If You Give a Mare a Mushroom...

After days of rain, I vowed that on Saturday, whatever the weather, I would be spending time with Lilly. So that is what I did. Her one front foot is still not completely sound. At the trot and the canter, she's slightly gimpy. She is still barefoot. I'd like her to be barefoot all the time. On the other hand, she does seem to go better with shoes. I guess deep down I am not convinced that the barefoot trim will not work. I think there is a hurtle that we have not yet cleared. Plus, that big chunk of her hoof that fell out hasn't grown back yet. In any case, today I put Cavallo boots on Lilly and we walked through the woods. I didn't get on her. I just wanted to see how she did on the soft trail with no rider.


Before we set out, Bill's wife Jackie pointed out this snake in the garden. It looks like he has just eaten some poor creature. I'd never want to harm a snake....but they do make me feel creepy. Once I grabbed one that somehow ended up in our basement. I wanted to save it, to set it free. I grabbed it all right, and then shrieked at the top of my lungs while I ran up the stairs, through the kitchen and out the back door. The snake was more than happy to slither away from me in the yard.


Here is Lilly with her Mona Lilly smile. Although, there's nothing mysterious here: she's looking at some people walking down the road.


I am happy to report that Lilly was perfectly sound during our entire hike. No gaffs, gimps or stumbles. Sure she had her sneakers on, but she was trampling everywhere right along with me, interested in everything I was doing. She is so much fun to hang out with. Sometimes for no reason I kiss her.


Since I was on the ground, I was able to be a much better mushroom hunter. Here a little snail was napping right by this Lactarius. These mushrooms kind of lactate, hence the name! Do you see the little milky droplets under the cap? You can always tell a Lactarius because of this.


Some mushrooms you need to really look for. But others are most content growing along footpaths. Or hoofpaths, as the case may be.


While I got down on the ground to snap pictures of mushrooms, Lilly seized each and every opportunity to nibble all the green things that caught her eye. She also still likes to snuffle around in the dead leaves. I wonder what is so appealing about that for her. It's like she's looking for something.

Here is a short clip of a cute newt we saw: Click here!


This mushroom looked wet and blob like, like a big, floppy, wet pancake. Kind of neat and gross all at once. Brandon claims my photography leaves much to be desired when it comes to identifying this mushroom.


Don't you love how these guys are bursting up through the forest floor?


Here is a cute little trio!


When we walked by the BP, Lilly stopped her nibbling at called at the top of her lungs for her BP buddies. She's been there 2 weeks--it was just yesterday Bill brought her back down to the pasture by the barn. When she cried out (right by my ear mind you, and it was very loud), the horses in the BP called back to her. But I didn't actually see them.


These mushrooms were so startlingly bright!


While I was taking pictures of this Russula, Lilly's big ole mouth came by and snuffled one of them right up. That is to say, she ate it! Not to worry, it is not poisonous.


Here is the Griffin Edward mushroom, and he belongs to my dear friends Kevin and Sarah.