Neighborhood Odds 'n Ends

Doing some yard clean-up, making way for tulips and other domesticated plants, but always looking out for wild critters.  The Carabid Beetle (family Carabidae) is a fast-moving predator, and I was lucky to get a fairly focused shot before it disappeared into the leaf mold by the log I rolled over.  I have a few strategically placed short pieces of 2x4 where I can count on various invertebrates adopting them as hiding places.  Today I found the usual complement of slugs and isopods.  The lilac bush in the front yard is in full bud.  Lots of schools across the country use the date of "bud burst" of the lilacs as an indicator of the beginning of spring.  To me, the unopened buds are just as pretty as the flowers of this versatile member of the olive family.  The last photo here I called "under log potpourri."  Indication that these were growing under a log would be the curvature of the stems of the fungi.  Very tiny - notice the male catkin of a pine tree for scale.  Rounding out this collection are some fir needles and water drops caught in a spider web.  Tomorrow this blog will probably return to themes with bright colors as I'm going to Table Mountain.  Stay tuned....