The deepest confirmed fish observation occurred at ~8,300 m. I know the shape behind it is another fish’s tail, but my brain insists it looks like the foreground fish is wearing a party hat. #deepsea #marinelife www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...

The “Lyminster Knucker” rested in a knucker hole (deep pool) until locals woke it by dropping a bell into the water… to see how deep the hole went. This dragon was eventually slain with the aid of a poisonous pie! #FairyTaleTuesday

During a poor harvest, the giant Jack O’ Legs stole flour to feed his friends in the village of Weston – but was caught, blinded and hanged by bakers from a nearby town. Two stones 14ft apart are said to mark his grave! #MythologyMonday Long version:

Best I can do for now, a bit too cloudy for anything sharp! #SantaBarbara #MoonPhotography #MoonPhotos #MoonShots #Photography Settings: Canon T5i Sigma 150mm x 600mm Focal length: 600mm F-stop: f/9 Exposure time: 1/500 ISO: 1600 #Moon phase: Waxing 85%

Hanged criminals could have one last hurrah as a “Hand of Glory.” This was a hand (usually straight from the scaffold) that had been pickled and made into a candle - and it was said to keep sleepers from waking as they were burgled! #WyrdWednesday

Going on an adventure… #Dublin #Ireland

Corner view 🌳🍁 #trees #woodland #treeclub

East Anglian folklore claims that a hellhound accompanied a powerful storm in 1577. “Black Shuck” burst into two churches as the skies raged overhead - and is said to have killed several parishioners before fleeing! #MythologyMonday More at

Sunlight slips between snow-covered pines in the PA forest. #eastcoastkin #classicmono

#fungi #fungifriends They are growing on the middle of the road.

Isle of Wight folklore claims that Knighton Gorges (a demolished manor with a shady past) returns for a party on New Year’s Eve! #folklore #ghost More end-of-year hauntings at

Afternoon and hello 👋 #FungiFriends How about some Jelly Ears 😍

Not all red hats are Christmassy - the redcap of Scotland kept its hat soaked in fresh blood (which it obtained via murder.) Folklore claims Lord William de Soules had one as a familiar and used it to torment the locals! #WyrdWednesday Full version:

Little Fairy Village. #mushrooms #fungi #forestfloor #woodlandwalks #naturelovers #macro #mossy #spidersweb #autumnvibes #mycology #fairytaleforest #naturecaptures #outdoors #smartphonephotography #photography

Back in the graveyard before Christmas, another mini-mushroom, Moss Navel (Arrhenia rickenii), hiding amongst the moss on a tombstone. If you don't seek, you don't find. #fungifriends #fungi #mycology

Bertie the Cat trying to get warm

Oliebollen (a kind of precursor to donuts) served a dual role in winter. Not only were they a high energy snack, the fat was said to protect you from the belly-slitting deity Frau Perchta… since her blade would slide right off! #FairyTaleTuesday More at

An ancestor of the modern mince pie can be found in the 1390 CE cookbook “The Forme of Cury.” These “Tartes of Flesh” featured ground pork, saffron, mixed spices, sugar, salt… and cheese! #FairyTaleTuesday #mincepie More at

In 1685 the folk of Ansbach in Germany decided that a marauding wolf was actually their recently dead mayor… and when the beast was slain, they displayed it in a wig and red linen! #folklore #werewolf #wolf More at

Where light finds its way. #nature #forest #photography #wander #Teutoburgerwald

When the giantess Skadi arrived at Asgard seeking to avenge her father, the gods decided to make amends and an alliance instead. They offered her one of their number as a husband – but made her pick by viewing their feet! #MythologyMonday More at

Did you know that wood frogs, mountain stone wētā, woolly bear caterpillars and even hatchling painted turtles survive the cold… by freezing alive! #animal #frozen #weirdnature More cool creatures at

The excommunicated Sir Geoffrey de Mandeville wasn’t forgotten by his friends. The Knights Templar hung his coffin from a tree in their cemetery (as he couldn’t be “buried”) and his ghost is said to patrol the countryside! #MythologyMonday More at

Cannonball fungus. About 5mm high. Northwest Territories, Canada. #fungus #fungi #fungifriends #mushroom

Evening #FungiFriends It’s been a while since I went out and did any shroom spotting. Here’s a few from earlier today

A Tunicate #Salp’s Last Supper. A swimming smorgasbord wrapped in glassy flesh #photography #UnderwaterPhotography Link for more #photos and information: mossandfog.com/a-salps-last...

Gilly. #mushroom #fungi #forestfloor #autumnvibes #naturelovers #macroshot #woodland #moss #leaves #earthy #naturecapture #outdoorphotography #mycology #smartphonephotography #photography

On the topic of endings, the rope used by a hangman was thought to be a lucky charm… while the hand of a hanged criminal could be turned into a hand of glory and used to aid further crimes! #FolkyFriday More at

In 1749 Havana, the British Brook Watson had his leg mangled and foot taken by a shark… but survived to become a peg-legged politician. He even commissioned a painting of the attack! #shark #sharkattack More at

One of the team was out at Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park this week scoping out opportunities for riparian woodland creation. A bit of mist sure makes the winter landscape pop! 🧵 1/2

Snakeskin liverwort (Conocephalum conicum). You can see why. #liverwort #moss #madeira

Moss Nikon D3100 • Nikon Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 #Photography #LandscapePhotography #NaturePhotography #PhotographersOfBluesky

Gingerbread was sometimes credited with magical powers - an early form (spiced honey cakes) was found in ancient Egyptian tombs, while gingerbread men were sometimes used like a love potion! #Christmas #FolkloreThursday #food Read on:

Quite a few birds can mimic human speech – but did you know that both a beluga whale and a harbor seal have tried their flippers at impersonation? #animal #mimic #weirdnature For more mimicry:

On the topic of turkeys, the Aztec deity Chalchihuihtotolin (Jewelled Fowl) had power over plague, healing and sorcery. Turkeys could also serve as the guardian spirit of a Maya sorcerer… and attack a sleeping victim’s essence! #FolkloreThursday #folklore #turkey More at

Did you know that Santa’s flying reindeer may have been inspired by fly agaric mushrooms? The urine of agaric-snacking reindeer is a lot less toxic (but still mind-bending) to humans – and can cause a sensation of flight! #LegendaryWednesday #fungi #reindeer More at

Here’s a twist - many old British churches feature the “Green Man” (a decidedly pre-Christian figure) in the decorations. This catch-all spirit was probably slipped in by the carvers rather than requested by the clergy! #folklore #greenman #WyrdWednesday More at:

In 1979 Livingston, Scotland, Robert Taylor had an encounter with a large unidentified object in a forest clearing. It had gone by the time police reached the site, but they did find some very strange tracks! #Dechmont #UFO More at:

Monday 15th Dec A couple of #fungifriends from my walk to Summerston ; Dead Man's Fingers (Cadder) Crystal Brain Fungus : showing the clear inclusions which helps to identify this species from the similar White Brain Fungus (Summerston)

Have you heard of the golden toilet heist? This bit of solid-gold political “art” was snatched from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, causing significant flooding damage – it was fully functional! #heist #truecrime More weird heists at:

#fungifriends #mushrooms #mycology #nature #fungi #biology #photography Stereum hirsutum last week.

Lamproderma slime mold. NWT, Canada. #slime #myxo #fungifriends A photo of the same slime mold taken just one day earlier is in the comments.

Sometimes humans survive unbelievable situations… such as Vesna Vulović who fell six miles and lived to tell the tale, or Steven McCormack whose skin was inflated like balloon by pressurized air! #endurance #survival More at:

A developing Arcyria slime mold. NWT, Canada. Specimen is about 1cm high. #myxo #slimemold #fungifriends

When the vengeful frost giant Skadi challenged the Aesir, they didn’t like their odds… so they gave her a husband (picked by their legs) as a peace offering. She was said to love winter sports and be the goddess of snowshoes! #FairyTaleTuesday #Folklore More at:

Cladonia on a stick, among a patch of cottongrass. Newfoundland, Canada. #lichen #fungi #fungifriends #wildflower

A snowy little #mushroom on a morning #hike, today. Newfoundland, Canada. #fungi #fungus #fungifriends

Did you know that there’s a bat with a mobile nose? The Queensland tube-nosed bat can move its tubular nostrils independently of each other – it uses this talent to create a 3D scent map! #animal #bat More bizarre bats:

Eyelash fungus (Scutellinia sp). NWT, Canada. #fungi #fungifriends #mushroom

Some say that surviving Gigantopithecus (giant prehistoric primates) might be behind yeti sightings. They probably died out 100,000 years ago, but may have lived alongside Neanderthals and inspired the legend! #MythologyMonday #primate #yeti More details: