One of my favorite wildflowers - the tropical-looking Leopard Lily, Lilium pardalinum - has bloomed on the forest floor. The splash of orange is so unexpected in the world of greens and browns. It is also called Tiger Lily or Panther Lily. Its roots have medicinal qualities but I'd just rather admire this rare beauty from afar.
It's amazing but true. Millions of years ago Horsetails were the size of trees. Now they grow a foot or so high in and near the creek bed of Quinliven Creek and other creeks on the Mendonoma Coast. Huckleberry, our golden retriever, occasionally chomps the top off of one, to no ill effect. Equisetum is their Latin name and they too have medicinal qualities. In Native American medicine they were used to stop bleeding. They were also used for scrubbing pots. I just like looking at them in the forest!
A large Redwood tree named the Grandfather tree thrives in a clearing by Quinliven Creek near Gualala. It grows slowly with shade on its trunk and sun on its crown. Every day Rick and I touch this tree. I also whisper a few things that are important to me. It's important to allow magic to enter your life - this tree is one way I allow magic to enter mine.
For perspective, you can see Rick looking up at the big tree. Huckleberry, our golden retriever, is more interested in chewing on a branch. The second photo shows you what the tree looks like if you were looking up.
Giant Chain Ferns - Woodwardia fimbriata - need moisture to grow, so it's not so suprising to find one growing next to Quinliven Creek. And what a beauty it is! It's nearly six feet high when it's not bent over from the rushing waters of the creek. Native Indians used the fiber of this fern mixed with red dye for patterns in their baskets. Rick and I admire it on our daily walks - a treasure in the forest.
