eating old man's beard

on sunday i worked on for a guy clearing some alder branches from trees he had felled. these trees are in a damp area and many branches were covered in these hanging lichen called usnea. i was impressed with by the abundance, and remembered the goats i help care for eating some on a walk the other day.
when my workmates went off to pick something up and have some lunch in town, i stayed behind. after a while i noticed i had left my bag, with my lunch in it, IN THE CAR! i knew i would be getting hungry before they got back, but what could i do? well, i ended up eating some usnea to stave off the pains of hunger. it is very rubbery at first and then yields nicely with continued chewing. the flavors are released and there is a distinct sour (VIT C) present. the slight irritation in my throat was not enough to deter me. i found this a satisfying food to eat in small amounts.