pennyje's Journal

On Sunday, my friend and I went on a walk at the Houghton Garden, about a five-minute walk from Boston College's upper campus. It was a beautiful day for a walk - the weather reflective of the beginning of fall. We arrived around 3:30 pm and walked until around 4:15 pm. At first, it was hard to find any fungi. We really had to slow ourselves down and consider our surroundings steadily and thoughtfully. Once we did this, it was like they suddenly began revealing themselves to us. We noticed a wide variety of fungal species, not just limited to mushrooms. We noticed the lichen on the trees and rocks, and what looked like fungal growth causing slight decay on the base of a tree. The experience that opened my mind to look beyond and even below what would typically jump out on me.

This weekend I went back home to Long Island. On Monday the weather was particularly nice, so my mom and I decided to go on a walk to see the leaves begin to change color and along the way, we saw diverse plantlife. We went to a wooded area near my house commonly known as Shu Swamp. I used to go there a lot when I was younger, so it was a nostalgic experience. Though a fair amount of the plants have begun dying, it's interesting to see the plants that are still thriving (as many of my photographs demonstrate). It was a really nice experience.