Today we hiked Clifton Gorge, with its deep rushing river through very steep ancient cliffs.  Some young daredevils were illegally jumping in and swimming the dangerous rapids.  You can just make them out in a photo, way down below.

We hit the biggest motherlode of fungi and mushrooms ever.  The varieties and colors were incredible.  There were tiny pointy mushrooms that were a brilliant shade of scarlet, large turtle-shaped ones massed  in colonies, and amazingly vivid fungi shelves on trees.  There must have been over a dozen species.

There were old hollowed-out trees and caves in the towering rocks that rivaled any sculpture, and many brilliant wildflowers.  Down at the peaceful Blue Hole, groups of large soft-shell or leatherback turtles were basking, and fish were darting around.

After our hike, we adjourned to HQ for beer and iced tea, then to our ice cream place under the flowering vine arbor covered with bright trumpet flowers and hummers, and finally stopped by the little country cemetery to visit some of E’s family.

I’m posting this in two parts.  Here are all the fungi, and some dramatic rock and tree sculptures.