We walked in the rain today. Normally, the dogs are ecstatic, but today I think they wished they had sweaters. 

On the first lap, I noticed what looked like a Bouquet on the ground. It was a beautiful piece that had fallen off of one of the dead limbs on the ancient oak down by the barn. The limb it fell from once had a tire swing attached to it.

The swing has been gone for years but you can still see where the cable attached near the trunk.

Years of swinging children rubbed the bark off the limb where the cable was attached. The oak is so noble, it holds on to its limbs as long as possible.

You can see lichen growing on the limb. When I saw the lichen bouquet this morning, it didn't touch it. I wasn't sure if it was toxic. Neither was I sure if it was harmful to the tree.

I did a Google search a few minutes ago and found that there is nothing to fear.

The bark of trees such as the live oak provides a stable surface for lichen growth. Lichens may, in fact, help live oaks by discouraging insects and fungi. The long strands of lichen provide nest-building material for birds, as well as camouflage from predators.

I was so happy to read this.