I traveled a little this week and found myself in Arkansas. I was able to get away after my classes and wandered around in the woods with my camera. Today I went to the Ledges here in Iowa and was able to do the same. I found my attention drawn to some of the mosses.
This one covered major portions of tree trunks in the woods of Arkansas. I am not sure we don’t have it here in Iowa, but I don’t remember seeing it here.
This one was also fairly common down there. It grew on the soft forest floor.
This was back here in Iowa.
Here it is up close.
Mosses have such a spectacular diversity of shapes and forms. I find them quite magical.
Perhaps you will find yourself sometime in a place with a soft mattress of green leaves and stalks with their capsules that stand several inches above the ground, as tall as small woodland wildflowers. I found this Polytrichum species in Wisconsin.
Lovely.
The roused bear 