#FungiFriday - What a way to start the year!

Good morning FungiFriends, and Happy New Year!🤗

Here is my contribution to #FungiFriday by @ewkaw :)

We all know that fungi are organisms that are virtually everywhere. Of course, not all of them are visible to the naked eye, as most of them are cellular in size and can only be observed using optical microscopes. From our skin to the damp walls of our homes, through forests and aerated soils, we are often surprised by their presence. And that's exactly what happened to me a few days ago.

This week, which ends today, I was on my way to the gym, taking the same route I take almost every day, when I was surprised by what I saw in my peripheral vision! How was it possible... I had passed right by that garden on the side of the road and hadn't noticed these three friends!

Perhaps, due to the considerable amount of rain that had fallen in the previous days, they were still sheltered under the “blankets” of dry leaves that had fallen from the treetops, but this morning, their magnificent hats were uncovered!

One of them was already somewhat deteriorated. I don't know if a dog had passed by and found it interesting to discover with its teeth what was emerging from the ground, or if it was due to natural degradation from having been exposed for some time.

And even though I hadn't seen them before, that doesn't mean they were smaller... Not at all! They were really big!

And what better way to start the year, don't you think? This is one of the communities where I would most like to share photos, but since I live in an urban area, I don't always have the opportunity to go hiking as often as I would like, which greatly reduces the likelihood of seeing them. But as you've seen here... It's always possible, because our friends are everywhere!

An excellent 2026 to all of you!🍄

Bem Hajam🍀🍄

^{Photographic edition with PhotoScape X
Photocollage made with Canva
Photographed with Samsung A26 by @xrayman in 2025, 29 December
Original text written by me in Portuguese and translated with DeepL.com (free version)}