So What's With Lichens?

These things sneak up on me; things that become obsessions. Four years ago I took many photos of moss because we were in a mossy kind of place.

This past fall, on a short trip to the North West Territories, I came across lichens.

And then again, this past February in Reykjavik, Iceland:

This is what captivates me:

1) Lichens and moss look interesting in a peculiar and spectacular way. There is amazing design potential. 

2) They live in a wide range of environmental conditions, including very harsh ones. They are tenacious in an awe inspiring way. 

3) Even given their hardiness, they are sensitive to environmental disturbance, the canary in the mine shaft, so to speak. This offers some hefty significance in the search for a bigger purpose, not that obsessions need purpose.