Checking on the pigs

Limestone gravel is hard on the feet.  

This Tuesday morning the dog and I walked down to the pig farm. As we walked I stumbled across the crushed limestone the county has put on the dirt road to help with erosion.   I guess the idea is that the cars traveling up and down the road will eventually smash the big lime stones into a powder that will become cement like when it gets wet.  In the mean time it is tough to walk on.  The dog is smart and walks along the side of the road in the grass.  I don't want to walk in the wet grass.  We made it down to the pig farm and the pigs set up some noise when they heard me calling the dog.  They are alone all day until the owners come to feed them.

Not much grows beneath Magnolias. 

The dog knows what he likes.  

 As we were coming back up the road I stopped to look at the magnolia grove growing beside a little creek.  The leaves from the magnolias cover the ground and keep anything else from growing. The forest floor here is very sterile with few bushes or even weeds growing.  We went further up the road and the dog found a football sized dirt clod from the road work.  He likes dirt clods as they apparently have a mineral in them that he wants.  He tried to bring it home but I distracted him from it with a stick that I threw out into the high grass.

Very small mushrooms in the yard. 

 When we arrived home I noticed some very delicate mushrooms growing on the grass in the front yard.  I believe I have identified it as Citron Amanita on the Georgia Basidiomycetes web site.   They  are delicate and will fall over at the slightest touch.  If I get on the ground to look at something like this the dog will come over to see what is going on and stomp all over it so I have to be fast if I want a photo.  Once again I hope that you are taking the opportunity to get outside and do some walking in your neighborhood or just your yard.  The weather is pretty nice right now throughout a large part of the country so don't delay.  Thanks for stopping in today.  Bye.