Free Falling

I returned from California at the beginning of November just in time to catch fall in full swing here in Italy!  Mushrooms aren't necessarily found solely in the fall, but it seems to be a prolific time for them given the right conditions. 

 

All around our house, the ground was blanketed in leaves.  It was magical to watch them raining down from the trees whenever there was even the slightest breeze.

Now back to the mushrooms!  Sometimes there are the 'same old, same old' mushrooms each year and sometimes there are varieties I have never seen before.  In either case, they always manage to delight me with their shapes and colors and textures.

 I mean, how amazing is this color!??  It's absolutely electric!

This mushroom is one of my favorites!  They grow on giant old chestnut tree stumps.  Don't they look like velvet!?

Now here's a surprise, with all the fall signs in the air and leaves falling everywhere around us there were still flowers managing to bloom!  We're halfway through fall, winter is still ahead of us, but I can't seem to help being anxious for Spring.