Lichen gathered in Northern California near Mt Shasta,

A leap in perception.
Although I have always been drawn to nature's fine details, my overall appreciation and understanding have drastically changed over the last several years. The little decomposers of our planet have been attracting more and more of my attention. Their beauty can easily be missed at first glance...sure their vibrance after a rain shower might catch your eye, but the purest beauty is the intention within. Their purpose as fungi is to speed up the decomposition of a dead branch on a living tree, that way the living tree doesnt have to prolong sending so much energy and resources to the dead limbs. A beautifully conscious act of nature to preserve what is ALIVE.