#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream
Day Begins - Charles River View, October Mornng
A quite dramatic turn of events in the life cycle of my mushroom, Clitocybe Gibba, this morning. Day 6 of my observation, an ugly slug has slimed over the lip of my chalice and settled onto the pine needle pall.
Why is the slug here? Naively, at first, I assume it landed on my mushroom by accident - maybe it's just passing through? As I begin to explore, I realize the slug has traveled here for its own peculiar, specific biological reason. My once lush white ribbed goblet is rusting under the decaying needles, and the slug, searching for sustenance, has found a feast.
“Slugs play an important role in the ecosystem by eating decaying plant material and fungi. . . .
Some slugs are selective towards certain parts or developmental stages of the fungi they eat, though this is very variable. Depending on the species and other factors, slugs eat only fungi at specific stages of development. Moreover, in other cases, whole mushrooms can be eaten, without any selection or bias towards ontogenetic stages.”
Now I am grateful, for self-indulgence
yesterday's impulse, the cover lifted
a peek into whole, pure, untouched
my private glimpse, a prayer -
a slug of astonishment