Leaf Man Trough And Fungi

Something unexpected has happened.Along with the expected.In the failed round hypertufa, where most of the sides fell off when it was unmolded, where a leaf man sculpture sits on the remaining edge, there is a surprise survivor. A group of succulents were planted last spring, as annuals, to join the hardy Thymus ‘Heigh-Ho Silver’. The aloe and other unknowns are mush, but looky at the Echeveria x imbricata, (is that what this is?). He is still firm after countless well below freezing nights. Might he make it all the way to the return of the warmth?Is this a lichen flowering on this azalea? Or just a different type of lichen? All the rest of them look like the one on the upper stem to the right in the photo. The entire shrub is now and has been for over five years encased in this stuff, only the new growth is sans lichen. It blooms reliably, I think it is Girard’s Rose. Added: Lichens colonize a wide range of exposed surfaces of limbs, stumps, fence posts, soil, rocks, and other living and nonliving objects. Lichens are firmly attached to these hard surfaces. They are most numerous on limbs and trunks of large mature trees and shrubs in full sun, particularly those plants with badly thinned canopies. Most lichens will not thrive on heavily shaded twigs and branches of healthy woody plants. Few lichens are found in areas with high levels of ozone, sulfur dioxide, acid rain, and other common air pollutants; consequently, lichens are a good indicator of air quality. The lichen shown above are two different forms, folicose form, which produce leaflike folds above the limb and fruiticose lichens, which produce highly branched structures with hair or fingerlike projections. This information with identifying photos was found at the Alabama Cooperative Extension System site. This clump of fungi is growing at the base of a deciduous azalea, should I be worried about that? Chuck?Nearby is a similar looking clump growing in amongst the emerging Arum italicum ‘Marmoratum’ foliage. The rotting roots of Ferngully lie beneath both.This is just a gratuitous macro of Redbor kale.Almost afraid to jinx the health of the row of hemlocks at the back of the property along the chain link fence, the tiny cones, barely an inch in length are getting us in the mood for the holidays. One thing in the hemlocks favor is that there are no other trees of that type for miles around that might be hosting the dreaded insect that is killing whole forests of native hemlocks in the wild. Protection charms abound here to keep them safe. It is hoped.
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There really was a point to this post, although it might not be readily apparent. We are trying out adding our name to the photos, to keep them safe from *borrowers*. It seems like a good idea and it was fun going through the fonts and colors. The colors will change to show up with each shot, but the font is pleasing for now.  The size I am not sure about.  I know this is not the same as a watermark copyright, do I need that or is this enough to discourage copiers? Opinions out there?
Frances