Fungi spotted on today's woodland walk.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve walk around Sherwood Forest. Merry Christmas to you all 💝

the broad inability to leave a social media platform owned by a white supremacist and prolific manipulator of public perception really is one of the most discouraging data points right now

Happy Winter Solstice to you all 💜 It was a misty and murky one here.

Jelly ears and yellow brain/witches butter on a misty and murky Winter Solstice walk. #fungifriends

We have been for a woodland walk and more fungi spotting this afternoon. #fungifriends

I haven't been fungi spotting for a while due to illness and bad weather. There were lots of velvet shanks (Flammulina velutipes) around Bradford Dale on today's walk. #fungifriends

After being housebound for most of the week, it was good to be able to get out for a walk. We went for a lovely little stroll around Youlgreave and down into Bradford Dale. The river was flowing after almost drying out over the summer. It was nice to hear a brass band at the school playing carols.

I'm surprised I'm not more depressed by the fact that my life currently seems to revolve around emergency appointments for one ailment or other. But after my mum's death in June and how suddenly her illness came on and progressed, I'm more cautious (paranoid) than ever about health issues.

We have been to Castleton to see the annually held Christmas Tree Festival in St. Edmund's Church. We also had a walk up the broken road. It was very windy, and we almost got blown away on more than one occasion!

We have been back to Clumber Park to complete the Elf on the Shelf Trail. There were only 3 that we didn't see on our last visit. It's sad that Clumber has been struck by bird flu because there are lots of different varieties of water fowl and other birds there.

On today's walk, we had the moon on one side of us and the sun on the other.

On the Monsal Trail today from Miller's Dale. I 💚 all the trees covered with moss and lichen over Chee Dale.

The sun setting at Clumber Park.

We've been for a nice walk around Clumber Park. We saw 9/12 of the elves on the Elf on the Shelf Trail 🎄

I feel very odd about Christmas this year. It's not as if we celebrate it in any traditional sense and haven't for a long time. The last time we spent Christmas Day with my mum was over 20 years ago. But I'm still sad that she's not here to see it this year.

I love the golden light of sunsets in winter. It was beautiful on today's walk.

I've noticed an increase in the posting of ai 'art' of late. I'm blocking every account that does it, but I'm still seeing more of it. I haven't seen one piece of supposed artwork that isn't hideous. There are so many great human artists creating wonderful art. We don't need third-rate ai slop.

I've been laid low by a bad gallbladder attack and missing our usual walks. But we managed to get to our local country park today. My other half spotted a nice bit of jelly fungi on a tree.

Alas, my intentions to go vegan have been scuppered by a bad gallbladder attack/inflammation. I think any major diet changes are going to have to wait until after I’ve had the damn thing out. I was told it was a 6 month waiting list back in July. 😖

I’m preparing to make the transition to being a vegan. To be fair, it’s only chicken, eggs, and cheese, that I need to phase out. I stopped eating other meats a while back, and milk and milk products were outed in favour of Alpro soya years ago.

It's been good weather for the jelly ears of late! #fungifriends

We saw a cormorant stretching its wings (most likely drying its feathers) on today's walk. Alas, the phone camera doesn't do it justice.

Tuesday's wet and muddy walk on the Monsal Trail.

This year has really been awful. There have been so many harrowing events to get through, and it's not over yet. I'm speaking about personal issues, but the world outside my window has been dreadful, too. Will these horrors never end?

The jelly/wood ears were on a stump at the end of our street! #fungifriends 🍄

It was a very wet woodland walk today. Benji was not impressed. Good for the fungi, though! 🍂🍄🌧

Reflections on autumn trees and a bit of fungi on today's walk. 🍂🍂🍄🍄

The reservoir levels are still pretty low around Ladybower, Derwent Dam, and Howden. But water was draining off the hills, and the waterfalls were flowing. It was a grey day, so the autumn colours were somewhat muted. Lovely all the same.

My mood was dark, and the skies were grey, but the woodland was full of autumn colour 🍂🍂 🍂

The amethyst deceivers are still going strong in our local country park.

#HappyHalloween 🎃

If you see this, quote with a vampire that is not Dracula 🧛‍♂️ 🦇

Autumn colours on today's walk 🍂🍂🍂

I'm not saying we hired a secure dog field just so we could go on our own private Halloween Trail, but we kinda did! 👻🎃😄 Benji did have a good time in the field, though. He even did the Agility course! The trail was for a Halloween experience in the woods after dark.

The colours of autumn at Sherwood Pines today 🍂🍂🍂

We've been fungi-spotting in Sherwood Pines. #fungifriends 🍄

Benji and the autumn leaves 🍂 #dogsofbluesky

The hare's ear fungi was looking very ear-like today. There was a nice bit of Elfin Saddle and the fly agaric is still going strong #fungifriends 🍄

We went for a walk around Carsington Water this afternoon. The Halloween Trail was much the same as last year, but still fun. On the way home, we went on a detour to see the StarDisc at Wirksworth. We probably should have aimed to get there at sunset because we couldn't really see much in the dark.

Carsington Water on 31/10/24 versus today 27/10/25

What the hell are decent people still doing on X? It hasn't been Twitter or even the ghost of Twitter for a long time. At this point, it's a less benevolent version of the Matrix.

Today's fungi finds 🍄 #fungifriends I recognise the jelly ears, and I think the last one might be some kind of waxcap.

There was lots of fungi around the local country park today. I'm reluctant to put any IDs on these because I keep getting them wrong 😖 I'm pretty sure about the Amethyst Deceiver and Penny Bun (this time!), and the Fly Agaric is unmistakable. I'm not sure about the little white ones, though!🍄

Another woodland fungi fest! 🍄🍄🍄 #fungifriends

I've had to go down my Spooky Season playlist and take out all the jazz ones because Benji hates jazz! Goodbye to Witchcraft, That Old Black Magic, and I Put A Spell On You. I somehow still have 100 Halloween-ish themed songs on that list!

We only walked the tiniest bit of the Monsal Trail today, but we still saw some candlesnuff fungi and some White Elfin Saddle.

Bakewell was a bit lacking on the Halloween decorations front. But the church made it for it with its creepy stone heads and coffins!

Laccaria amethystina, more commonly known as the Amethyst deceiver, is putting on a good show around our local country park. The rain has revived the existing patches, and fresh ones are springing up through the leaf litter. #fungifriends

I did wonder why a bunch of kids were shouting out "6,7," the other day. I remember the slang words of my pre-teen years. I also recall my nan getting really cross because my slang didn't mean the same thing to her as it did to me. I'm the granny now!