Nowruz, lichen and doll beds

Happy Nowruz if you celebrate. It's Iranian, but not much to celebrate there  this year. Still marking it in the hope that its concept -- a new day, an end to cold and darkness -- comes true there. Everywhere, really.

Yesterday's walk, finally the wind dropped enough, yielded all kinds of spring. The flock of mourning doves, until last week flying in a group, were flying in pairs. I heard the shouts of the redwing blackbird, and the hammering of woodpeckers.

And I saw this

Beautiful crust type lichen, like red gold hair shining in the sun, spread over the downed  tree. My searches have not yielded a name for it beyond red lichen (!). 

But the State University website yielded this valuable information. See the end.

 I took the pictures to preserve as much as I could of the tree trunk in case that helps identify it. Can anyone help? 

On the way home here's a cheerful little sign of spring

And I came home to afternoon tea with toasted cinnamon soda bread

And my sock in progress. I think of Rose every time I pick it up. 

Halfway through Lent and winnowing continues. Here's the current offering

Twin doll beds, 12"by5", seen here one head, one foot, which came via Freecycle some time ago with other doll furniture. 

The Dollivers took the chairs and the garden bench but rejected the beds. 

So here's hoping good dolls, deserving dolls, not dolls fighting with each other, get these nice beds...

Happy day everyone and thank you all for thoughtful responses to my question about spiritual practice and the brain. This is a great group of friends, much valued by your humble blogwriter.

Battling the forces of darkness on another front