The forest is bursting with color from the bottom up!
Yesterday, I took a looong hike out into the woods to film for an up-and-coming video (and to feed the mosquitoes... apparently!), and I must say... the forest is already starting to put on quite the show! However, it wasn't the Autumn leaves that caught my eye, but the many vibrant mushrooms that dotted the forest floor. I was amazed by the variety and the intense color of these little guys! (Though, the leaves were gorgeous too! ;D) Here's a bit of what I saw:
Into the Fairytale Forest we go...
At the entrance of the hiking trail, there were these brilliant old moss-and-fungus covered tree stumps that looked like they were from a fairytale land. With the way they looked, I was half expecting a little fairy to pop out at any moment to welcome me into the enchanted forest! The mushrooms seen here were the first of many to be found while on this adventure.
Giant Yellow Mushrooms! Eek!
I'm not sure what these gigantic mushrooms are called, but they were MASSIVE! The one in the front had to be at least 7 inches in diameter, and the one in the back was not much smaller. When I saw them at first, I really could not believe my eyes!
A Sunny Twist on the Classic Fairytale Toadstool
This yellow toadstool would be the perfect umbrella for a fairy on a rainy day, don't you think? It wasn't very big, but boy did its bright sunny color really stand out against the dark dirt that surrounded it. There were none others like this one nearby though, which made me feel kinda bad for the lonely little guy. :C
Orange Mushroom Clusters
It looks like these two orange mushrooms are snuggling! There were so many of this kind ALL over... I wonder what they're called?
Anemone... in the Woods?!?
This strange looking fungus might not have had the most eye-catching colors, but it sure was fun to look at! Maybe it's the mermaid in me speaking, but doesn't that look like a chunk of sea anemone? O.O
Bright Red Mushrooms
Red. It looks so out of place in the forest yet, at the same time, it compliments the greens and the browns of the surrounding area so nicely. The showstopping mushrooms shown here were quite small, but they sure did draw attention to themselves!
The Mushrooms were great, but the Leaves were Beautiful too
Okay, so there were certainly some beautiful leaves to be found in addition to the pretty mushrooms. I really liked how this one had such a variety of colors. Is this what happens when Rainbows hit the ground in the Fall time?
Autumn is just getting started!
It seems that the mushrooms are one step ahead of the trees in showing off their wonderful display of Autumnal colors. But... Fall is just getting started here in Northern Michigan, so I expect that the color of the changing leaves will soon give those fabulous fungi a run for their money. I can't wait to revisit the woods when the trees put on their vibrant display!
Thank you for "tagging along" on my little nature adventure with me! Do you think the trees will be able to outshine those fancy mushrooms this year? I think it's going to be a close one!
Have a magical rest of your day!
XOXO Phantom
(P.S.) I'm not sure when I'll post the video that I got these photos from, but if you would like to get a feel for what this forest looks like, I do have a (very bumpy and poor quality) video of it here.