Focus on Stones

The last couple of days here the focus has been on stones more than plants. Ed is working  on the driveway and his new wall project. Stones hold a certain fascination for both of us. Today the weather has been glorious, sunny and warm. It drew us outside like a magnet. I did some garden work and took the opportunity to walk around with the camera.  I headed down to the gravel bank to check on Ed's progress. These stone closeups were taken there. The tiny lichens that grow on stones are amazing to me.

This one molds to the shape of the rock like a lacy shawl.

These tiny lichens and mosses are growing on the vertical side of a stone in a wall. The sedimentary rocks develop  cracks once exposed to the elements and this one also has fossils. Growth gets a foothold in these  places.

Here  tiny green  mosses grow on the small horizontal surface in the gap between two wall stones and in the ridges of the fossils.

This large rock is destined to be a top stone on Ed's new wall. The fossils, lichens, and intriguing texture of this stone will be lost on those who quickly pass by. All they will see is Ed's nice stone wall. But those who take the time to linger and look more closely will get to see so much more.