lloydslensphotographyllc

A Few Things To Like About Lichens

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Lichen 121319” all the photos found on my blog are my original work and are available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The cold December rain continues to fall in my beloved Appalachian Mountains. At my core I am as much a part of the forest as the birds that continue to chirp in the lull between downpours. As I tread softly across the wet leaf litter the greenish gray colored vegetation catches my eye. The lichens are thick in this part of the forest. They have completely coated the fallen log and are even out competing the moss. I paused for a moment and took a long deep breath. The air is clean and invigorating and the lichens let me know that I could breath in confidence in this spot.

Lichens are very sensitive to chemical pollution. So much so that the U.S.D.A. and the EPA use them as bioindicators of the air quality. It’s not really as simple as a lot of lichens meaning clean air they’ve got it down to a science. Lichenology is the study of lichens but what are they? By the time most of us take a real science class in school lichens are one of those classic examples of symbiosis. Two different species living as one. Its an algea and a fungus. But there’s a whole variety of different types of lichens. Not only do environmental scientists look at the volume of lichens but they also look at the variety because different types of lichens are sensitive to different types of pollution. By looking at charts and counting the numbers of types they can get a pretty accurate gauge of the types of toxins are in the air and therefore what’s in the rain, soil and water.

Because it’s the Christmas season, I’d be amiss if I didn’t mention that Santa’s sleigh runs on lichen. In the Winter months reindeer turn to reindeer moss for food. Come to think of it, tonight’s feature image does look as if a bite has been taken out of the lichens. And with the special night quickly approaching perhaps an advanced scout is out checking up folks in case of a last minute adjustment to the naughty and nice lists.

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Perspective Life

Color Photography

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Raindrop and Possumhaw” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

I have often been fascinated with the flow of water in the mountains. Even as a child I would sit and watch the rain trickle down the window. It was like I was looking through God’s kaleidoscope. The colors would refract in the water and the textures would change as the outside world seemed to melt into the little streams and run down the window.

Even today I can’t help but imagine that reflections in the water are parallel worlds with stories all their own. And then I wonder if the little world inside that drop of water that was brought to life by the light is aware that there’s an even bigger world outside of their realm?

It’s makes us have to ask, “what if our world is indeed inside a tiny drop of water owing our existence to the light shed into our lives?

That brings me to the goldfish analogy.

A goldfish is brought into a home by the owner and given a cozy home in a bowl. The owner feeds and cares for the goldfish and because the goldfish remembers being brought in he knows where all of his blessingscome from. After a while more goldfish are added to the bowl and they spawn. Time passes and the original goldfish that remembered where they came from pass away leaving their prodigy who only know life inside the fish bowl. They began to wonder how food falls from the surface and they remember being taught that a human feeds them. But they can’t imagine that there is any other world outside of the bowl. Eventually, some of them go on a quest for the human. They search every cubic inch of their bowl but they don’t find the human that feeds them. Some of them even declare that no human exists because they’ve searched whole bowl and can’t find him anywhere.

I continued to admire the little world caught in the droplet for a few minutes and turned my gaze to the clouds above my own head. I could feel the thankful smile growing on my face and I knew that someone smiled back.

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A Bittersweet Moment

Color Photography

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Bittersweet Berries 110919a” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The sound of raindrops dripping from the thinning canopy fills the forest. Among the bare branches little orange and yellow dots hang from twisted vines. I can hear the sharp piercing short chirps of the Cardnials as they track each other through the thick branches of the vines. The vines themselves twist and curl over the forest resembling what one might envision as Medusa’s hair. The occasional flicker of red feathers can be seen through the vines and eventually the male Cardnial plucks one of the berries and flies off with it.

The toxic substances in the berries have been known to kill pets and humans but it doesn’t effect the songbirds. They not only eat the berries but help disperse the seeds in their droppings.

The vine is bittersweet and it is considered an invasive species that damages timber. The vines grow so thick and heavy that they break the tops and strangle the understory. A wider view of the bittersweet vine in the feature image shows what it does to the understory.

If look at the top of the image you can see the vine curling around the limb of a yellow poplar. The vine restricts the growing wood enough that it leaves a spiral pattern on the wood. Theses bits of wood are highly prized for walking sticks. Even to the point that the pattern is commonly faked by carving dimensional Lumber.

Back to those colorful berries. Even though there is a risk of poisoning pets and small children the thin parts of the vines are collected by crafters and twisted into wreaths for Christmas.

I certainly agree with the plant’s name of bittersweet. In spite of the damage done to the forest and the vine’s predilection for forcing out more useful species like grapes it is a source of beauty in winter.

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Forage Friday #37 Witch Hazel

Color Photography, Forage Friday, Uncategorized

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Witch Hazel 121319A”. All of the photos are my original work and are available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The young boy was fighting back his tears as he sat on the edge of the tub while his mother washed the dirt and blood from his knees. The cool water from the tap helped to numb his wounds a little. The abrasions were not that bad once they were cleaned up but when you’re that young everything seems like an emergency. His mother spoke in a soothing voice and braced her child for the next step. She retrieved an amber bottle from the medicine cabinet and poured out a clear liquid into a cotton ball. The medicine stung his broken skin at first but soon the astringent qualities of the witch hazel kicked in and made the pain stop.

It’s rare that I do a Forage Friday post on a plant that to the best of my knowledge has absolutely no uses as food. But witch hazel is one of those plants that is probably already in your own medicine cabinet. The parts used are the leaves, twigs and inner bark. However, it’s because of it’s late Fall/Early Winter bloom that I’ve waited until now to include it in a Forage Friday post.

Witch Hazel flowers are a beautiful sight during the dark rainy days of December.

The delicate flowers of witch hazel always seem to open at just the right time to add some beauty to the otherwise disheartening landscape. They’re also pollinated by winter moths that are able to survive freezing temperatures by living in the leaf litter to hide from the cold. Wild witch hazel is what we see in tonight’s pictures but a quick Google search shows that there are cultivars that can be planted and have a bloom that is more showy and displays various shades of red and orange.

I also learned while researching the article that there is only one industrial provider of witch hazel in the United States. The trees are farmed on a river bank. Once they’re ready for harvest the entire tree is coppiced (cut so that it will regenerate and friends back) and chipped. The chips are then dumped into vats of alcohol where the tannins are leeched out and then the alcohol is cooked off. The description of the process implies that the steam is collected and condensed into the liquid we find under various labels. It all comes from one supplier and there seems to be a lot of regulatory requirements that guide the production.

A witch hazel twig showing the bud and leaf scar. Leaf scars are like fingerprints that help identify the tree. Witch hazel buds resemble a deer’s hoof.

I also found a process for home production. It was rather simple. Collect the leaves, twigs and inner bark (one tablespoon per cup of distilled water) and soak them in water for about 30 minutes and then bring it to a boil. Simmer for ten minutes. Allow the decoction to steep for another ten minutes before straining and bottling.

The beautiful witch hazel growing with the alder from last night’s article.

I’m constantly scanning the environment for native species to incorporate into my landscape. While I’m probably never going to produce enough witch hazel to unseat the one supplier it is not only a beautiful flowering bush to help add color in the winter but a handy resource to have around a homestead.

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The Alder

Color Photography, Uncategorized

Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Alder Catkin 120819m”. All of the photos are my original work and are available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

My breath condenses into long curls as I walk the road towards the salmon colored traces that I noticed as I drove by. In the past I would refer to the winter as “The Gray World” but this year I’ve decided to make it priority to search for the Color of winter. In doing so I have discovered that our world is always in bloom. You just need to look a little closer.

I found subtle tones of red and pink as well as pale blues and greens were everywhere.

The feature image is the male catkin of an alder tree and it seems to still have some pollen. Unlike the flowers of the warmer weather the alder depends on the winter winds to carry it’s pollen instead of insects.

The female catkin of Alder tree looks like a little pinecone but has the same beautiful red tones.

The scales will develop into seeds and they are also carried away by the winds.

The Alder grows near water and has a tight grain that is used for fine woodworking although it is a little on the soft side when compared to something like maple. Still, the wood is honey colored and makes a great veneer. And if you’re a fan of Fender guitars you can thank the alder for the balanced tones.

The Alder does play a roll in soil conservation. It forms a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen fixing bacteria and forms nodules similar to legumes. It’s sometimes called a pioneer species and while that’s debatable for various reasons it was the first tree to spring up on my property after the 2012 derachio. My forest was pretty battered by the straight line wind and so the alder became a personal symbol of renewal in my life. The one tree in particular sprouted next to my driveway and I simply allowed it grow. Unfortunately, the root system is threatening to destroy my pavement and so the tree has to go. ( don’t worry, I now have plenty of trees to enjoy)

On a final note, I am aware that the inner bark of the alder has traditionally been used by herbalist to treat various conditions. However, it’s not one of the medicinal plants that I have studied to a point where I’m comfortable going into details.

Mostly, alder serves as a a source of enjoyment and beauty in my life. It’s a little pop if color to break up the gray of winter.

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