A little rain makes the frogs grow fonder

OK.  So we are having a little bit of rain. Chunk is refusing to go out -- except for breakfast of course.

Heidi and I are becoming Parcheesi Ninjas.

It's hard to complain though when everything is getting so nice and green. At least it's a mild rain -- and all of the moisture is wonderful for the flowers.

You know what really loves rain? Ferns. We have many, many types of native ferns here on the Mendocino Coast and I'm betting that right about now, each and every one of them is extremely happy.

Van Damme State Park, our local state park, right here in Little River, is famous for its multitudes of various types of fern.

Even in this misty weather, it's an awfully nice place to be.

Some guests at our Inn tell us that it's been years since they heard a frog. Can you believe that?

I can almost guarantee that if you come to Van Damme State Park this week, you will hear not only lots of frogs -- but some very happy frogs.

Pygmies in Little River

Heidi speaking!

Nope -- we aren't the only tiny wonders on this part of the Coast. The Pygmy Forest is a National Landmark inside the wonderful, Van Damme State Park, virtually in our backyard, at the mouth of the Little River.

Here's a photo of people enjoying the tiny trees in the 1970s!

I know I am always asking Monique to be less focused on personal appearances --- but LOOK at that hair! I know it's Mendocino in 1976, but goodness gracious!

This photo doesn't do the Pygmy Forest justice, and not just because of the bad hair. Van Damme is wonderfully varied and lush, with fern-laden glades, deep forest, and a beach. In fact, you can rent a kayak at the beach and tour the area via the coast.

The best way to experience it, though, is via the Fern Canyon Trail.  Follow the link for details but here is what the Park Service website has to say about it:

"Five-finger and bird's-foot, lady and licorice, stamp, sword and deer- these are some of the colorful names of the ferns growing in well-named Fern Canyon. This lush canyon, the heart of Van Damme State Park, is also rich with young redwoods, red alder, big leaf maple and Douglas fir, as well as a tangled understory of wild cucumber and berry bushes."

Isn't that lovely? The essay is uncredited but the passion the writer has for our wonderful eco-system, the only rainforests left on this continent, is really palpable.

If you like Bonsai, you are going to absolutely adore the Pygmy Forest!

More on why Monique needs to stop capping on Chuck in a later post. Monique is back and she's hankering for another round of Parcheesi.



--Heidi out!