Warm Springs!

I've often heard that there are warm springs on the mountain but I've never been able to find them. Well, yesterday I was bound and determined and finally did find one! It isn't hot (which I would love) but it is warm. A whole lot warmer than the spring water we use here in the house! It was a fantastic hike. I saw so many different varieties of plants in the area I hiked through. Ferns unlike those down lower near the house. Lots of wood orchids too. One was just done blooming - how I wish I had seen it in bloom! The mosses were much greener as there were so many streams still flowing in the area. Very lush! I want to head back up there this weekend and do some more exploring. I did see an area that was an old dump. I wondered if there were any old dishes or bottles in there.
I started out hunting for liverworts and ended up coming home with lots of cushions and a few lichens. I had enough to make up a package for a customer so off they went this morning in the mail.
The woods are ever-changing with the weather. You can tell fall is fast approaching. I feel somewhat sad at the thought of cold weather. I don't enjoy my hikes in the snow and ice!

Tonight's Hike - Pink Mushroom, Moss Ring, Colorful Moss & Lichens, Sphagnum Moss

TONIGHT'S HIKE IN PICTURES! IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EVENING TO BE IN THE WOODS!

Pretty pink mushroom!

There are a few trees back there that have rings of moss around them. Love it!

A colorful combination of cushion moss and lichens with haircap moss sprinkled through-out.

Sphagnum moss growing in the boggy areas. Once we get some rain, it will perk right up!

Long Day!!!

Long day today! The office was really slow. It was great to escape and head home to do some things I enjoy. It was a beautiful day out today and a crime to be at work. After work I fed the animals and then headed out to do some yard work. The drought killed all my grass in the back but now tree moss is everywhere. I found some weeds that were among it and pulled them. I'd love to have a whole yard of that stuff!
All along the back edge before the woods begin, is a patchwork of all different kinds of mosses,. There are lichens sprouting up throughout. Reindeer mostly. I am looking for some pixies. Hopefully there will be some. I'm listing lichens tonight on Ebay and getting some ready for Ecrater. I will list those tomorrow evening if I have time.
Well, off to bed for me - the end of a glorious day!

Pixie Cups!

I am doing better walking on this foot. They gave me a walking cast. Doubt they want me hiking but I did just fine :)
Tonight I hiked along an old logging path and found some wonderful rock moss for a customer of mine. Everything is so green up there now after the rains we had over the weekend. I love it. I was pretty bummed that I could not for the life of me find any liverworts. I'm thinking that once things dry out some they will be easier to see. The woods were so quiet tonight - I didn't see any deer or turkey. They must be up on the mountain.
After the hike, I decided to go to this park in town and look around. There I found a ton of pixie cups! They were really hard to see at first. They are all in among stones and other mosses. I gathered up about 6 pieces and took them home to soak as they were pretty dried up. They all sprang to life and are looking wonderful! I will start to list some on Ebay and Ecrater tomorrow night.

Sphagnum Moss and Dendroid Tree Moss

Here I am, the Great Hiker with a broken foot. NOT GOOD. I am bored, cranky and want to get out and move around. I did just that today although I didn't go far - just a short distance in the woods and around the yard a bit.
I heard the thunder in the distance so I headed back to the woods and dug up some nice sphagnum moss to try on Ebay. I had to get it before the rains got here. That stuff holds water like a sponge. I did spritz it some when I got home and it greened up real nice and gained some weight but not too much. I also decided to get some dendroid moss. That stuff is my favorite! I had to scoop up a good bit of dirt when I took it so it stays in a clump. Again, I spritzed and it has greened up but I don't dare touch it for a bit. That stuff isn't a clump like regular moss. It is all individual little trees. So beautiful! I am so blessed to have a side yard full of it. It's like walking on a big fluffy cushion - total heaven! And it never needs mowed! I hope eventually my entire yard is covered with it!

New Ecrater Store for Mosses, Lichens, etc.

I did it!
I worked most of the evening and opened a new Ecrater store just for my mosses!
Check it out! Lots more to add yet but it's a start! Still need to add my Logo too!

http://woodlandwonders.ecrater.com/

Lots of Lichens!

So many lichens are popping up everywhere! They look so beautiful mixing in with the deep green rock caps! I need to take my camera tonight when I hike. I want to do something with them in a terrarium. I decided to try to harvest some sphagnum moss. That stuff really absorbs the rain - it was so heavy the other day but now seems dry enough to ship to someone without too much cost. I'll need to get out there this evening. More rains are predicted this weekend. We sure need the rain so I'm not complaining...
I sold some moss on Ecrater! I will list more this evening. Ecrater is great but sales are not near as good as Ebay. People just don't know about Ecrater plus so many sellers really jack their prices on there. Anyway, my Ecrater store has always been for clothing but I've now added some mosses. I would like to start a store just for that but then I'd be starting with zero feedback and I don't know if I want to do that. If anyone wants to check it out, my store is at:
http://hotvintagelooks.ecrater.com/