I began writing this post over a year and a half ago. Although I love all the photos, I didn’t like what I’d originally written and so … they’ve languished in draft form all this time. The reality is that I know next to nothing about lichens; I simply love looking at and photographing them. Which may explain why I have so little to say about them.
I’ve noticed that some lichens thrive in desert environments and others prefer the forest. The photo above shows some of the latter; they were growing on a fallen tree trunk in the Sandias. The rest of the lichens in this post seem to have a preference for drier and more open environments.
The image above shows a rock almost completely covered with lichens — even the little black dots are lichens.
Conversely, only the black areas in the photo above are lichens. I’m including the photo partly because it shows one of the most beautiful rock surfaces I’ve ever come across. There are hints of the same colorful underlying rock below.
Lichens are great examples of what I think of as everyday magic. They’re so unobtrusive that we seldom even notice them. But when we stop to take a closer look, wow! It’s a whole ‘nother world teeming with life.
Always considered lichen to be some mysterious treasure where the fairies are found
You see so deeply into nature - such a gift which brings us your Everyday Magic! Thanks Lisa!