Giddy Up!

This huge mushroom was straddling the base of an old maple tree growing in our tree line. It's hard to tell if it's a single organism split in half, or if it's two separate mushrooms grown together, but it was nearly 2 feet across! Dryad was a wood nymph in ancient Greek mythology, and so this fungus is called a "Dryad's Saddle" because they often have the appearance of a large saddle. They are also related to the "Pheasant's Back" mushroom, which I've posted here as well. Below is a photo of the creamy white spongy bottom of the Dryad, which almost has the look of a slice of bread.

Shroom

Lots of mushrooms have been popping up lately around our area. This flat top "toad-stool" specimen was growing in the mulch under our neighbor's arbor vitae trees. I took this shot in the evening and the flash gives the image a spooky feel.