I’ve been thinking about Ecola State Park ever since I mentioned it in the Terrible Tillie email a few weeks ago. It’s a tiny gem on the northern Oregon coast, covered with ferns.
I really, really, really love ferns. I see them sometimes in New Mexico: mostly 3- or 4-inch ferns (if that), often growing out of rocks. Sometimes I see even bigger ferns, up to two feet tall, in northern New Mexico. However, I’ve never seen New Mexican ferns that are as tall as I am. Ferns in the coastal northwest, on the other hand, often dwarf me.
Ecola State Park was the very first place I ever noticed ferns growing out of a tree. I’ve seen that phenomenon a number of times since but am still delighted each and every time I happen across another fern-bearing tree. They seem completely miraculous.
I’m especially smitten with fern spores. They’re usually on the undersides of fern fronds, which means they’re often difficult to photograph. Very occasionally, though, I run into a fern that’s somehow been flipped upside down, proudly showing its spores to all who pass.
If you’re wondering what all this has to do with St. Patrick’s Day, the answer is … well, not much. It simply seemed like a fine opportunity to share Ecola State Park’s ferns, with their many shades of green.
Hope you have a wonderful day, with or without a green-themed celebration.
😱❤️
Where we lived in Maine Ostrich Ferns were prolific in our yard. You might enjoy seeing these here: https://www.shutterstock.com/search/ostrich+fern