the mark haley holler: But I'm Such A Fungi!

We had a very wet Spring, which will come as a great shock to no one, I'm sure. When it rains as much as it did through April and May, people often start to complain. It doesn't bother me, though, because it brings so many blessings. For one thing, my cistern stays full even when I do 19 loads of laundry a day. For another, the wet brings forth all kinds of interesting plant life, and yes, fungi to delight us in our ramblings along the side of the road... or the pond, or wherever.

Coming back from the creek one day, the boys and I discovered we had a particularly spectacular fungus among us growing in a cascade off of the back of a roadside tree. I consider it a piece of special luck that I was able to get this picture since the owner of the property on which it was growing is just stupidly snobbish enough to consider this amazing piece of natural color an eyesore.

A closer look? Love that orange!

It seems like our wet spell is drying up, now, though. Soon people will be complaining about not having enough rain. God must feel like I do when I'm trying to get my kids to eat a meal. "It's impossible to please you little monsters!" Thankfully, His patience is greater than mine. I'll try not to complain, at any rate, because this is the season for three of my favorite flowers. Daisies, Rough Fruited Cinquefoil (honestly, what is wrong with the people who name these things?), and Chicory. I love to see the bright yellow on pale yellow of the Cinquefoil in the tall roadside grass, despite the terrible name, and Chicory is the best shade of blue God ever invented. Both flowers defy cutting. They are wilted before you can get them in a vase, which I suppose is appropriate. You can't just go a clip a wild thing. and expect it to tolerate it.

June is butterfly, dragonfly, lady bug, and bumble bee time. Abraham is timid when he sees a butterfly, telling it, "Bu-ertie, don't huwt me," yet is completely unfazed by dragonflies and "biders." He is wisely wary of "bunny-beetles," (as he calls bumblebees) but will let a lady bug or caterpillar crawl on his finger.

June is Honeysuckle and Multiflora Rose time too. As we drive slowly down our windy, narrow road, with the windows open, I say, "Mmmm! Smell that honeysuckle!" And a quarter mile later, Charlie says, "Mmmm! Smell that cow poo!" Well, we're just taking in the fresh country air!

And now for your (hopefully) weekly pictorial trip down a country lane somewhere in Kentucky...

"Miami Mist," Waterleaf family, McKinneysburg Rd., late May

Charlie named this kitten "Hannah."

Emerald Moth pays a visit to my siding.

Look, he blends in perfectly with common clover in the yard...

not so perfectly with my rose that I put him on for a contrasting picture.

Why do moths never learn that they're supposed to be pretending to be wood grain, not siding?

Hairy Beardtongue... Yep, botanists are wildly sentimental namers.

Fledgling Red Wing Blackbird says, "You can't see me..." I wish I could've gotten a picture of his daddy hovering above my head, freaking out while I menaced the baby with a camera.

Late May evening rainbow. Yay!

A study...

of textures...

Hearts...

Dew-dusted Yarrow, Mark Haley Rd.

Juniper berries, another of God's coolest colors.

Musk Thistle, pre-bloom, Mark Haley Rd.

Japanese Honeysuckle, a lovely invader.

Purple Marten takes a breather.

Short-Sepal Beardtongue... See what I mean!?

Venus's Looking Glass, Bluebell family, Butch's Pond

Little Fritillary, Butch's Pond, Memorial Day weekend.

Common White Tail. When I told all the men sitting around drinking beer at Butch's on Memorial Day weekend that I was going to take a picture of the "White Tail" they jumped up and got their rifles...