Over the Hill to the Loch

I usually walk down to the moss in front of the house. I have walked up the hill a couple times for a breathtaking view from the top, but today I kept walking to the loch and a bit down the other side of the hill.
If I had been a bit less distracted by the view and faster with my camera, I might have had a wonderful shot of some of these large white birds flying overhead from one loch to another. Sadly I relied on my digital zoom to get this close, so you'll have to take my word that they are big.

Lichens move slowly enough that I can take my time photographing them. It was that kind of a day, so here are a couple classic lichen shots.

Lichens are a marriage of convenience between a moss and an algae. One of the mysteries of the universe is how they find each other. As I stood holding my breath to steady the camera against the wind an image of a newspaper personal columns --Moss Seeking Algae--came into my mind. I am easily amused sometimes.

I spent a day with a lichen expert wandering around the woods looking at all the variety in the lichens. I don't remember their names, but I love looking closely enough to know that there are at least three different species--oh, no, four, on this branch. I actually met someone who said they didn't like lichens. I find them fascinating in their variety and tenacity and soft lace-like shapes.