My neighbor called me on the phone and asked me to come out to the fence between our properties. Said he had something for me to shoot... He handed me this and I looked at with wide-eyed wonder and questions began forming in my mind. What the heck is it?!! I had NEVER seen anything like it! It was smooth and firm to the touch. Was NOT hairy, sticky or slimy. It was NOT animal, vegetable or mineral so it must be fungi! Sure enough after some internet searches and chatting with the experts, it is a variety of BLACK EARTH TONGUE - genus of Geoglossum. To actually pin it down to a specific variety would mean putting it under a microscope and that I do NOT have. A few more pics of it to come. More info on this unusual fungi here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoglossum
@tosee Thank you very much, Tom!
@dutchothotmailcom LOL! Always exciting and I do enjoy researching new things. =)
@ludwigsdiana He's a nice man!
@wakelys Thanks, Susan! He's retired US Army - very alert and very smart - watches for the strange and unusual on every level.