This mushroom was growing on a dead tree in my daughter’s yard. The scientific name is Sarcodontia crocea. Sarco means “flesh.” dontia means “teeth.” crocea means “yellow.” 
Fungus Schmungus #2
I found this mushroom while walking the dog. It was growing where there had previously been a tree stump and looked like a pepperoni pizza. The scientific name of this mushroom is Ganoderma sessile. Ganoderma means “shining skin.” The Ganoderma family are edible. Other Ganoderma species called “reishi” mushrooms are said to have healing properties and have been used in traditional Eastern medicine for many years.
Hedge Balls, The Magical Fruit
As I was recently driving north on Highway 65 in northern Missouri, I saw numerous hedge ball trees full of the strange yellow fruit. My grandmother used to put hedge balls in her basement to get rid of crickets and spiders. The weird fruits are also known as Osage oranges, hedge apples, and monkey brains. The scientific name of the tree is Maclura pomifera, and it is the only living species of the Maclura genus.
The thorny trees were used as fencing along the edges of farms before barbed wire was invented.
Hedge balls apparently are not very good at repelling insects. My own observation is that they do have a smell much like a citronella candle which is used as an insect repellent. It would be a good science experiment for a kid to recheck the Iowa State University results. https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2014/10-24/hedgeapple.html
The wood of the trees is strong and burns well. It was once used by the Osage Native Americans to make bows.
The fruit is nonpoisonous but has a bitter flavor and few animals will eat it although some of the fruits appeared to have been partially eaten. The hedge ball contains a white, thick juice that gives some people a rash. The seeds can be toasted and eaten. Here is a Youtube video of kids tasting the seeds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UoPIizdWto
The hedge ball is rumored to have some healing properties. https://www.npr.org/2015/12/09/459099506/iowa-chemist-turns-inedible-hedge-balls-into-valuable-cash-crop
Wolf Spider with Egg Sac
I saw this wolf spider in the driveway, carrying her egg sac to protect her spider babies until they hatch. After the eggs hatch, she will carry the baby spiders on her back until they can fend for themselves. There is a nice blogpost about wolf spiders at https://animals.howstuffworks.com/arachnids/dont-be-afraid-big-bad-wolf-spider.htm
Miniature Petrified Barn
This tiny barn is made of petrified wood and is on display at the Petrified Wood Museum.
Llewellyn Spaniel
I met this guy at Hobby Lobby. I realized I had never seen this breed of dog before.
Fall Officially Here
I walked the dog this morning and all the trees in the park were dropping leaves at a constant, steady rate. Never seen leaves fall like this before.
Latte Art
This latte art was created by Kevin at Barista’s Daily Grind in Kearney, Nebraska. It would be fun to create a similar type of art for hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate/caramel/strawberry syrup.
Newfoundland Dogs
These two beautiful dogs waited outside patiently for their master at a coffee shop in Keystone Ski Village, Colorado.
Petrified Turtles
Photo taken at the Petrified Wood Museum in Ogallala Nebraska.
Shelley Jones Clark
