Doug Shepherd's photos

Former Troutsdale School House, circa 1870. Click on link in the note box for further information and pictures

Several of these benches are located at the 'Raptor Viewpoint' in Wykeham Forest, overlooking Troutsdale, North Yorkshire

Surface tension is the tendency of liquid surfaces at rest to shrink into the minimum surface area possible. Surface tension is what allows objects with a higher density than water such as insects (e.g. water striders) to float on a water surface without becoming even partly submerged. At liquid–air interfaces, surface tension results from the greater attraction of liquid molecules to each other (due to cohesion) than to the molecules in the air (due to adhesion).

There is a spider in there somewhere

Wykeham Forest

Distribution Frequent in Britain and Ireland and throughout Europe and North America, the Common Inkcap usually appears in clusters but occasionally as solitary specimens. From tree stumps or buried wood of deciduous hardwood trees, Coprinopsis atramentaria, the Common Inkcap, arises in small clumps from spring until early winter. Description At first egg-shaped and mostly smooth with just a small central area covered in small flattened scales; without veil fragments, the cap of Coprinus atramentaria later expands to become bell-shaped with a slight umbo before deliquescing from the margin. Grey or grey-brown before turning black, caps attain a diameter of 3 to 7cm. Toxicity The Common Inkcap is poisonous when consumed in conjunction with alcohol, and the effects are sometimes severe. It is therefore unwise and can be dangerous to eat these inkcap mushrooms if alcohol has been consumed during the three days before a meal or is likely to be consumed at any time during the three days afterwards.

From the 2016 Skye archive

This part of Wykeham Forest has this year been subject to the clear felling of Larch and other crop trees. The track shown in the left hand picture used to be an easy descent into Troutsdale (just visible in the fog). As can be seen, it is now littered with the debris of the felling operations, making it quite tricky to use. The surviving trees shown in the centre and right hand pictures are I believe, Scots Pine.

The Fly agaric mushroom on the left has already been visited by some unknown creature(s) of the forest floor, it must have tasted good! The one on the right (shown in the background of 1st picture) is still in the process of breaking through the carpet of larch needles, leaves and twigs; and has yet to be ttied. Mythology and symbolism Fly agaric has a long history of use in religious ceremonies, particularly in Asia. For over 4,000 years it was the ingredient in a sacred and hallucinogenic ritual drink called 'soma' in India and Iran; while the Siberian shamans would give it out as a gift in late December. This toadstool has turned up in many fairy tale stories and features in the story of Alice in Wonderland when she is given some fly agaric to eat. Uses of Fly agaric Fly agaric is poisonous and infamous for its psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties; but, reports of human deaths are extremely rare. It was traditionally used as an insecticide. The cap was broken up and sprinkled into saucers of milk. It's known to contain ibotenic acid, which both attracts and kills flies – which gave it its name.

Hawthorn berrry - left Food Uses Traditionally hawthorn berries are used to make jellies, wines and ketchup. Honeybees foraging on hawthorn blossoms bring a harvest of dark amber and nutty hawthorn honey. The young leaves and shoots of common hawthorn are edible and were once known as “bread and cheese”. Nutritional value Hawthorn contains flavonoids with heart-friendly antioxidant activity, as well as tannins, essential oils, fruit acids and sugars. The plant also contains vitamins B and C. Herbal Medicine Uses Hawthorn berries are often called “the heart herb” for its various cardio-protective abilities. Prized for its ability to uplift and strengthen the heart both emotionally and physically, the hawthorn berry has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for all kinds of serious heart concerns. These include angina, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, irregular heart beat and even congestive heart failure. Dog Rose rosehip - right Food Uses The edible fruit – rosehips – are the most commonly used part of the plant in food. These orange-red berries have been used to make jams, jellies, pies, stews, tea and wine. The petals and leaves of dog rose can also been brewed for tea. The flowers make a delicious syrup, and can be eaten in salads or candied or preserved in vinegar, honey and brandy. Nutritional value Rosehips are high in vitamin C with reportedly twenty times more vitamin C than oranges. Herbal Medicine Uses As a medicinal herb today, the rosehips of dog rose are indicated for a wide range of conditions from headaches, sore throats, infections, sciatica, gout, rheumatism, stress and nervousness.

HFF 14/10/2022 Many thank to you all for your visits and very kind comments.

Coprinus comatus, the shaggy ink cap, lawyer's wig, or shaggy mane, is a common edible mushroom often seen growing on lawns, along gravel roads and waste areas. These widespread and common mushrooms have a very short shelf-life, typically only lasting 24 hours from emerging to liquefying. The young fruit bodies first appear as white cylinders emerging from the ground, then the bell-shaped caps open out. The caps are white, and covered with scales—this is the origin of the common names of the mushroom. The gills beneath the cap are white, then pink, then turn black and secrete a black liquid filled with spores (hence the "ink cap" name). This mushroom is unusual because it will turn black and dissolve itself in a matter of hours after being picked or depositing spores.