Repairing the roof of the patio, we tore down some rotten wood, and I noticed this lichen had been growing unseen on the top.

I love the range of soft, pastel greens. I really admire how it has grown year after year, so slowly but determinedly, clinging to the paint, cooked by the sun, then soaked by the rain. At the edges, it looks like delicate lace, but in the middle, it looks like something from science-fiction. It’s quite hard all over.

As I was preparing the picture in Photoshop, I realized the image did not really capture the amazing depth of the lichen. So I dropped out all the colour and increased the contrast, to emphasis the texture.

Wow! I wonder what all the bumps and ridges are for?