22 Jan
I have tried and tried and tried to get a picture of the alligator in the oak tree in our front yard. It’s about 10 feet up, on the east side of the tree. My previous pictures have turned out too light or too dark and way too blurry. The different lighting changes the appearance of the alligator. I’ve even taken pictures while in the living room siting on the couch.
I feel much better now that I have proof of the alligator in our oak tree,
9 Jan
I find all kinds of lichens when I pick up sticks in the yard.
The larger lichen with the leafy appearance is a foliose lichen.
Blister lichen, with the dark disc-shaped fruiting bodies, is also a foliose lichen. The leafy part shows better in the upper right of the picture.
The black “hairs” along the edges of the lichen are called “cilia.” I seldom see them on lichens.
3 Jan
This billbergia plant is a family heirloom. I have no idea of its age.
It’s a bromeliaceae from the pineapple family.
This plant has bloomed for at least three weeks, and shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.
Obviously, it adds color to dull winter days.
It was passed down to me from my grandmother.
I have no idea how old the plant is.
It does look happy beside the picture window.
naturesnippets 