Tongue and saddle

I almost passed these mushrooms without seeing them, though they were at eye level beside me on the hillside. It was dark under the evergreens at Nymph Falls, darker still that afternoon under heavy grey clouds, a few minutes before sundown. And the mushrooms were black. Good thing I was walking slowly.

About 5 cm. tall. One of the Earth Tongues, the Geoglossaceae family. 

Western Black Elfin Saddle, Helvella vespertina

Seen from the other side. The leaves are salal.

(Today we'll get 8 hours, 5 minutes of daylight. Dull, grey, wet daylight. Only a few days until the Solstice turnaround.)

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 Estos honguitos casi no los vi, aunque estaban al nivel de mis ojos en el declive. En el bosque al lado del rio, abetos de Douglas y cedros, no penetra mucha luz, menos en esa tarde oscura, bajo nubes densas, unos pocos minutos antes de la puesta del sol. Y los hongos son negros. Por suerte, caminaba muy despacito. Y la cámara tiene flash.

1. "Lengua de tierra", hongo de la familia Geoglossaceae.
2. Helvella vespertina. En inglés se llama Silla de duende.
3. El mismo hongo, visto del lado opuesto.

(Y hoy nos tocan 8 horas con 5 minutos de luz. Pero es luz tenue, gris. Sigue lloviendo. Faltan 6 dias antes del solsticio.)

Pink dusk

The sun has gone down behind the trees, but the light remains.

Canada geese and diving ducks, 9:31, looking northeast from Tyee Spit.

And from the far side of the spit, looking southwest.9:34.

Sunset was at 9:30.

Another Skywatch post.