Check up, check in, check out

What's been happening in the Oak Point preserve? I had to go do a quick survey on my odd day off. Everything changes in the blink of an eye or the sudden short thunderstorm. The Rowlett Trail is buzzing. That is partly due to the cicadas from the Twilight Zone. The catocala moths are still trying to discombobulate the big, lunky hiker by flying straight at her eyes. Trees are still falling in the forest where nobody hears, but soon the turtles will celebrate a new sunbathing spot. The amazing process of decomposition is as much a choreographed ballet as the emergence of spring flowers. I'm checking out field guides to lichen, fungi, and mushrooms. So much mycology, so little time. Have to go with slime molds and cicadas for dummies!

A show-off cicada today.

Beauty pageant sparkles on cicada

Flamboyant flamenco fungi

More moderate mushroom, the fruiting body of a fungi

Fish check out the fallen tree, but no turtles yet

Fallen tree's leaves are still green

Cicadas usually have vacancies

Double mint cicadas at Oak Point