Life is everywhere

[vr_trakowski]

I was out in the misty air today, admiring cherry blossoms (but not where you think) and paused to look more closely at the moss and lichen on a tree trunk. The moss was--what do you call it when it's on the point of blooming? Because if I recall aright, moss technically doesn't have flowers. Anyway, I took off my glasses for a very close look; age is actually improving my eyesight to a tiny degree.

And slowly, I realized two things. One, the tree's bark was purple. Not vivid, but a true purple, and I would have put it down to the quality of the light and the dampness on the bark, but for one other thing.

There were bugs in the moss. Tiny, tiny wormlike creatures less than a centimeter long, maybe half a centimeter--they looked like infinitesimal caterpillars rippling along, except I think they only had six legs. And they were exactly the same shade as the bark. I kept losing sight of them because they were so small, and such a perfect match. And, I think, they had silver eyes--I caught glimpses of silver spots at one end, but usually they kept their heads down.

The tree, the bark, the moss and lichen, the bugs--it's been a long time since I saw something so beautiful.

In other, possibly more interesting news, it looks like this Saturday is World Pillow Fight Day. Anybody going?

Comments

[boubabe14.livejournal.com]

How awesome is it that you posted a nature-oriented musing??? Welcome to the Light! :-)

And Tug loves pillow fights. The pillows...not so much.

[vr-trakowski.livejournal.com]

Er, thanks? :P

Well, with a name like that, he'd have to!

[mingsmommy.livejournal.com]

There is something so enlightening and peaceful in seeing the details in ordinary things. Beautiful entry, VR.

[vr-trakowski.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I wish I could go back for another look.

[laura27md.livejournal.com]

Moss/bugs/tree like that would have been orgasmic to me when I was a freshman in college and taking Invertebrate Zoology. It's still very cool, even if I've lose my naive enthusiasm. :)

[vr-trakowski.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I loathed Invertebrate Zoology. The only thing I liked were the footnotes in the textbook. But then I've always been more a macrobiologist. *grin*

Now I'm going to have to check trees more often!

[laura27md.livejournal.com]

I used to scrape moss from trees, put it in water and look under the microscope for cool things for HOURS. :P

[snowydragon1776.livejournal.com]

The world from the wind to the sand to the stars is a breathtaking place.
Thank you for posting this.

[vr-trakowski.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was definitely unusual.