Weird Lichen

Lecturing near Swindon again today. Didn't have much spare time but got fifteen minutes to stroll around the conference centre before beginning my mammoth six-hour session (we do get a coffee-break and a meal so it's really not too onerous). Anyway - I tried a picture of an orchid but couldn't get a reasonable depth of field with the indoor lighting. I went outside, more in hope than expectation, then I saw this rather fabulous lichen sprouting from a tree-branch.

My artistic director might frown (after all it is "nature" again) but she is watching "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" 150 miles away and has almost no influence from that distance.