Morel hunting....AGAIN, mud, and treasures from the woods.

Smudge playing with a leaf.

It is blurry, but too funny not to post. 

This post has 52 photos!  

I think that I need to post more often with less photos.  

I find myself getting more behind on a weekly basis.  

I don't know why...maybe it is because I keep adding more things to my list.

Ummm....yes...that makes sense.  

This past week...morel mushroom hunting has taken over my "free" time.  

It is an obsession.

I can't help it.

Smudge and Gus on their way to the shop.  

Smudge is so funny when she runs.  

Ears flopping, tongue flopping, skin flopping.

Plus..she sounds like a freight train. 

Another chair shot.  

The arm is almost completely gone. 

Sorry dad. 

Smudge did not mean to do it.

The shot of her chasing the leaf above was taken right before this happened.

It was a warm day and well...a girl has to cool off after a walk on a warm day.

This stream is a clear running mountain stream.

That is....before Smudge started rolling along the bank and muddying it up.

She really took great joy in doing this.

This is the face of a very very happy and fun loving bulldog.

Pure unadulterated joy.

She had the most wonderful time. 

Play bow in the stream.

Shaking it all off...or at least some of it.

Okay...back to work. 

The spiral pots are a new thing that I am trying.  

The plants should look really neat going up the pot. 

Two prototypes.

The result of her mud bath.

This is a very rarely seen animal.

The Bullador.

Half bulldog and half labrador.

This is how really safe concrete travels.

It took a trip to Creedmoor, NC. 

This is Cedar Creek Gallery.  

Several pieces of my concrete are here for their Spring Festival.

If you have never been it is really a treat.

Not only is the artwork some of the most beautiful that you have ever seen, but 

there are several onsite art studios.

You can actually watch the artists make things.

Blown glass, pottery, wood turnings.....

It is located close to Raleigh, NC.  

If you get a chance please stop by and check out the gallery.

They also have a Master gardener (John) that has created gorgeous gardens and 

has plants for sale.  

Spotted this rabbit cloud on the way home from Cedar Creek Gallery.

Pretty neat.  

Easter is on it's way and it is the weekend of the Spring festival.

I have found several things on my morel hunts....

This lovely snake being one of those things.

I screamed when I saw it.

Then I took a picture. 

One of the first signs of spring around here.

Bloodroot.  

A very interesting and beautiful plant. 

A medicinal plant. 

Used in mouthwashes and plaque fighting solutions.

Also used in mole removing. 

You however, should not self medicate with it. 

My peach tree.

Blooming a whole month early.

Hmmmm..wonder if I will get any peaches?

Still doing the photo challenge.

This is photo number 20.  Before and after.  

This is photo number 21.  Delicious.

The mighty and elusive morel mushroom.

I like them best stuffed with crabmeat, rolled in garlic butter and grilled.

Delicious!

This is photo number 22.  Kitchen sink.

My sink is very normal and uninteresting. 

So, I took a photo of the faucet and window above the sink.

Another new project.

It will be a birdbath.

My shop dog falling asleep on the job.

Another really exciting find while mushroom hunting.

I just about jumped out of my shoes when I found this.

This is a magnolia blossom. 

Blooming a month early.

This is my photo number 23.  The moon.  

The real moon was just a sliver that night and it was cloudy, so I had to improvise.

This is a Tarot card. Don't worry folks....it won't hurt you...

Part of the meaning in my little book that came with the cards says...

The moon beckons us to find our inner voice and reach higher levels of enlightenment.  

We must face our past fears head on in order to continue on our journey.

This was an alternate photo for number 24.  An animal.

A neat Bull Terrier weathervane that I found online.

Bull Terriers....stormy weather.....Somehow they are just connected.

Ha ha ha..

Just kidding!!!

Another alternate for number 24. 

This is the one I ended up using for the "animal" shot.

Smudge sticking her tongue out at me. 

Three legged Smudge.

Smudge playing with her new toy.

I am trying to replace her old chewed up things.

She would rather play with me.

Jumping up and trying to knock me over. 

Someone needs to teach her some manners. 

I have been trying to work with her, but....it is not easy.

And I thought Zippy was a handful.

Smile!

Okay....we had a local art show.

My neighbors and I always enter this show, because it is fun and we get to 

be part of a community event.

This is my neighbor MA.  She is going to kill me for putting this on my blog, but....you know me.

MA was my neighbor that was in the car accident last summer and has been through 

a tremendous amount of pain and suffering in the past several months.

She has had something like 17 surgeries on her arm and still needs several more.

Throughout this she managed to still make artwork for this show.

A series of five collage pieces.

She won honorable mention at the Cheap Joe's Art Show!!!!

There were over 100 entries in the show.

So proud of you MA!!!

She makes cards that she sells out of her collage work.

Beautiful.

Photo number 25.  Breakfast.

Everything in here is from my garden except for the eggs.

My sister, Susan gave me those.

From her chickens of course.....ha ha ha..

Photo number 26.  Key.

This is the key to not chewing on the chair!

Another key shot.

Smudge holds the key.

To what I don't know.

Key to my heart...

key to my insanity.....

Apparently she holds many keys.

More shots of the new stuff.

Two days before my birthday...

I found a whole patch of these!!!!

Black Morels!!!

About 50-60 of them.

Amazing.

Photo number 27.  Your name.

I have been collecting letters that I find in nature for about a year now.

Finally got my name.

Photo number 28. Trash.

Trash that I picked up while morel hunting.

Obsessed....

My bleeding heart....well...not MY heart, but 

the plant. 

So pretty and a very welcomed sight.

These (there were two) interesting planes flew over the other day.

They had big helicopter looking propellers on them.

I know nothing about planes or propellers.

They were flying very low.  I waved.

Photo number 29.  Feet.

This is alternate shot.

Oracle's feet.

This is the shot that I chose for "Feet".

Not sure what made this track, but I think it could possibly be a rabbit.

Or a mountain Yeti.

Smudge enjoying her new Faux Bois concrete waterfall fountain.

That was a mouthful.

She loves her wading pool.

The concrete Faux Bois bird bath from above in more of a finished state.

Now it must cure for several days and then onto 

staining and sealing.

Photo number 30.  A toy.

This is one of my favorite toys.

My welder.

I use it to make the armatures for the larger concrete pieces.

You can see a couple of them in the background.

My helmet has a Zippy sticker that I got out of a vending machine. 

Photo number. 31.  Where you relax.

I relax here a lot.

A place to clear your mind with no distraction. 

Unless your dog finds a robin...that is.

Zippy pointing a robin.  

He really does love to hunt birds.

Last year he ate a robin.

It was terrier-fying.

It squeeked the whole way down. 

I still have nightmares. 

Another really, really neat find while morel hunting.

So.....here we are.....at the end of this long long post.

This is another really cool find while obsessing over morels.

From what folks have told me it is a Beryl.

It is really neat and......

special.....

because I found it on my birthday!!!  

I was sad because I did not find more morels and I had also whacked myself in the knee

with a log.....while walking through the woods (big black and blue bruise).

Then...while limping home...I looked down and Ta da!

So....you just never know what you will find out there.  

Just keep looking.

Hey...John the dogs.  

I would love to come see your place!  

Looks to me like you live in a beautiful paradise.