Well, I missed last month, so this makes it two months since the last pictures of my tree were posted.
I started this in March or April, so it is not yet time to pick a new tree. In the meantime I have written and published another article, this time for the American Nyckelharpa Association. At least I have not been idle! The Magnolia tree has gone completely naked since early December. It is pregnant with new little buds, waiting for birth in the spring as sweet pink babies, to grow into beautiful pink tulip flowers! It is clothed only be an assortment of growing moss and lichens, as are the other trees here.
A closer look reveals the little embryonic buds, snuggly attached to their mother tree. A lucky clear sky happened to be around for this photo. What’s not to like about this, in spite of the freezing weather? New life beginning.
I brought samples of the moss and lichens inside the house for a closer look and a better photograph. Lichens are composite, symbiotic organisms. There are many different kinds. They are made up of mainly fungi and alga. The relationship is rather complex. Lichens are found all over the earth and survive in all climates and altitudes. They become established on almost any undisturbed substrate or surface. They do not harm plants, but can take over on a plant or branch that has already been compromised. Caribou and raindeer enjoy munching on lichens as they have the ability to digest the complex carbohydrates. Lichens and mosses are a way of life in the Northwest.
While plant life in the yard is changing, it is nice to take walks on the beach nearby.
It is amazing to see not just pieces of driftwood on the sand, but also large trees with some roots. I always wonder what kind of trees they were, where they came from and how long it took to get there.
Perhaps they came from a land far away or maybe they are just from the other side of the sound. It is impossible to identify them in this deteriorated state, that is for sure!
These are photos I took along the Puget Sound.
The buds against the blue sky are magnificent.
ReplyDeleteThe bleached trees on the beach impressive.