My eye was caught by some lichen growing on the wooden top of some wind chimes . . . and I went forth in search of more.
They seem to love rocks and wood.
What are these things anyway? I probably once knew but I went to Mr. Google to refresh my memory.
Well, there's a lot to know. Lichen is a symbiotic between a fungus and either an alga or a cyanobacterium (a type of bacteria.) And there are well over 18,000 species of lichen, growing all over the world. Lichen provides food for man and beast, dyes, fibers, medicines, and more. Fascinating stuff -- I went down the web's rabbit hole and was amazed at how much there is to know about these things--a lifetime wouldn't be enough.
And then there are mosses-- but perhaps I'll save that for another day.
