The back yard

I was picking up sticks around the yard the other day and found this cool-looking fungus under the evergreens. It's called Rounded Earthstar, and it's a member of the Puffball family. Wikipedia says, "It is considered inedible by mushroomers, because of its bitter taste. It is a common mushroom, but collections are at their peak during late summer."

The hummingbirds were late in coming this summer, but they are most entertaining. I haven't seen many of the males -- the ones with the ruby throats -- but the females are at my feeder almost continuously. When two show up together, they chitter at each other and chase each other.
I'm starting to see yellow leaves drop off the big walnut tree. Soon the walnuts will come crashing down onto the roof in the middle of the night, and I already saw a squirrel chewing away the tough green coating. Better him than me: the walnut produces a brown stain so indelible that a friend of mine uses it as hair dye.