Mossin' My Stone Path

There is an awesome natural stone path at my cabin that a friend of mine built leading from my outside shower to the front door - we used only stones that were already here (ones that had been dug up to put the gravity fed water line 6 feet in the ground!) A few days ago my roof was scraped of all it's leaves, moss, sticks, and wet content ... the moss sitting now on the ground in big ole' piles. I thought, it would be cool to shove it in the cracks of my stone path....

I gathered moss in a basket and brought it over to the path, placing bit by bit in the most open cracks- trying to keep it looking like it had grown there. The moss in this region grows on moist rocks and uses only tiny bits of decaying matter to live off of so I am hoping it will continue it's lifecycle on these stones.

COOL TIP: I was told that if you want moss to grow on your stones you can mix it with milk or beer and chop it up, then put it in the cracks to grow. (If anyone has done this, let me know if it works!)

I think I like it! And so does my kitty Toots, she said "Darlin', it looks like it's been around foreva', sooooo authentic." ........... :)))

Xoxoxox

Moss In The Woods (I Love it!)

Rememba' how I was talking about loving moss the other day? I decided to go out and get some close up pictures for ya'll of the crazy variety of moss we have here. Some are fuzzy, some look like tiny ferns, some burst like micro firecrackers, and all create waves of soft carpeted green perfect for a unicorn to sleep on. :)
This pic above is a common moss growing on tree limbs which are constantly moist, below are the kind that look like itty bitty fern leaves- possibly my favorite.
But then I walked over to one big rock....
and on this rock was every kind of moss, succulent and tiny plant you could eva' think of - a rock which seemed to be a planet of it's own - an eco system growing on a larger eco system (and so on as big as the universe!)
You can see on the big rock lots of shapes and textures of the moss all collide and co-inhabit, making patches of slight color variations.
Other micro plants seem to love growing in the moss, cause usually underneath you find the blackest, most moist dirt and earth worms, centipedes and other crawlers.
Explosive! ;)
Sometimes I wish I could take some the moss and make myself a moss garden, but they always seem to die. The balance of elements moss needs to grow is a delicate one meant for nature to provide. Some things have to be enjoyed in their natural state... even though I wish I could take it right into my bedroom.
XoXo

Fungus Amongus

The epic snow storm back in December left a scar of white snow blanketed across every inch of ground here for nearly a month - until big warm and welcomed rains began hitting the tin roof, and dissolving the snow from the mountain ridge line first, down to the ground a few days later. The birds were happy, the pig was happy, the giant bunny was happy, and I am ecstatic to finally have a chance to see life again! Even if most of it got mashed under the weight of the snow. Yesterday I found a few spots of mushrooms and fungus actually growing, because the weather warmed up to more of a fall or spring temperature - and between the snow melting and the rain falling there was more then enough moisture to make the spores come alive!
These top three pics are all on an apple tree that was half dead, and then cracked in half and fell down during the winter hell weather. The branches and dead limb are going to make good kindling and fire starting wood. :)
This pink mushroom below was growing out the ground up in the woods. It was the only one I saw but I bet there is more!
Behind me in this next pic is something I LOVE about Big Sandy Mush - rocks will be covered in thick piles of green moss along streams, some so thick it's like nature's very own soft carpet. I have found gigantic rocks completely covered in it in the sun, perfect to lay down on and rest comfortably on the cushy pad of green. There is moss all over western north carolina, but this area seems to be the most abundant I have ever seen - giving it a magical, jungle feel. Even during the winter! I wonder if the cleaner an area the healthier the moss?
XoXo