Elf Cups

I've always called these Scarlet Elf Cups, but in reality they could just as equally be Ruby Elf Cups, without a microscope there is no definitive way to tell. At a magnification of 300x there is a clear distinction between the spore shapes and the nature of the hairs that cover the outside (straight vs curled) - and that's enough to separate the species. Whichever they are they were a miniscule moment of natural beauty on a cold damp grey day.

Lunch with M in Kirkby Lonsdale, it had been far too long and as ever lots of laughter was involved, as well as some hopeful plans for adventures later in the year.