Fungus Fest

The mundane task of yardwork has yielded beautiful surprises on many occassions over the years. Though I'd seen this giant piece of fungus growing off the side of a tree for the past few weeks, I hadn't paid much attention to it until today when I decided it was high time to remove it. To my surprise, it was not soft and spongy like mushrooms as it looked like a mushroom on steroids. Rather, it was tough and practically woody. I wouldn't want to eat this! Instead, my eyes had a delicous feast exploring its textures, colors and inhabitants. (Click on the image for a larger view and to spot the "host" at home.)