Lichen-Covered Tree

 On a hot day we paused at a rest stop where tall trees sheltered a few picnic tables. The canopy of leaves cast an overwhelmingly green coolness about us. I studied the lichen on the trunks, admiring its sea green color and lettuce leafy flaky paint texture. No time to ponder the mysteries of lichen, which are a partnership between fungi and other organisms. It was time to get back on the road. But we felt several degrees cooler.