Cyanide Gas or Sweet Perfume?

My best guess is it's a Brachoria enodicuma

Hidden beneath the leafy forest floor are hundreds of insects of all shapes and sizes. The pitter patter of hundreds of feet can sometimes be heard on the dry leaves if you pay close attention. However, on this morning it wasn't the scurrying of ants or the bustling of beetles that caught my attention. Feeling its way slowly over obstacles, due to being basically blind, was a black and salmon-colored millipede.

This particular millipede is typically found in the Appalachian mixed deciduous forest and it feeds on decaying leaves and other dead plant matter. When attacked, it secretes a cyanide gas that gives off a kind of an almond-like smell. If you shake this millipede gently in your hands (they don't bite), then sniff it, you will be able to detect the faint almond-like odor. This "gas" is not harmful to humans, though it may irritate the skin of some people, so be sure to wash your hands after handling it. The secretion is, however, bitter and toxic to small animals.

When life "shakes us up," do we exude a toxic atmosphere like this millipede or are we so filled with Christ that as a flower or herb of the field when stepped on, we give off the sweet aroma of heaven?

Spring Gentian

"Every soul is surrounded by an atmosphere of its own, - an atmosphere, it may be, charged with the life-giving power of faith, courage, and hope, and sweet with the fragrance of love. Or it may be heavy and chill with the gloom of discontent and selfishness, or poisonous with the deadly taint of cherished sin. By the atmosphere surrounding us, every person with whom we come in contact is consciously or unconsciously affected." 

~ Christ's Object Lessons p.339

A Hidden Kingdom

I am in no way a fungi expert, but after walking through my yard and finding a variety of mushrooms (a type of fungus), I decided to spend a few minutes educating myself. The first thing I learned was that all mushrooms are fungi, but not all fungi are mushrooms. Mushrooms are part of the kingdom Fungi which also includes yeasts, molds, mildews, rusts, smuts, and toadstools.

 I also learned that a mushroom (the part of the fungus that we see) is only the "fruit" of the organism. The living body of the fungus is made up of tiny threads called hyphae that spread out in all directions beneath the surface. That means that most of the fungus is out of sight, hidden underground or beneath whatever it is growing on (moldy bread, rotting fruit, decomposing log...). Now I understand why I was told to throw out the whole loaf of bread if I found a few pieces with mold on them... I saw the visible part of the mold, not the fungus spreading its tiny threads throughout the rest of the bread. Gross!!

Sarcoscypha occidentalis (Stalked scarlet cup)

 Having said that, there are some benefits to certain fungi in our environment:
- They break down debris and make nutrients more accessible to plant life
- They help decompose organic matter
- They provide numerous drugs (such as penicillin)
- They provide food for humans and animals
- They are essential in making bread rise
- They help in the making of certain types of cheeses, wines, and soy sauce

 And of course, there are some detriments as well:
- They can cause diseases in animals and humans (yes, athlete's foot is a fungus)
- They can damage plants
- They can damage stored grains, fruit and vegetables
- They can be poisonous and kill

most likely of the Lepiota family

Thinking about fungi reminded me of some of the Levitical laws concerning mildews and molds (both of which are types of fungi). The Bible mentions strict regulations about what to do with moldy clothing or mold in a house. The people were to completely destroy that which had been contaminated with persistent mold or mildew (Leviticus 13-14). Knowing now that fungus spreads beneath the surface, I can better understand why merely wiping away the spot or cutting out a small area would not get rid of the mold. Is that not the same way with sin? Sin is like a fungus that can spread beneath the surface and cause much destruction, sickness, and even death.

Cyathus striatus (Bird's nest fungus)

But there is blessed hope: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to FORGIVE us our sins and to CLEANSE us from ALL unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). God can help us eradicate the fungus of sin in our lives!

A morel (just before I ate it)

A beaten up mushroom next to... poison ivy

Almost looks like an acorn top :)

PS. if anyone can positively identify any of these mushrooms, I would love to learn the names of each.

Raising a family... the bird way

After coming back from our trip, we began the process of doing laundry and settling back into our normal routine. It didn't take us long to realize though that something was not normal with the drier... it wouldn't dry! We quickly came to the conclusion that maybe something was blocking the vent and so I brought the ladder out, climbed up to the outside vent hole (which had lost its cover) and peered inside. Sure enough, the tubing was packed with a nest.

The nest was at least 1 1/2 feet deep into the tubing, so I had to fashion a hook out of a wire to start the process of dismantling the nest. With the first pull, I caught a huge chunk of grass, twigs, and ... a snakeskin!!! All of a sudden, I thought I heard a squeak from inside the tubing. I stopped what I was doing and called for a flashlight. There, at the end of the beam of light, were 3 or 4 helpless baby birds. So I guess drying laundry in the drier is just going to have to wait.

One of the baby birds sleeping - they are growing so fast!

Over the next few days I had the opportunity to watch the Great Crested Flycatcher parents fly back and forth in a continuous effort to feed the hungry little ones. They were suspicious of anyone around the nest (even though I was actually on the porch) and would fly from one tree to another, peering at me, giving a loud "whee-eep" call, then flying to another tree... just to be sure I wasn't a threat. Both parents brought various insects ranging from flies and caterpillars, to spiders and dragonflies. I'm amazed the babies can open their mouths wide enough for some of those insects. During one period of observation, I calculated that on average every 4-5 minutes one of the parents came with food for the babies. Can you imagine? All day long, the parents go back and forth and back and forth...dedicating their time and energy to raising their babies.

After multiple failed attempts, I finally caught him flying out

They take their time coming, but it only takes a split second to leave

Great Crested Flycatchers are treetop hunters. They do not hop or walk but prefer to fly from place to place, catching a variety of insects, though they do eat small fruit as well (such as our succulent blueberries). They prefer to nest in deep cavities like abandoned woodpecker holes, though in this case, they decided our vent would do just as well. They usually fill the cavity with all kinds of things, then form a nest 'cup' on top and line it with soft materials like hair, feathers, and fur. They are also known to frequently use snakeskins to line the nest, as I discovered. 

Peering around to make sure it's safe to fly to the nest

The crest on his head is up in alarm

Diving off a branch on the final descent to the nest

Bringing a juicy green caterpillar

No, those are not whiskers...

... they are spider legs!!

"God gives every bird his worm, but He does not throw it into the nest." ~ P.D. James

The Stare Down

As I was walking around the yard getting reacquainted with everything after my month of absence, I spotted a chipmunk. It darted under some old, roofing material and disappeared. I decided to sit down about four feet from where he disappeared and wait to see if he would reappear. I didn't have to wait long. Soon a little furry nose poked out and out peeked the chipmunk. His black beady eyes glanced around and immediately he saw me. He froze... I froze... and so began the stare down.

Minutes ticked by... and still the chipmunk remained perfectly motionless. A fly buzzed by, an ant crawled across my hand, my nose itched, I was sure a spider was crawling up my pant leg, but I too remained motionless, determined to out stare him. How long would this go on? Who would break the gaze first? Tufted titmice were bathing in the creek below then flying up to a branch nearby and fluffing out their feathers and preening. A Blue jay screamed from a nearby tree. A Carolina chickadee hopped from branch to branch.... and still we stared at each other.

My foot was starting to go to sleep and it was becoming much harder for me to remain still. And you know how when you are not supposed to move, everything starts itching... well, I felt like I had an itch on my arm, in my hair, on my nose... Though it felt like forever, I think only 10 minutes had passed. Finally, an other Blue jay landed just above the chipmunk and it was almost like the chipmunk was startled out of its daze. It perked up, raised itself up a bit, and let out a sharp whistle. After uttering 4-5 loud whistles, the chipmunk chattered to itself a while longer with what almost sounded like squeaky hiccups. Falling silent once again, the chipmunk stared at me for maybe another minute or two, then decided he had had enough and quietly turned and disappeared.

In those few minutes I learned a little more about what it means to focus. The chipmunk was focused on me despite outward distractions. I attempted to remain focused as well by choosing to ignore noises, birds, itching... Should I not focus on God with as much, if not more, intensity?  How many times do I let outward distractions turn my gaze away from God or disrupt my devotional time? I'm thankful that the stare down was a gentle reminder to me that I have to make a conscious choice to stay focused on God.