Here is another challenge right up my alley. When I’m outside, it’s not unusual to find me crouched down to get a photo of some small bit of life passing by. As Jello and I were on our way to the beach yesterday, a striking woolly worm stopped me. Also known as a woolly bear, legend has it that this caterpillar is a predictor of upcoming winter weather.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, “the wider the rusty brown sections…the milder the coming winter will be. The more black there is, the more severe the winter.” Looks like we’re in for stormy weather in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA!

This may not look very ordinary to many of you, however along the beaches of the world, large colonies of pelagic goose barnacles attached to drifting wood end up on shore. If the tide rises enough to reclaim their floating home, they will survive, if not they perish. This particular colony, photographed 10/11/2021 had returned to the Pacific by the next day.

Not sure what particular flower made this lovely seed head, maybe dandelion or perhaps a relative. Regardless, this light seed soon to lift and dance in the wind, is a common sight in fields and meadows just about everywhere.

Mushrooms are abundant in the PNW from autumn through late spring, and year round where grounds are damp. Their visual contrast from the flora around them, always catches my eye. Rule number one in my “Mushrooming Without Fear” guide is, Never, never take a mushroom with gills!!! Even from this vantage, clearly this mushroom has gills and is best left untouched where it is. (Alexander Schwab)

Though dogs are very much an ordinary part of our lives, this is Jello – an extraordinary Beagle. I have featured her in several posts, and we spend much time together exploring the outdoors. Unfortunately, she has congestive heart failure which we are treating with medications to keep her as healthy and active as possible. It is a degenerative condition however, and there is no reversing it. So today, I end this post letting my followers know, as I face the reality she won’t be with me forever.

Wishing everyone safe travels. Please be kind and stay safe.🐾

A big thank you to I.J. Khanewala for hosting this challenge!