August Break: Lichen

These lichen are on a tombstone in Dublin, Ohio's historical cemetery. I love the color of lichens. Did you know that the tree tops on model railroad tracks are made of a form of lichen? That they are used to scent soap and were used in the past to dye wools? But mostly, they are beautiful, these the most gorgeous rusty orange color. They are beauty in the most inhospitable of environments, a lesson that we can thrive no matter where we are thrown, even if it means only growing a fraction of a millimeter a year.