My Secret Hiking Spot, Part IV, photo essay

As the initial excitement of spring wears away, and I find myself in the heat in these woods, I sometimes feel guilty that my time here seems like a responsibility to me...to you...to Mother Nature.  But after about five minutes I am lost, in love anew, for all of the beauty that is waiting just for me!  The tree below is fascinating, to me, the way the bark peels, does anybody know what type of tree this is?  I found a much older and larger one over the winter, but could not find what type it is.  I searched for nearly a week on the net and through my encyclopedias but came up with nothing.  Maybe with the leaves showing somebody might know...

There are so many mushrooms sprouting today, and that of course is a good sign of rain coming.  We will probably be getting some thunderstorms over the next twenty four hours, and I think that is a good thing, because last week while I was headed to the beach I noticed a woman WATERING HER DRIVEWAY WITH A HOSE.  That is DRINKING water, people, is the driveway that important?  There are places that have NO drinking water that is safe, and there she was hosing down her driveway.  Anyway, here are the mushrooms!

There are tiny ecosystems throughout this area, I have noticed...alkaline, acidic, high altitude, low light, deep shade....patches of pine, birch, and so on.  I never get bored here, EVER!

Especially when the mushrooms come out to play!

 I was so excited about this cluster of mushrooms, it was hard to sit still!

Look at that tiny yellow mushroom!   I get so breathless when I am here--it is always changing, and so fast, too!  If any of you are mushroom freaks and know what types of mushrooms these all are, do say so!  Because I love all mushrooms, and have never tried to cultivate them, I don't know various TYPES of mushrooms.  

I also have been seeing alot of Monotropa Uniflora in this forest this year.  It is everywhere.  It is fascinating, and although it LOOKS LIKE A MUSHROOM IT IS NOT.  It is a true flower.  It is also known as Indian Pipe, or Ghost Flower, and as I looked across the forest floor today, it really did look as if tiny ghosts were rising up from beneath the surface!

They are so fascinating to me...

I seriously can never get enough of these amazing wax-like flowers, so I had to try to get REAL close!  SUCCESS!  They make me think of eyes...

Well, that is all, for now!  I don't know about you guys, but with the kids home in the summer and the season so seemingly short, I have had very little time to be here, or on the computer at ALL.  My camera, which is an old Samsung A400 4.0mp is dying on me, and I am going to need a new camera soon...sometimes it doesn't focus, at this point the lens doesn't even close anymore, and it is all scratched up and dented from my photo-shooting-roughplay.

If you have any suggestions on cameras, AFFORDABLE digital cameras, with nice features and a speedy shot, let me know.  I would love suggestions.  I've been looking at the various Canons out there, and those look good to me.  I also wish I had a camera that is ready for me....I think I am growing and learning out of this one!