Mutant Smurfs?

Sparky hadn't been out for a few
days, and the first thing he did
was have a nice roll in the grass
before we started our hike.

Last Friday was a beautiful day. Sparky and I got out for the last hike for the month of August, a hike that put me over 115 miles for the month. The weekend turned hot and humid, back to summer. I finished mowing the pasture and did a round of weed spraying on Sunday but we didn't walk.  We had some rain again Sunday night, making for a very humid Monday. Maya and I went out Monday evening because she was pestering me about it all day, but we only got in four miles before dark, which comes much earlier these days. Here's a few random pictures.

I don't know what this is, but it grows en mass
in open areas with a good sun. Very pretty.

I saw one of these laying on the trail, then
looked up and realized it was the fruit of
a Paw Paw tree, unless they call them
something different around here.

Pretty, but I don't know what it is.

Nearby I spotted these bright
red mushrooms; they became a
lighter orange as they opened up
and flattened out.

The rain has brought forth a crop of late
summer mushrooms. This was part of a fairy
ring in our pasture under an ash tree.
I avoided mowing them because you don't
want to piss off the fairies.

I had never seen red mushrooms so I
have to assume that I had stumbled on
some sort of mutant Smurf Village.
(I didn't mow them off either.)

Field at Pleasant Grove near the pole barn on Monday evening's walk with Maya.

Maya and Trooper on Playstation K9