Like polished leather

I rather liked the polished leather look of these two mushrooms, photographed on 24th July at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park. Friend, Doug, says it looks like the mushroom season is over, for the gilled species, anyway. Polypores will be around for a while - but it's the gilled mushrooms that I love. We've only just begin our fungi photography for the season!!!! So, those of you over on the wet (I mean, West!) Coast, who get mushrooms for most of the year and then feel totally lost and deprived when you are without them for a very few, short weeks, come and move to Calgary and see what "depressing" really means, LOL! We have to wait almost a full year before we see mushrooms again : (

Just got home a short while ago (7:30 p.m.) after a long, long day out in the fresh air. We spent the first part of the day very happily exploring Jim Coutts' amazing homestead and gardens near Nanton (south of the city). We've been going once a year the last few years, thanks to Jim's generosity in allowing us to be there. My favourite part of Jim's gardens is the Poppy garden, to which I headed straight away. After lunch, we drove west through William's Coulee to a wonderful area of natural prairie grassland, to search for flower species. This included a walk on Howard Hornecker's property, too. Thanks so much, Jim and Howard - I hope you both know how much we all appreciate your kindness (and company)! Thank you, too, Laura, for very kindly being willing to drive us there and back! Found a few nice insects, too, which I will upload as soon as I can. And now I need to download almost 500 photos, recharge batteries and get myself all organized for a very early start tomorrow, for a day of birding (for a change - though I know I'll be looking for and photographing plants, inects, etc.). Come Sunday, I will be more than ready to totally collapse : ) Oh, and Dorothy, that Wanton soup was SO good, LOL!