Ramalina Sp.

Day 347: I needed to get Out yesterday. September has disappeared all too quickly, and since the weather is slated to turn wet and ugly, it was a "now or never" situation. I chose to walk down to the river through Nisqually-Mashel State Park, hoping to find solitude. In that, I succeeded, although sounds of humanity were audible until the rush of water drowned them out. It seems there is no escape from banging, clanking, rumbling noises these days, at least not for someone who can no longer reach the deep backcountry. Even there, the sound of planes overhead is a reminder of Man's industry. In any event, I managed to avoid any strong evidence of humanity for several hours. During my walk, I noted that the recent wind and heavy rain had hit cottonwoods harder than other tree species in this particular area, and of course that gave me the opportunity to examine downed branches for lichens. I would be going out on a limb (ha-ha) to infer that this is Ramalina farinacea because I did not bring a sample of it home, but that is the Ramalina species I have encountered here previously.