We took advantage of a pause in the rain to go for a walk on the hills across the creek from us. They graze cattle there, and the land is severely affected by this--grazed to nubbins and pretty tired looking. But it's a good-sized plot, draped over some hilly terrain; intensely managed grazing for soil health would be very expensive and require a smaller herd and a long time before it made economic sense. There's also tradition to contend with: the cemetery next to us has several generations of the grazier's family resting in it. So, it's unlikely that things will change.
There are a few copses of oaks on the hills, and some lovely fungus-food lying on the ground. Most of what we saw was tough shelf fungus and turkey-tails. There was one large clump of oyster fungus that would have made us a nice dinner had we been there a few days earlier. And there are little cute gems like this, bursting out of the wood they've been digesting, adding a jolt of color to grey decay.
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