Here are a few young white birch trees prostrating to winter’s first thick coat of snow in my area. I suspect most these trees will straighten up once again, though it will be close to the summer solstice before this will occur
A few miles down the road and closer to the Bay of Fundy coast there appears to be no snow here yet, though the temps are cold enough and at the base of an elm tree stump one of winter’s only fresh fruiting mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) also known as Velvet Foot. This mushroom often appears anytime the temperature rises above the freezing mark for a few days. Wishing you all much hardiness.
1left 
Snow! Ha! How incredible, otherworldly! Seasons Greetings, J
This first coating is just the tip of the iceberg J, usually Jan & Feb will provide a nice accumulating blanket of the white stuff for at least a few creatures and plants to cozily rest under. ciao
Wishing you many Blessings 1Left….
Take Care….
You Matter….
)0(
Blessed Be
maryrose
I am going to keep an eye out for these guys now! Thanks!!
Hi Cara, You may already be familiar with this mushroom under the commercially grown name of (Enoki) though it certainly looks different in the wild. Although I haven’t ran into any look alike mushrooms while collecting (Flammulina velutipes) most good wild mushroom books recommend a spore print be taken to ensure the (spores are white) as there is a (brown spored) dangerous one out there in the fall.
Wild Flammulina velutipes are best dried and powdered and used as a spice, you’ll probably find they are most common on elm trunks or on the base of the tree along rivers. In Europe they do find them on oak as well.
ciao