It has been dry this year. In a normal year the creek in the bottoms runs constantly. This year it is dry most of the time.

The lower part of my property, along side a creek that only flows when there is adequate rain (in Oklahoma where I grew up it would be called a wash), the forest flow is covered with American Jumpseed. It is named for it’s seeds which can jump several feet if disturbed. The scientific name is persicaria virginiana.

The woods is rather wild and I often encounter bones. In the picture below is a deer leg bone and a skunk skull. I left them there and the disapeared within a week.

I have no idea what this mushroom is but I liked the image.

The wild turkeys picked a dry spot to take dustbaths. Have you ever seen a turkey take a dustbath? There should have been a video here but your browser does not seem to support it.

The gerronema strombodes, commonly called Golden-gilled gerronema. It grows on hardwood logs throughout the woods.

Oyster mushrooms are one of my favorite mushrooms found in my forest. They normally grow on beech trees the second year after they have fallen. This particular group is on a dead oak tree we had cut so that it would not threaten out house. The scientific name is pleurotus pulmonarius. It is know by the names of indian oyster, italian oyster, phoenix mushroom. It has a faint fishy (oyster) smell and is smooth to the touch.

The cantharellus lateritius, commonly known as smooth chanterelle. Usually there are lots of these in my woods. This year this was one of the only patch I found. I did not have anything to collect the mushrooms and when I came back the next day some woodland creature had eaten them all. I really like the way chanterelles taste and was disappointed.

Russulas are a broad category of mushrooms. Around here they are generally red on top and white underneath. They are fairly prolific. I understand they are edible but tasteless. Not even the woodland creatures eat the russula.

The Boletus bicolor commonly known as red yellow bolete. This mushroom was prolific this year. You need to be quick to pick them if intending to eat them for the bugs get to them quickly. Here is a bug ridden sample. And good mushrooms. Soaking mushrooms in prep for cooking. They tasted just blah.