A few more of the photos that Avalus took in the natural burial forest. The photos are all good, but the second one really speaks to me. It’s chock full of texture and the waves on the stump give it a nice sense of movement. Make sure to check back tomorrow for the last post of the series.

There is something fascinating about decaying wood. It gives life to many new things, nothing is really lost. ©Avalus, all rights reserved

Lots of pecked bulbs along the crack in the wood, but these two managed to avoid the birds. ©Avalus, all rights reserved
I think the winter weather is here to stay. Today we’ve been getting intermittent bouts of snow with gusting winds and it’s a bit nasty. I even resorted to wearing my fuzzy hat with the ear flaps that makes me look like an ewok. It’s not a good look for me so instead I give you Jack who needs no earflaps because his are built in. I hope all of you are finding ways to keep warm.
It’s another interesting mix of fungi photographed by Avalus in a natural burial cemetery.

Iggi Pilz, a pun on Igelpilz (hedgehog shroom) and Iggy Pop. Don’t know why. ©Avalus, all rights reserved
You have a good eye, Avalus. So many different types of mushrooms! I’ll be sure to check back tomorrow to see what else you found.
The next installment of kestrel’s magic making is here and there are tools to ogle.
It’s time to meet some of my favorite tools, the raising hammer and the planishing hammer. The faces on them are different shapes and that helps to shape the metal in different ways. The first one I’m going to use is the one on the left, the raising hammer.
Goldfinches from Nightjar.
I simply love the light in these.
I was looking through some old photos over the weekend and I came across a few of Jack’s puppy pictures and I thought I’d share just how little my boy was when he came to live with us. Jack was 7 weeks old when we brought him home. He was one of 14 puppies in the litter and we had first pick. The choice was easier than it sounds. I picked up Jack and held him and he nuzzled me and called me mom and suddenly the other 13 puppies were out of the running. This photo was taken his second day with us.
Capturing light is where all the magic happens in photography and Nightjar is a master at it. Her latest photos come as a gift to us all at a time when light magic is scarce. Please be sure to click-through to see all the photos. They’re brilliant.
As promised, to cheer up Voyager and everyone else who may be struggling with a gloomy and gray November. All photos taken on November 10. The light is already not as warm as in October (https://freethoughtblogs.com/affinity/2018/11/09/october-light/) and when combined with raindrops it becomes magic. There are still hawkweed seeds suspended from single threads of spider silk but now they are wet. There are mushrooms and pink heather flowers. Vineyards are putting on a show. When the sun shines, November light is lovely.
A few more of the mushroom specimens snapped by Avalus at the natural burial forest.

Everything was totally dry and this one excreted water. I was (and still am) very puzzled. ©Avalus, all rights reserved
Thanks Avalus. I really like the different perspectives that you’ve used. Each one seems perfectly suited to its subject. Check back tomorrow for the next installment of ‘shrooms.
These stunning photos are from DavidinOz and they were taken along the Murray River in Swan Hill, Victoria. David says he was fortunate to be there at the “golden hour” and I have to agree. The light is golden and tinged with just a smidge of rose. The exposed tree roots alone make for dramatic photos, but combined with that light they become something special. Thanks for sharing, David.
Kestrel has sent us the second part of her series and things are definitely happening.
In our last installment, I started to cut out a piece of metal so I could make something out of it. And at last, the first side is cut!
