Fuzzy Creatures

Last weekend at Mount Pisgah, Ben and I found what looked like a large, furry orange and black ant. Turns out it was a velvet ant or "cow-killer," a solitary wasp with an extremely painful sting. Glad I didn't touch it!
Yesterday, the theme of fuzziness continued when we found the following on Lower Dan's Trail at McDonald Forest:

Their name is appropriate: cat's ears. Lower Dan's Trail (five miles, moderate according to my "Corvallis Trails" book) was incredibly beautiful. I think I may have found the perfect place to bring my mountain bike, or at least return for the occasional hike. We found tons of blue flowers, too:

I'm not sure what they are; I still need to pick up a wildflower guide. I also found a big pile of oyster mushrooms on a log, but when I grabbed one it had been slimed by a banana slug! I am starting to see the hazards of banana slugs...
Tonight, it's back to work for both of us, which is kind of ironic since it's Friday night and everyone around here is celebrating OSU getting out.