It was late October and we had just had a cold front move through. The kind of cold front that is a harbinger of winter. Noticeably high winds, lower temperatures and drizzle lasting all day. I do love such weather! And I love an excuse to get out in it. Doesn’t even have to be a decently good excuse.
And…it was Saturday! Maybe that’s why something in me put up a challenge: why not go take a hike on the most difficult trail in the Green Mountain Nature Preserve? Go down to Talus Trail in all this foul weather, wear your frog togs jacket and get some great photos along the way.
I realize that sometimes I can be a bit of a risk-taker. Going down the steepest, most remote, and in places the rockiest of trails in wet windy weather calls for special preparation and for special precautions. So I geared up and took my time as I went. I was rewarded with a few really great photos as seen here.
And the best part was getting back home and getting warm again!
Colorful Shelf Fungi. This was on the steepest part of the trail and was in a rather precarious place. If you click and expand this photo, you will notice a small gray salamander on the right side of the lower log. I didn’t see it until I was back home, though! Also tantalizing, on the far right between the two logs appears to be a full-sized salamander tail!More Shelf Fungi. The rain really brought out the colors.This doesn’t go back very far, maybe 10 or 15 feet.
I'm from Huntsville, Alabama where I work as a Software Engineer and part-time banjo instructor. My wife Miiko and I worship at Rivertree Downtown.
I've been playing various instruments since my teen years. I started mandolin and dulcimer at about age 17 and banjo at 20. I love just about all kinds of music. In terms of banjo styles, I play and teach Scruggs, melodic, clawhammer, and 2-finger styles.
I'm also very keen on theology, being a Trail Care Partner with the Land Trust of North Alabama, photography, urban planning, architecture, astronomy, ATM (amateur telescope making), birding, martial arts, and about 30 other distracting hobbies to a (mercifully) lesser extent.
Hey Mitch – yes, they are amazing, especially in the rain like that day. Although I can’t prove it, I suspect that those are all the same species of shelf fungi, but having grown on two different species of fallen tress, they display different colors!
Phill Gibson 
I particularly like that first shot of shelf fungi, Phill. Is there any color or size they don’t come in?
Hey Mitch – yes, they are amazing, especially in the rain like that day. Although I can’t prove it, I suspect that those are all the same species of shelf fungi, but having grown on two different species of fallen tress, they display different colors!