The Audubon book of mushrooms comes alive......and some very fine fairyland real estate

The word for our hike on Sunday was MUSHROOMS!  They were everywhere!  The mushroom identification book had come alive right before our very eyes.  Being a city mouse, I hardly ever see the more unique offerings of nature.  Now that we have decided to see Missouri's woods, we are getting to see some very weird and wonderful flowers, bugs, and mushrooms.  Pictures are very nice, but the real thing is so......well........REAL.  Mushrooms have always fascinated me - they appear suddenly and are gone just as suddenly...but not really gone......just underground.  That is just so mysterious, no?  I feel like a kid who has discovered something for the first time.  Same feeling when I saw the ocean for the first time........wow.......it's really here!  Seeing all those different mushrooms gave me that same whoosh of wonder.  Ah...they ARE real.

The final wonder was spotting a bluebird.  They are the official bird of Missouri, but they don't come around the city..they are shy and stay in the more isolated wooded areas.  We didn't get a picture of him unfortunately.  But it was quite a thrill to see him. There was also a lot of prime fairyland real estate.  I have to admit I have always had a secret wish that fairies were real.  I see their houses everywhere when I spy moss mixed with roots mixed with rocks.  Creative child and I spotted many of them here and there.  Lovely daughter spotted the house of a gnome however....the doorway was high to make room for his hat!  There was also a miniature Rivendell and many secret places among the rocks.

Our great reward was reaching the top of the trail and seeing the valley below.  It was a very discovery rich and happy hike for all.