Craig Tooley found these Oyster Mushrooms growing on a dead tree near his Sea Ranch home.

Their role in Nature is to decompose dead wood. Many of us enjoy eating these delicious mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms are grown commercially now. In David Arora's excellent pocket guide, "All That the Rain Promises and More," he points out that their growth is shelf-like. Banana Slugs love these mushrooms too!

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

It's storming here today! I'll report rain totals tomorrow. The Pacific Ocean is very loud, with huge, crashing waves. And the King Tides arrive Friday through Sunday. Lots to marvel at!