Rainy, busy week but I love it!

 

Sister Barker and Sisters Crouch and Palmer after lunch and apartment inspection

It has rained almost every day but I have still walked.  Most days it was misty, drizzly in the early morning so we didn’t get too wet but a couple of days it was out right raining so I arrived home rather damp.  I should wear rain gear but it makes me too hot so I prefer to be wet and cool than dry and hot.

One of the dry mornings at sunrise

Always watching! Someone has a good sense of humor

I love seeing the growth on the trees.  I thought this was lichen growing on the trees but thought I would Google it and make sure.

From Canadian Museum of Nature 

Moss and Lichen: Wait, what’s the difference? 

I love talking to the public about mosses and lichens. The two are intricate, fascinating, and underappreciated. But a common question I get is: Wait… what’s the difference between moss and lichen?

It’s no wonder that people confuse the two groups. Historically, the term “moss” has often also been applied to lichens. After all, they are both small things that grow in shaded places and resemble neither a mushroom nor a vascular plant. They are both also cryptogams, meaning they reproduce without seeds or flowers.

So, what’s the difference? In short, a moss is a simple plant, and a lichen is a fungi-algae sandwich.

I love talking to the public about mosses and lichens. The two are intricate, fascinating, and underappreciated. But a common question I get is: Wait… what’s the difference between moss and lichen?

It’s no wonder that people confuse the two groups. Historically, the term “moss” has often also been applied to lichens. After all, they are both small things that grow in shaded places and resemble neither a mushroom nor a vascular plant. They are both also cryptogams, meaning they reproduce without seeds or flowers.

Mosses are multicellular organisms with leaflets made of photosynthetic cells, just as with trees, ferns and wildflowers.

But unlike these vascular plants, mosses don’t have specialized tissues that actively transport water and nutrients, such as sap, from the ground to the leaf tips, and vice-versa.

Instead, like a leafy, green sponge, mosses simply absorb water and nutrients. This means they can’t grow too tall or they risk drying out at the top.

Lichens, conversely, are a mix of at least two different organisms, a fungus and alga, living together as one.

In the simplest case, a fungus surrounds a colony of algae. The algal cells provide food for the fungus via photosynthesis, while the fungal partner protects the algae from drying out and sun damage.

When wet, the algae become visible through the top fungal layer, giving the lichen a green colour that can resemble moss. But when dry, lichens are rarely green, and instead come in many vibrant colours. Lichens also have diverse growth forms, but lack leaves of any kind, which helps to tell them apart from mosses.

This is a picture from the website:

 Can you see the difference between the lichen and the moss on this branch?

These pictures below are from my walk.   I believe that it is lichen you see in these pictures.

One day this week we walked at the wetlands.

Amazon Creek has been so low that it hasn’t been going over the overflow. This week there has been enough rain that it is now flowing higher.

If you look closely, you can see a blue heron in about the middle of the picture at creek side

Clouds and rainbow at sunrise

Monday I took my friend, Jeri, to the airport in the afternoon. It was a fun week end we had and I hated to see her go but…

This week Sister Barker and I inspected 3 apartments. It was fun to be with the sisters. Their apartments were in good condition. One had some repairs that needed to be made (not of their making). Sister Barker contacted the owners/landlords and got the work going right away.

The best part is going to lunch with them after the inspection. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of one of the lunches but I will get one next time for sure!

Sisters Crouch and Wood lunch after the inspection of their apartment

Off the Waffle serves sweet and savory waffles

Gorgeous spider web with rain drops

One of the apartments had beautiful flower beds in the yard

I also spent time this week getting prepared for next week’s transfers and arrivals of new missionaries.  At this point in time we will be expecting 29 new arrivals.  10 of them will be with us as “visa waiters”.  They are assigned to foreign missions but have not yet received their visas. I go through all of the new missionaries’ health records to make sure I have the information I need to interview them when they arrive.  I need to make sure they have the medications (ADHA and diabetic medications are most common) and appointments set up so that they can get going immediately on being the best missionaries they can be.  I often communicate with parents before the missionaries arrive so that appointments with doctors can be arranged by the parents to fit with their insurance needs.

Conference this weekend has been most enjoyable.  I love hearing from the prophet and apostles and other church leaders.  I can never choose a favorite as each talk brings a spirit with it and help in navigating life. So many talked of increasing our faith, temple attendance, finding hope in our Savior, listening to the guidance of the Spirit, and the list goes on.  I loved each talk and found something in each that touched my heart.

I enjoyed the talk by Elder Ian Ardern.  He had a hand in bringing me to the New Zealand Auckland Mission in 2019.  He was a member of the area presidency when I first arrived and then was made the area president while I served there.  I was able to learn so much from him and his wife Paula.  Wonderful people with a knowledge of the Gospel and such a great desire to serve.  His message of showing love to our neighbors no matter where we are in the world was wonderful.

I am grateful for our prophet President Russell M Nelson and for the apostles and leaders of the church.  I know that Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ, direct the work here on earth through these leaders and through the local leaders around the world.  

I love my Savior.

I love you, my family and friends. May the Lord bless you in all you do throughout this coming week and always.