What, you don't like my stinkhorn in full bloom? Well, it's not for you. It's for my new blog friend Lynne, who is a fellow foraging fungi-nerd and, like me, loves nothing better than taking photos of the gorgeous things, edible or not. (I am glad I am not the only person in the world who shuffles about on their knees on the woodland floor, trying to get the perfect shot of a pretty toadstool pin-up). She missed seeing hers in this state, which is, believe it or not, about as perfect as a Stinkhorn can be. I find it quite beautiful.
I am sure my last few posts sound as if I have been doing nothing but gallivant about the countryside, making wine and living the Good Life. It is true that the weather has been so lovely after a miserable summer, (and winter about to descend) that whenever Andy has had a day off we have packed our rucksack and headed off to a nice footpath. But I have also been trying to catch up with needle felt orders - including Steph's poor monkey- no longer torso-less and with his head jointed so that it can turn gently.
...growing alarmingly in size, (his trunk is about the size of a medium aubergine) and awaiting new wool to arrive, so that I can finish his limbs and put a nice pot belly on him. In the meantime, I am also up my neck with the Gallery batch - there are six toy sculptures and 4 paintings to be finished with a rapidly looming deadline. Three toys down, three to go. Paintings - erm - still at the planning stage. Blue is the third one to be finished - the others are a bit shy, I'll persuade them to come out later.
WINE UPDATE (from previous post) - it smells alright, and I wanged another load of sugar in, which sent the yeast crazy, like teenage girls at a pop concert. Still smelling like wine. So far so good.
The stinkhorn isn't very pretty........and looks much too much like Hm.......well, you know.
ReplyDeleteIs the picture at the bottom wine?
It looks like redcurrant fool Yum.
I love Blue, he's very friendly!
ReplyDeleteI love fungi; you photograph yours very well indeed.
ReplyDeleteIs that your toe, peeping out?
blue looks adorable! so cute. dx.
ReplyDeleteI scrabble around on my knees too, Gretel :) I've got some lovely pictures of various fungi, I must post them up..... and blue is lovely too. I love your description of the wine :)
ReplyDeleteKim x
I LOVE that blue doggy! I can never visualise my work/ideas in 3D, so I am doubly impressed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Elizabeth, that Stinkhorn is a bit, well...um...
yeah....you know. :D
Elizabeth and Emma, I simply do not know what you mean, Mr Stinkhorn is lovely. Beauty in the eye of the beholder and all that ;)
ReplyDeleteTut, yes, that is my unlovely toe getting its face in the picture!
Oh! It's a lovely stinkhorn! Aren't they odd? Thank you so much for posting his photo. Shame they don't last very long. I did try emailing you a link to another stinkhorn ( Elegant Stinkhorn ) that we had two years ago. Sadly, he has not "risen" again. I think we need more rain in order for them to come up again. Here is the link. And don't be alarmed that this one is RED. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rickandlynne.com/lynne/index.php/lynne/comments/old_man_mushroom/
So glad you visited my blog!
Too bad we didn't get many morels, just a few, but they were delicious. Hopefully we will get them again next spring.
Also, the bears. You can see more photos and more footage of our bears if you just click on Bears in my sidebar (under Categories). I'm afraid I haven't been posting this year's bears to the diary. We now have a momma and five cubs that visit our street. Did you see her on there? You can do a search for "Myrtle" and come up with some entries dedicated to the little bear family. (I call her Fertile Myrtle—with 5 cubs what else could I call her?)
Also you can see our Chicken (of the woods) Mushroom now on my latest entry.
Sorry for the long comment, but I don't think my email reached you!
Love little blue!
hmmm ... there seems to be a recurring theme with the stinkhorn and the monkey which is "growing alarmingly in size" ... lol :)
ReplyDeleteYes I saw that corroboration of imagery too!
ReplyDeleteAnd I have been known to get down on my knees to snuffle around for a good mushroom photo as well.. ("Photographic Phungi Phoraging"?!)
And the wine making is very exciting.
Glad you are busy with orders.. I love your blue dog - he's such and excellent shape!
I think it's great that you've been galavanting.. after your long internment on the book job :)
Glad you've got sun too.. we haven't!
x
The stinkhorn is magnificent! (if that's the word I'm looking for...)I am surprised that it doesn't have a ruder name though!
ReplyDeleteBlue is lovely - someone's going to be very happy to have him.
Blue looks quie a character. Good luck with that wine.
ReplyDeleteI quite like Mr. Stinkhorn, elegant, forthright, willing to speak his mind. Not mushroom season here, yet, too dry. We hope for rain this winter and golden Chantrelles (yummy).
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ReplyDeleteBlue has to be my favourite so far Gretel.
ReplyDelete'...shame they don't last very long,' - seems the list of comparisons to Stinkhorn is endless:¬)
Both new creations are beautiful1 I feel like such a skulker, coming around here for inspiration and I'm never disappointed.
ReplyDeleteErm, I'm with Elizabeth on the stinkhorn *blush*
ReplyDeleteI like Blue :0)
Blue looks like he's doing the "let's play" stance that dogs do. And the monkey is looking so cute even without arms and legs. I am in awe!
ReplyDeleteCindy
I too get in very weird positions to take photos. I forget how funny I must look to others while doing it and afterwards when I’m covered in leaves. Steph’s monkey looks like her mushroom in that early stage.
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