R: California Flannelbush. Planted by yours truly.
Today I got to do a tiny bit of Naturing before, during, and after my volunteer time at Black Point Historic Gardens. So, I feel better about making this a Naturing post.
And, as is so common these days, soon after taking my first steps outside in a Naturey type place, I heard then saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in a nearby tree. I’m so happy I’m seeing them again with such regularity this winter. Maybe even way more often??
I got to the gardens about 15 minutes before volunteer time, so I first wanted to inspect our clearing and plantings from last week. They looked great! They survived the recent storms A-OK. It was a comfort to see.
I then just mushroom hunted, since there’s not a ton blooming out there right now. Spotted a picture-perfect Yellow Fieldcap. A Scurfy Twiglet here and there. Got more photos of what I thought were Scarlet Waxy Cap (thanks to Seek), and Seek correctly IDed them as Velvet Foot! A kind Fungi Fairy on iNat suggested that ID! So good to KNOW. A newtome coral fungus called Phaeoclavulina myceliosa (!) was showing itself. A Nitrous Bonnet quietly sat in a corner. Some tiny Orange Mycena peeked from behind a wood stump. And, even some blooming Bunch-flowered Daffodil and Summer Snowflake were making an appearance.
While I waited for our kind leader to join at the meeting point, she came up and introduced me to the new volunteers as “Our Mushroom Expert,” to which I had to correct her, “Amateur Mushroom Person, really!” She went to grab something, and I showed some of the cool mushrooms to others as we waited. In someone’s world, I am a Mushroom Expert!
We spent most of the time pulling weeds, surprise surprise – White-ramping Fumitory and Garden Nasturtium. But, what was super exciting was that I got to plant something! Because I shrieked with happiness at hearing that California Flannelbush was one of things we’d be planting today, she let me plant one! I’m not great at digging holes, it turns out. Angling my foot down on a shovel is not something I have a knack for. But, I made a big hole! I put the young Flannelbush shrub in it. And, I made a moat for it to keep the rain in from the upcoming storms. I can’t wait to visit it and check on it and whisper it secrets. It’s a special flora to me, as it’s one of the very earliest flora I IDed at the start of my Naturing endeavors. I even remember where I first saw it in GGPark, on Pelosi Drive near the tennis courts. Such a beauty.
Because of where I chose to pull weeds, I ended up being by myself the whole time. Not chatting with anyone. But, it was for the best. I’m not good at pulling weeds and needed to focus when I did that. Same for digging that hole for the Flannelbush. It all worked out fine.
After helping our leader pack up everything, the couple of us volunteers that stayed to help went our separate ways. I got to take in one last lovely view out to the bay. And, I quickly went over to where I’d seen the tiniest white (almost see-through) mushrooms that I put aside to look at later. The light was really going, so my phone didn’t take great pics. iNat’s best guess is Hemimycena. They kind of look like ghosts in my photos, which is pretty neato. I shall call them Ghost Mushroom until I find out for sure.
I’ll be back soon. Likely after the holidays. But, it’s starting to feel like another backyard of mine. I know it pretty well now. Yeah, it’s just an acre. But, it’s our acre.
The Afternoon Naturalist 
One of my favorites! I loved the mushroom characters peeking from logs or sitting in a corner, I loved that people think of you as the mushroom expert, and loved your joy at planting something that’ll become a part of the park. Thanks for the uplifting read!
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