Melting Snow on Sporophyte (+3 insets!)

(+3 insets!)

I wanted to post a few pictures today to let everyone know that things are going much better for me lately and I'm definitely feeling much better! I haven't been around lately because I'm busy with lots of other things and I haven't been giving ipernity or photography as much attention. Sometimes we need a break! :)

A Rediscovered Love of Rocks
With my new interest in stones, minerals and my rock tumbler, I've found myself remembering how much I enjoyed my science and geology classes in school. This has resulted in the purchase of books to educate myself and stumbling around the internet, happily sucking up information about the elements, tips on tumbling stones and where to find them, and even discovering the history and what sort of rocks and minerals mined in this area.

I've also been walking around on our 26-acre property to see what sort of rocks are laying on the ground…there are PLENTY of cool stones to pick up! It's all very fascinating to me and I'm slowly learning to identify a few of them which is fun. :) I am waiting for a couple of dry days so I can creep up onto our hillside. Once I was up there and I found a HUGE outcropping of white quartz crystal embedded in a larger mass…I want to find it!! And I'm interested to see what else is around!

Rock Tumbling Updates
My rock tumbling is coming along nicely! I decided to be very picky about what ones I allow to move from the first step of tumbling to the second step. I had a set that was all the way up to the end of the third step (pre-polish), but when I took a careful look at every stone I realized I needed to push most of them all the way back to step one--I had been too hasty. I'm learning that tumbling stones is something you just need to be patient about and the sage advice, "garbage in, garbage out" is something I think about as I evaluate my rocks. Anyway, right now I have a set in Step 1 and another set in Step 2. I will move them on in about a week--after I make sure they look ready!

Today's Pictures
It's finally starting to warm up a bit but we got several days of snow and lots of frost too. I thought it would be perfect to share one of my macros of a sporophyte with melting snow on it. I am also including a snowy footprint, a panorama of the snowy hills across the valley from where our house sits, and finally, a picture of Bird's Nest fungus which I captured a while back. It grows as a sort of little creamy bulge and then the top breaks off to reveal these tiny little "eggs" inside, which are the reproductive spores! How cool is that?! :)

Pam, if I remember correctly, tomorrow is the big day for you. My heart is all a-flutter and I'm both nervous and excited. You will be in my thoughts, as you are every day! *BIG HUGS* my dear!

Explored on 1/21/20; highest placement #1.