Today begins March Moss Madness. Better get used to it. After months of winter anything green and growing is going to catch and keep my attention until something better comes along. So here are today’s moss photographs.

This moss is a lot like me in a way. I can’t wait to get out from under the snow either.

The stone wall is only beginning to emerge from under the snow. It appears the moss goes into it’s reproductive mode as soon as the snow melts from it. Here some spore capsules that caught some water droplets.

I couldn’t resist turning this photograph into my new desktop background. I think it’s one of the cooler photos I’ve taken.

click image for a closer look or to use as desktop wallpaper – 1024 x 768
If you want a different size you’ll have to ask.

After countless tries I did manage to get a focus on this droplet. The photo isn’t anything special but after so many tries I just had to post the water droplet.

How do I make my dog obey the STAY command?
By placing her head between two boulders.

POOR POOKIE

Green at last. It’s not much but after a constant blanket of white covering everything it certainly is a welcome sight at this time of year. Having cabin fever helps but it’s not necessary in order to appreciate the sight. How can you not like this mini moss garden on a rock?

Pixie cups reveal that lichen is growing hidden among the moss.

This is cropped section of the first photo and linked to a larger size (1024 x 768) for a closer view or to use as desktop wallpaper.

Now here was a real surprise. Hard to believe some moss is already producing those fruiting whatchamacallits.

Seeing snow and moss spore pods at the same time is a new one for me. Not the best shot but at least it’s proof that i seen them.

linked to a larger size (1024 x 768) for a closer view or to use as desktop wallpaper.

Looking at a Corydalis you might not guess it’s a member of the Poppy Family. They have a much stronger resemblance to their Bleeding Heart Sub-family. Corydalis differ in their lifestyles though. These small plants are generally biannual and they prefer rocky inhospitable places to call home instead of the rich well drained woodland soils of their wild cousins, Dutchman’s Breeches and Squirrel Corn.

Corydalis sempervirens

Note the long slender seed pods

According to my wildflower field guides there are supposed to be 6 or 7 different species of Corydalis in my area. All but the Pale Corydalis are yellow. I haven’t yet seen a one of the yellow but often come across the pink with yellow tipped one while rock hunting. The corydalis in these photos are located in a quarry and it’s hard to believe they actually survived in the rock rubble. I have collected Pale Corydalis seed years ago and the plants are still present in the area of my old gardens. Given better growing conditions they will thrive if competition from other plants is kept to a minimum.

The flower structure is similar to bleeding hearts, Dutchman’s Breeches and Squirrel Corn but you won’t mistake them for any of their relatives.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

A couple of images that can be used as desktop wallpaper:

I came across a patch of moss in a wet meadow while identifying a wildflower for the quarry owner. Turns out his mystery plant was nothing more than raspberries that were mowed late last year. But on the way to the field we spotted a pink Lady Slipper (alas my photos came out blurry) but I did manage to get some decent shots of the moss spore pods.

I won’t try to identify them but a half educated guess would be they are a Hair Cap Moss of some sort. A Polytrichum of some sort?

They kind of remind me of visitors waiting for me to reply to ther comments. Sooner or later their heads will explode. I’m sorry but I’m fighting the compulsion to stay away from the computer during the growing/work season. It’s really tough for me to sit in front of this box while the weather is nice. I do miss responding to comments and visiting other blogs (especially of those who are nice enough to leave a comment) – it gets addictive and I can’t risk getting caught up in the habit while there is so much ‘work’ to be done. I’m on a roll and once I burn out wrestling rock and planting gardens I should be back when the dog days of summer force me to ease up. I admit I can’t take the heat.

Until then I’m still going to ‘force’ myself to post (I’m trying to record the wild stuff as I find it) but I wouldn’t wait till your head explodes expecting me to be ‘interactive’.