I have had many comments on the little bit of lichen that helped to adorn my recent photo of the Hepaticus flowers, and a number of you have asked for more of my lichens, so here’s another chapter. During an unforgettable trip to Finland in August-September 2002, I found the first of these (and the two I posted on February 22) near the town of—don’t hurt yourselves trying to pronounce this unless you know what you’re doing…and I am not making this up—Määtälä, and the second near Paaso. Kiitos, Suomi!
krikitarts 
Lovely.
I agree with Frank, they are very lovely. The leaves add a lot to the photos, too.
They were part of what caught my eye. It’s so beautiful there in the fall!
Very nice….Lichen delight!
‘Tis really a delightful place, and lichens abound in so many places in the forest. These were just a few.
Just amazed at the complexity and beauty that can be found on a tiny patch of ground. Kudos to capturing and sharing it!
It is amazing, and I’ve found it very rewarding to pay attention to the small scapes that so many look at but don’t see and just pass by. DeWitt Jones, a favorite photographer and one of my early sources of inspiration, was the first one–I think–to express it as being able to find the extraordinary in the midst of the ordinary. I’ve found myself drawn to lichens for many years now, and have photos of others that I’m planning to post. Thanks, Isaac, for the compliment!
The bottom image is so pretty with the leaves.
The leaves were great, too–both sides were sort of waxy, causing the light rain drops to bead up in the most wonderful fasion.
Beautiful…and now to the physical therapist for having tried to pronounce the names of the towns! :)
Thanks, Scott–while you’re waiting for your appointment, this might help: The a with the equivalent of the German umlaut is pronounced sort of our soft a, as in “had”, but a little broader and wider, somewhat more in the direction of the sound you make when you imitate a sheep’s “baaa.” Does this ease your tonsillar strain somewhat?
Oh, yes, Gary…eased my tonsillar strain…thank you. :)
This is where I turn into a little fairy-gnome and go roaming through the wonderful lichen structures while riding on the back of a snail. These photos make me want to live in that world. So beautiful.
Now, there’s an image! I love your choice of potential mount, too, as the pace would certainly allow you to enjoy the scenery at you leisure! The only thing that I’ve seen that comes close to what I’m imagining is when our Avatar hero goes out into the wilds of Pandora for his first day of official exploration and wanders away from the others, just before he encounters the first of the belligerent beasties. Can’t wait for the sequel, by the way!
Beautiful contrasts, beautiful textures.
Exactly what I thought at the time. It pays to keep our eyes open.
Beautiful colour shots,Gary, very beautiful! Especially the lower one. Adrian
I can still feel the texture of the moss that was the underlying layer for the other elements. It was at least 15 cm thick and it felt like a sponge. I took great care not to disturb or damage it as I set up my little tripod for this photo. Finland is just magic in the fall!
Nice photos.
Did you see Reindeer food? In the north there are plenty of them. Here is one of my post presenting it:
Reindeer Lichen
Have a wonderful day!
I surely did, and it’s beautful. But you have to watch where you step because it’s so thick and spongy, and if you’re not careful, you can find your leg disappearing into a deep hole before you even know it’s there.