Happy New Year!
At times like this, I sometimes wonder what the Earth and Sun would say to each other if they could talk. They would watch us celebrating this annual moment at such an arbitrary time…
Sun: I could understand a party at either solstice…
Earth: Yes, or one at either equinox. Would make good sense…
Sun. Quite. But to pick a day about a week after one solstice…
Earth: Very strange.
Sun. Yes. They are a very strange lot.
In this picture of a beech tree in Wiltshire, we can see both moss and lichens thriving in the moist air close to the ground. Water evaporates constantly from the ground and moisture-loving organisms, including mosses, lichens and algae, will be found close to the ground regardless of aspect.
Direction can be found by looking for clues above this area or sometimes by getting to know the lichens…
Churches are well worth a minute of navigational inquiry. The church itself is likely to show a preference for an east-west alignment, with the altar at the eastern end. But the fact that they are often old buildings that have been left exposed to the elements for long periods, without incessant redecorating or even cleaning, yields other interesting clues in the form of lichens, algae and mosses.