Mushroom walk, giraffes and other animals and armies!

We went on a mushroom walk led by a very informed mushroom expert at a local nature reserve.  Incredible what a wide variety of mushrooms can be found in the damp season if you really stop and look.  Some of the types found are traditionally edible although the mushroom expert advised not taking any chances as it is so easy to misidentify which could lead to something fatal.

We saw some beautiful tortoises there - leopard tortoises and Bell's hinged tortoises.  How my boys, especially Noah, really really would love a tortoise as a pet.

I knitted him one up soon after.  My handspun wool.  He is called Kamba (Shona for tortoise).

We also saw giraffe.  What creature is more beautiful and majestic?  They are incredible.  Always my favourite.

And a wasp nest.  Isn't this a magnificent, beautifully designed nest.

Love this type of day!

The boys also spent almost an entire day just before this day creating impressive armies.  Each boy designed his soldiers with weapons and fierce faces!  And played battle games for hours.  I love it when an idea absorbs them so and creativity takes off to the heights!

Flame lilies and mushrooms and insects in January

Our national flower, the flame lily is flowering at this time.  They grow in the wild and are so beautiful.  We went exploring in search of flame lilies and were so happy to find some nestled amongst aloes.

All types of interesting fungi can be found here and there too. 

Walks through woodland.

 We have spotted lots of these hook-winged, net-winged beetles about.

And these very beautiful fruit chafers.  What magnificent colours!

Mushrooms and a fairy ring

We have noticed so many incredible mushrooms on our wanders this autumn.  How I love fungi!  The boys found these incredible shaggy inkcaps in a field on this farm.  There were other varieties growing in the same field too and even a little elf sitting amongst the mushrooms.

  

 

 We saw that little elf again dancing about merrily in a fairy ring.  What a magical field!

Fairy Ring

Some enchantment..



A golden mushroom fairy ring.

More fungi finds

Fungi finds

We're starting to spot fungi..autumn is near..

More mushrooms - knitted and grown!

Since we've been loving all the mushrooms/toadstools/fungi growing in Autumn, I knitted up some.

We managed to grow a small crop of mushrooms in our mushroom growing kit. Now to eat them!

Fairy trail

A magical fairy trail we saw in the woods at dusk....

And fungi on the trees..

Autumn fungi and mushrooms

Here's some of the toadstools, mushrooms, fungi we've discovered on our outdoor adventures.

We've set up a mushroom growing kit so hopefully in a few days we should see some growth and get a crop of mushrooms growing. I'll let you know how we get on.