Likin' the Lichen

The rains have finally stopped -- for a few days away -- and have left behind a landscape transformed.  What was once brown and dry and parched-looking is now rich and green and lush with the smell of loamy earth. 

Our home is surrounded by oaks of all kinds (Live and White and Blue, to mention a few) and they seem to have erupted with masses of moss and lichens of different colors and textures and sizes.  Even the rock outcroppings are covered.  Actually, anything with a even a tiny nook or cranny -- the brick retaining wall, the garden fence posts, the cement walkway -- is sporting a coat of green. 

To tell the truth, I can't tell the difference between a moss and a lichen.  Whatever they are, these little life forms are amazing.  Up close, they look like miniature seascapes. It's amazing what you see when you take the time to look.