Isn’t this beautiful?
I love the patterns of the lichen on the stone. They make it look like a glove, a map of an unknown planet. And I also love that beautiful moss. It looks like a thousand stars densely packed into a distant galaxy. Except these stars are green!
Together this tiny part of the world instantly inspires me to think of our vast universe, full of strange, beautiful and unique planets, stars and star clusters.
I gaze at this and I’m in awe of the diversity of creation. In awe of the beauty of this universe.
A phrase pops into my head….”why is there not nothing in this universe?” It’s something scientists and philosophers wrestle with. Not just why does the universe exist, but why is there anything we call material, and why is material so diverse in size, shape and form?
Whether we look around at what lies at our feet or look up on a crystal clear night to see literally countless stars, what we see is uniqueness and diversity and an endless variety of complex forms.
What is lichen anyway? Such a strange life form. It looks a bit like a plant and a bit like a fungus. What is moss anyway? It looks a bit like grass but not like any other grass you can find.
How did a rock become such a beautiful spherical shape and how did it end up here separate from other rocks?
Where does lichen begin and where has this lichen come from? Where does moss begin and how does it develop this shape? How many different kinds of lichen are there? How many different kinds of moss are there?
Sometimes I think I have more questions than there are stars in the night sky. But I don’t need the answers to them all. I’m happy in my state of awe and wonder.
Heroes Not Zombies 
Lichens are truly amazing. Apparently there are more than 20,000 species. During the past several years, I’ve especially noticed them here in Argyll on deciduous trees in winter. The leaves fall off, but the branches aren’t bare; they’re covered in fronds of pale green lichens – beautiful. You don’t get that on trees in cities; the air there isn’t pure enough. Lichens are lovely.
Like you Martin, I’m likin’ them a lot!