Many of the fallen branches and twigs in the creek woods have green/gray ruffled lichens on them. When I see similar lichens on tree branches still on the tree, I usually see fruiting bodies in dark brown or pale "frosted" blue-gray. This is the first time I've seen anything in lime green. This stick was floating in Westbrook; I didn't fish it out then, but found it downstream caught in other flotsam a day or so later and moved it out of the water. Now it looks like an ordinary dull-gray frilly lichen again. No lime green.
On the peeling bark of a Texas persimmon in the dry woods, I found this pale sage-green lichen. I haven't found one like this on any other kind of tree...yet.	Texas persimmons have thin bark that peels about once a year to reveal a very smooth, peach/pink/rose colored new bark underneath. The old bark is patched with lichens, but these must grow fairly quickly to cover the bark before it peels away again.
We have two kinds of filamentous algae in the ponds. The nastiest--unless you enjoy slime--peaks in early spring. I would like to think all those bubbles are oxygen produced by the green algae, but I suspect they aren't.
This orange sulphur fell or crawled into the rain gauge at Fox Pavilion, and then was "glued" to the water surface by the breadth of its wings. I fished it out while emptying the rain gauge, and set it in the sun to dry.
Digging planting holes on the rocky ground near Fox Pavilion takes a pick as well as a shovel. Richard says he's good for six planting holes a day. On this day that included hesperaloe, agarita, evergreen sumac.	Across a bare area from Fox Pavilion is a slight slope covered with elbowbush--good cover for birds to feed under, especially in winter. They have sunlight and warmth, but aerial predators can't get to them easily.
By the end of January, birds' spring plumage is brighter, the colors more intense, as this cardinal (hiding under elbowbush) proves.
Gibbous moon....A waxing moon rides high in the afternoon sky, perfectly placed for a portrait.
When the ground dried out enough after more than a week of rain, frost, and drizzle, we let the horses out into the larger lot. The pictures reveal their characters...Illusion rolled and rolled, ignoring everything but his delight in rolling and his utter contempt for the concept of dignity. Demure Mac, on the other, had one quick roll and then posed prettily.

Back to Archive