After seeing that Gracie was doing just fine, we headed into the drainage ditch.
Yesterday, I told you about the fruticose lichen. So this is a fine example of a foliose lichen. In the same way leaves are ruffle-y, the foliose lichens are too. However, not all of the foliose lichen stick up this much. Some are rather flatten against the substrate. Since the categories are human constructed, the lichens sometimes do not follow the labels. LOL. The foliose lichens do have both a top skin (cortex) and a bottom. On the bottom, they have little root-like structures called rhizines. The rhizines help hold the lichen to the substrate.
Next up, I spotted a fern!
Common Woodsia (Woodsia obtusa)! This is the only one I noticed in the ditch.
Did you know the snake in the first fern photo? In fact I did not until I moved closer to get the fern photo!
Now I moved in closer. The young rat snake seemed to be hiding its face.
So I moved in even closer. As I did the snake, moved ever so slightly from the leaf. What a delight!
A puffball!
A striped acorn! Looks a bit like a melon.
A very small Wolf spider!
So Gracie is always the first to find water! And the cool water did not stop her from getting in.
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know.
6 Comments
I saw the snake before the fern. But then your title told me I should be looking for a snake. I love how the young rat snakes are so much more vivid than the adults. Love his stripe on the face.
Your pond with Gracie photo at the end looks so serene. Love the color variations of the trees yet the whole thing is of a green/brown hue. guess because i have been to places like this in the grasslands it conjures up great memories.
the volcano is cute too.
Kathy, Certain spots certainly bring back specific memories for me too. Like around this pond, I found my first 3-toed box turtle. I was surprised to find the snake. It was still in the 60’s and it was in the shade.
I saw the snake before the fern. But then your title told me I should be looking for a snake. I love how the young rat snakes are so much more vivid than the adults. Love his stripe on the face.
Your pond with Gracie photo at the end looks so serene. Love the color variations of the trees yet the whole thing is of a green/brown hue. guess because i have been to places like this in the grasslands it conjures up great memories.
the volcano is cute too.
Kathy, Certain spots certainly bring back specific memories for me too. Like around this pond, I found my first 3-toed box turtle. I was surprised to find the snake. It was still in the 60’s and it was in the shade.
Like Kathy i saw the snake first. Beautiful snake. Gracie has always loved the water. That pond is really pretty. Thanks
My title hint did not fool y’all. Ha ha!
Nice snake! Very sneaky 😏happy Gracie!!!! Loved the volcano too
Yeah Gracie!