Fungi

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Some fungi I recently came across. The first one was huge, the second much, much smaller.

I’m not much good at fungi identification, but I suspect that the large one is some kind of oyster mushroom. Don’t hold me to it though. I’m far from sure and I wouldn’t want anyone to eat a venomous mushroom on my say so.

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I believe this one is an earth ball fungus. If so, it’s definitely to be avoided. The site I’ve linked to says:

Due to their small size and propensity to appear in lawns and other disturbed areas, kids and pets will run into these often. And they may be irresistible to little hands and curious pups. The good news is that earth balls aren’t poisonous in that they’ll kill you. However, they’ll probably give the ingester severe stomach pain, accompanied by nausea or other distress.

The symptoms usually pass in time, but if you know for certain your child or dog ate one of these, please seek help from the appropriate professionals (doctor or veterinarian). While it is unlikely they’ll be seriously harmed, it is essential that they be monitored, just in case.

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV

A Tree

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This tree stands on what was once Rockwood Hall, the home of William Rockefeller, the brother of John Davison Rockefeller with whom he co-founded Standard Oil.

I’m not sure what kind of tree it is (some people have suggested that it’s a willow, but I’m not convinced). I’ve photographed it a number of times before and have never been satisfied with the result. I’m not entirely satisfied with this one either, but at least it’s better than the others.

Taken with a Sony RX100 M3

Abandoned Flowers

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I recently came across these flowers apparently abandoned on a paved area in Ossining, NY.

They still looked quite fresh so I couldn’t but wonder what the story was. Why were they there? Why were they abandoned? Why are they in a plastic container with the top cut off? Of course I’ll never know the answer. It all seemed a little sad.

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Taken with a Sony RX100 M3

A Leaf

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Fall’s coming. Just a little over a week to go and I, for one will be happy when we get there. In my opinion Summer in New York is dreadful for photography: everything is some shade of green; the sun is usually too intense; the heat and humidity make it unpleasant to go out; and when it’s not hot and humid it’s raining. To me even Winter is better than Summer. In order of preference my favorite seasons are Fall, Spring, Winter and (a long way behind) Summer.

Of course that’s just my opinion. I grew up in a place that was not as hot and humid as New York, and if the temperatures get above 80F/26C I’m distinctly uncomfortable.

So, I’m definitely looking forward to Fall!

Taken with a Sony RX10 IV.