Voyage of Discovery

Bigger brackets.

Last week I was tipped off by a friend about this gorgeous bracket fungus growing on an Oak along a footpath at the other side of my village. 26 years of living here and I never knew that footpath existed! The entrance just looks like the entrance to farmland, and though there has been a sign at some point, it's a decaying small finger sign, illegible and virtually hidden by the hedge.
Today the weather turned out gorgeous, so I decided to find the fungus. What a revelation! I soon found myself following a grass vehicle access track with an ancient hedge to my left, and a small field of cattle to my right. When I went over to the fence one youngster came right up to investigate me and I had to take this shot of his face - I'd have been quite happy with this as a blip! lol
Another one posed nicely for a side shot.

As I walked there were numerous insects and a couple of Red Admirals fluttered about. On a Briar rose stem I spotted this rose gall. I'd have been happy to blip this shot too .....

Next came an area with woodland to my right (unfortunately fenced off well with barbed wire, damnation!) and overhanging trees to my left of which 4 were Oaks, and on the front of the first one I found my prize. So I had the blip I'd wanted.

A short distance further and the track emerged into open farmland,with a long upward incline which I followed to the top. On from there was a small wood to the left. It was unfenced, and I thought 'Well, if there's no fence I must explore!', lol - so I did .....
Once emerged from the wood I so much wanted to just keep walking and walking, keep exploring - I was like a kid in a toyshop! But knew I had to get home as it was late afternoon. So I had to be strict with myself and turn round, grrrrr.
As I headed back toward the top of the incline I stopped to look at the wonderful rolling Norfolk fields and big sky, and remembered just why I love this county. How could I not love this sight or this one or this gorgeous panorama of rolling fields broken up by hedges and patches of woodland?

Looking for that fungus had turned into a voyage of discovery ....

If the weather's this nice next weekend I may well leave much earlier and just keep following that footpath as far as I can. I suspect I'll be walking there many times in the future