Jamboree on the trail - a stroll through a local forest

Every year - on the second weekend in May is the Jamboree on the Trail.  It's a thing that started in Canada and took off worldwide.
Basic idea is to get the youth back out into nature after the Canadian winter.  Of course down under - it is a different story - we head towards winter - but not to be outdone we participated in this event.

One lonely venturer, the lovely wife and myself strolled 10km through the local forest - a park often used for mountain bike riding and night orienteering.
Anyhow = we went for a stroll in the timber-land and yeah - found some interesting sights.

We started counting these magic fungi - but stopped when after a few hundred meters we got to over 100.  Smart cookie then extrapolated the figure it would be for the full 11km of the walk.  The amazing thing was that you would think that all would be the same - but not so - the white dot's on the top varied from fully covered to - well - one we saw that had NONE as well as  the red colour changed from a full maroon to a yellowish lukewarm semi brown afternoon cup of tea colour.
Then there were some very slimy looking brown fungus and some interesting white offshoots that could have and probably were fungus of some kind - but hey - you know the rules - unless you are 130% sure you are safe to eat them - leave them alone!!

Then  we saw a most amazing sight - some REALL magic bit. Both - the blind venturer and wife missed it - but I was glad I did not. This particular pine needle just hung in mid air - suspended so it seemed.  Now I know what you are thinking - yeah right - it was indeed attached to a (most likely) a spider thread - but here is the thing, it was so fine - you could not SEE it - no matter which angle you looked from and also - you could move the needle around - but when doing so - you could not FEEL the thread at all. Most amazing!  We did move the thing around gently and never ever felt the thread, or broke it.  We left it hanging there . . .








I swear - scouts honor - we moved this perfectly still needle in the air!!  Later we did find another one - at least there you could see a teeny weeny silver type thread . . . . . . .

This little one was somewhat unusual in the sense that all the others simply grew through the pine needles on the floor - this one however built his own outdoor emergency bivouac.  It clean lifted all of the floor leaving just the stony soil bare underneath.  Something for the scouts to learn perhaps????

Towards the end of the walk - you walk alongside the local golf-course and hehehe they were into their swing.  Occasional you would hear a very distinguished 'Twaack', and (as a former player myself) would duck my head for cover.  However I liked this place for the tunnel type foliage ahead and the "light at the end of the tunnel" look.  S'pose I should crop this image . . . . ..

Another common sight - what must be professional walkers - eg Dog walkers.  Guess we could have brought Max along - but not sure if Mamabear would have approved of me engaging the urm ladies for a chat. But a great way of getting to know the local population . .   ^^
You will be pleased to know that no urm - buttsniffing - took place - we acted civilized all the way

Well that was JOTT 2013 - now for next year and the 2nd of the 5 badges you can earn, wohoooo