Branch Line

Bushy lichens on a small branch which I found on the forest floor in Wales a few days ago. It looked like it was going to get trampled anyway so I've popped it in our garden.

The quote comes to mind: 'Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints and kill nothing but time!' Well yes I did take a lot of pictures, leave many footprints...but the inside of my car was just full of welsh mud too! They could have kept that!

Lichens are dual organisms, consisting of 2 or more different life forms living in symbiosis. They provide shelter as well as food for insects and moths along with nest camouflage for animals and birds. There are 1873 species of lichen listed but some may now be extinct. They can live almost anywhere even the most extreme environments on earth such as high latitudes, deserts, tundra, rain forests and are widespread and long-lived. Nitrogen sensitive, and vulnerable to environmental disturbance, they are a good air pollution indicator. They can be used to make perfumes, antibiotics, traditional medicines, dyes - even used for food. Fascinating stuff.

Thank you all so much for the many good wishes yesterday - Tilly is looking remarkably chipper tonight - thank goodness. Let's hope it stays that way!

If any of you get the opportunity, do look in on a new blipper fionawalton37 who I've known all my life...a very long time! :)) In fact she was bridesmaid at our wedding and her mum was my godmother.