Also known as Hoof Conks, Fomes fomentarius is a polypore fungus that lives up to its name…or got its name because it can hold a burning coal inside the pores on the underside for hours and be used to start a fire. It has started fires for thousands of years and was found in a pouch carried by the 5000 year old “Ice Man” discovered in 1991 in the Alps. As I don’t forage for food, I guess I don’t forage for a fire starter either, at least not a living mushroom.
That is Amethyst Brook below, which will show up in tomorrow’s blog.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
These are a non-ice counterpart to your hangers-on:
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Somewhere else, maybe FB, someone suggested hooves. They would make a nice pairing.
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Interesting factoid of a useful tool of paleo cultures. We may need such again one day!
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Even without a possible apocalypse, knowing these might be good for maintaining a fire could come in handy. I’d prefer camping to the end of the world. 🙂
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I have seen (and admired) them, but had no idea about their human use. I learned something new today, thanks to you. 🙂
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It’s amazing what’s out there that our forebears relied upon for their survival. We’ve become soft over the centuries. 🙂
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Me too~that is so cool! And I love the photo, with the water just suggested there below.
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Thanks, Melissa.
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That is really interesting.
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I am glad you found it so. Thanks!
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What an excellent photograph, with the subdued colors and nice textures. The conks really draw the eye. And again, I enjoyed the narrative.
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I noticed the conks on the way in to the waterfall but decided to wait until on the way out. Then I almost forgot them. 😮 Thanks!
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Interesting and lovely capture of this group with all those lines and colors.
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Thanks, Ellen. They don’t look like much at first glance but begin to appeal when seen closer.
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I really had to begin at ground zero with this one. The very phrase “tinder conk” just didn’t make sense to me, partly because I’ve never come across ‘conk’ as anything other than a verb, and I was imagining Neanderthal’s conking one another with mushrooms!
Now, I have all that sorted out. They do look like hooves, and in fact when I went to the Wiki to read more about this species, they mentioned the resemblance. The colors are great. The best part is that I think a mysterious ‘something’ I found in the woods is a polypore. It was big, and obviously old, and growing straight out from the trunk of a tree, like a shelf. I’d never seen anything like it. Thanks to you, I have a place to start in identifying it.
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Yes, they are also called shelf fungi. Maybe I’ve helped you become a mushroom fan. They are fantastic photography subjects. They don’t move and unless found on a tree don’t even tremble in the wind. Wel, there are some whose stalks are spindly and would tremble but most don’t and are ideal models. 🙂
I love the visual of the Neanderthals. Your saying that reminded me of this Python skit.
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Thanks for great image and information on it Steve, now I’m a little wiser. And maybe they are not the work of a disgruntled pixie😁
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Thanks, Annie. I am glad there was something useful here besides a nice picture.
Maybe not, but I’d like to see what a pixie might do if gruntled by being dissed. 🙂
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Maybe I’ll do a selfie😁
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Who would diss you? 🙂 I bet you are quite the pixie. 🙂
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😀👍
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That puts a whole new spin on the idea of hot pockets.
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My idea of hot pockets is where I keep my “Hot Hands” sometimes.
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