in Denmark, or perhaps at an old untouched forest, of which there aren’t many in Denmark. I guess part of my garden could count as untouched, so perhaps there will be something out there, I will take a look.
Gerry
March 15, 2016
‘Morning Birgitte! The fungi are quite small. They were decorating some branches that fell into our pathway to the Bay during the winter storms. I’m glad you liked them.
Martha
March 15, 2016
I know this is going on around me, too, to some degree, but being a city person now I’m not so aware of things like this. I’m more focused on things like traffic when crossing and coyotes.
Gerry
March 15, 2016
Wait, wait – you have to keep an eye out for coyotes in Madison? Astonishing.
Martha
March 15, 2016
I don’t know how to leave tidy links, but here are two that explain what’s going on here. I live on the east side and the killings of small dogs have taken place mostly right around me. Keep in mind we have an abundance of rabbits and mice and squirrels and chipmunks. One person walking their GOLDEN was approached by a coyote. Do keep this in mind with your dogs. It’s given me a whole new appreciation for the urban variety of coyotes. Never say never.
Public Health Madison and Dane Counties: Coexisting with Coyotes
Coyote attacks put Madison east side pet owners on edge
Gerry
March 15, 2016
Thank you Martha. I tidied up the links and followed them too. Good grief. Who knew??
My in-laws used to live on a golf course in Rancho Mirage (San Diego). Coyotes often roamed the course at dusk or after dark. They had an outside kitty kennel for their two Siamese (a large and sturdy one more like a dog kennel), and once found a coyote on top of the kennel trying to get in. Siamese being what they are, the cats were hissing and baring teeth and claws in a way that certainly would have given ME pause, but the coyote was not impressed. Kitties rescued, coyote chased.
P.j. grath
March 15, 2016
I like them all, Gerry, but especially the closeup and personal branch riders. 🙂
Gerry
March 15, 2016
Thank you PJ – those rascally red jelly lichen really stood out in the leaf litter!
uphilldowndale
March 15, 2016
The beauty, is in the detail, as always, be it words or pictures.
Is your ice booming yet?
Gerry
March 15, 2016
It did not boom – it never covered enough of the Bay or the lakes to boom, and now it is pretty much gone everywhere. We’ll get more freezing weather, but not much. No booms this year. One never knows about next year.
uphilldowndale
March 15, 2016
Then I shall look forward to hearing about the booming frogs..
Gerry
March 15, 2016
I hope they do not disappoint, but my particular frogs are more likely to be a chorus of spring peepers than basso bullfrogs. I’ll keep an ear out.
tootlepedal
March 15, 2016
What an unexpected burst of colour. I did enjoy the excellently photographed lichens and fungus, you were quite right.
Gerry
March 15, 2016
I thought you might like them. Thank you for the compliment.
tootlepedal
March 16, 2016
A pleasure.
Craig Smith
March 15, 2016
Lovely arrangement. Reminds me of David Hockney’s photo grids.
Gerry
March 15, 2016
He might be a little better at it . . . but thank you. Maybe I’ll attempt a Hockney-style grid depicting Miss Sadie and the Cowboy on the beach.
Karma
March 16, 2016
Seeing colors other than gray and white are all good this time of year. I’ve learned to be thankful that rainy days are not snow though we’ve been rather lucky about the amount of the stuff my Around Here received this year. I can understand the Cowboy’s indigestion issues – Teddy suffers from them as well, though thankfully he most often eminates (audibly!) from the attic rather than the basement!
Gerry
March 16, 2016
Thank you for a badly-needed laugh of the day!