This is another installment of interesting natural phenomena here in Gnomeville.
I just took some digital pictures for my dad to send off to a naturalist down the road. They were of the Texas Star, or Devil’s Cigar – one of the world’s rarest fungi (Chorioactis geaster) – found only in Texas and Japan! An article on the fungus appeared in the San Antonio paper this week. My dad recognized the creature as what he had in his back yard. So he contacted the writer to let him know that we have it here in Gnomeville. I took the the first photos of record in Gnome County and this documentation will be published! It is all pretty cool.
This is a fully opened and “exploded” star.
Another star opening:
That brown lump in the middle of the picture is a “cigar” emerging from the leaf litter.
One of the other interesting things about this fungus is that it makes an audible hiss when it releases its spores. Since there are several “babies” emerging in the yard, I might just go out and check periodically to see if I can catch it just as it explodes.
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This is very cool
to have such rare treasure in your backyard. Wow! 
Don’t be digging any of them up. I notice the Japan linkie said that the spores hitchhiked from Japan to Central Texas in a dust cloud. Hmmm. Maybe it was the other way around!
Good night bumz. I am exhausted and sore. But grateful for the love and community I have. Very grateful.
Bless ya Betsy and many loves and thanks for what you do for others, and all us Bumz, here.
Love ya, for what ya do.
Gnome, is this stuff poisonous?
Or edible with butter and garlic, chives, sea salt and fresh ground pepper?
@ larue:
Dude, is there anything you wouldn’t consider slathering in garlic and butter and serving up for dinner?
The Patsies might win, they might not. What remains is the fact that they are not the juggernaut they were a few years ago. Brady is tentative, just look at his numbers compared to before the injury. It’s natural, when you lose a year of your career like that, being careful when you come back is human. Also a fact, Bellichick is a cheater. Rationalize it any way you like, it’s still cheating. He got caught red-handed, plain and simple. The Saints are going to have to figure out how not to play down to the level of their competition, and get a few guys healthy. Still, I like their chances. We shall see, won’t we?
That cold front that went through Gnome’s place arrived here this morning
It’s in the mid-40’s out this morning, but clear and sunny. Have a great day, y’all!
@ madmommy:
You do realize exactly what that cheating consisted of, don’t you?
Filming the other bench from his own bench. Not from the stands or the endzone or anyplace the camera could see something different. Filming what every player on that bench could see. There are cameras all over the stadium so they can do their video reviews. Those cameras are careful not to film the opposing bench, because they might be able to read those lips so carefully hidden. Not that that would do all that much good, since most teams change what their signals mean every game. He got personally fined a cool half mil for it.
OK, off to do my 2nd morning errand.
Good morning bumz.
Morning all! I didn’t get up quite as early as I would like. I had
and read the paper in bed with a few pups, now I am trying to type with a purring body (Theodore) draped over one arm.
I don’t know about these things being edible. I wouldn’t try it, but then I’ve only eaten mushrooms gathered from the wild once – at my brother’s after a hunter asked permission to harvest a huge Hen of the Woods from one of his trees and split it with us.
It didn’t get cold enough in the house for the heat to come on last night. The official reading was 40 degrees. With the sun shining brightly it is already up to 51. I really ought to get ready and go orchid farming, but I am obviously dragging my feet. Some days I have an approach-avoidance problem.
Gnome, your military post is set to pop at 10. I need to pop into a shower and get ready for work.
@ Texas Betsy:
I need to get 
I’ll check in in a few hours. 
Pellora edited it and added photographs, so she can be here to mod while I am out.