The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky as I stepped out for my usual late afternoon walk.
It was around four o'clock. This has become my favorite time to explore the quiet places of our town where the trees grow thick and tall.
Since I am far from the busy center of the capital, the air feels cooler and fresher.
I was wandering through a particularly shaded patch of woods when a fallen log caught my eye.
It was old and crumbling, lying on the damp earth under a canopy of towering branches.
As I leaned closer to the decaying wood, I noticed a cluster of small, fan-shaped growths sprouting directly from the bark.
They were a pale, creamy white color with delicate ridges that looked like tiny folds of paper.
I am fairly certain they were Splitgill mushrooms, or at least a very close relative, because of the way their edges curled and shifted in the light.
They didn't look like the typical umbrella mushrooms you see in storybooks.
Instead, they clung tightly to the log in overlapping layers, looking both tough and fragile at the same time.
The texture of the mushrooms was fascinating against the rough, dark surface of the rotting wood.
They seemed to thrive in that quiet, hidden spot on the wood. They love the moisture of the earth and the decay.
I stayed there for a few minutes just taking pictires of the fine details of their shapes before the evening light began to fade completely.
It was a simple discovery, but seeing those small white fans decorating a forgotten piece of wood made that specific walk feel much more interesting than my usual routine.
I'm looking forward to my next walk. I wonder what nature has for me on my next walk. 😊
