A great view over the Dam Plaza looking south towards the traffic circle where the Bronx River Parkway and the Taconic State Parkway join and White Plains.

Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Lumix G Vario 14-140 f3.5-5.6

Or at least that’s what I think they are. According to the North American Mycological Association in Lichen Basics:

Lichens are amazing organisms. They are all around us and we hardly notice them. Found on soil, tree bark, rocks and even some under water, they are actually two organisms living together (symbiosis). The major component is a fungus (mycobiont), hence they are classified as fungi — the vast majority being ascomycetes. The other component is photosynthetic (photobiont) and may be green algae or cyanobacteria (once known as blue-green algae) or sometimes both. The photobiont can make food — sugar. The fungus can kill some of the algae cells or penetrate the algae cells to obtain food. So… the symbiotic relationship is actually a controlled parasitism. The algal cells, however, are protected from damaging excess light. Lichens are fungi that have taken up farming, and they are known as lichenized fungi.

Certainly, these complex organisms can inhabit many conditions and substrates that would deter other kinds of species — hence they are known as pioneer organisms in ecological succession.

I just like the way they look: the often pastel color and the textures. Fungi to me are rather disturbing. They make me think of death and decay. Lichen on the other hand seem rather cute, as if someone has made them.

Taken with a Sony A6000 and Venus Optics Laowa 85mm f5.6

I took these pictures in the middle of January while walking around in my neighborhood. At that time there were still plenty of Christmas decorations around. I remember thinking that it was a bit late for Christmas decorations. Nowadays, the Christmas season seems to start well before Thanksgiving (I thought that people usually start putting decorations out after Thanksgiving) and go well into January. Why not if it gives people pleasure?

The house above is one of the

Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7

I passed numerous clumps of these flowers. They’re quite beautiful, but for some reason I find it extremely to get a photograph of them that I like.

Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8

[In 1972] “Fite builds a garage to house his trucks, including his trusty Jeep and an old fire engine that he bought from Bard College in the early 1950s. The fire engine’s primary use has been to serve as a pumping mechanism to clean out pools in and around the quarry, but it is also quite a popular fixture of the Labor Day parades and other events in High Woods (even helping put out a few fires).

While constructing the garage, he decides to add a second story that will serve as a museum to house his collection of quarrymen’s tools and artifacts, as a way to honor the men who toiled in the quarries before him. This becomes the Quarryman’s Museum. It’s now also a gift shop.” (Opus 40 Website)

Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Sigma 18-50mm f2.8