Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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It's a Mendonoma Coast tradition to gather driftwood. Gualala Regional Park is a wonderful place to find beautiful driftwood and it's legal to take as much as you can carry out. But what do you do with the driftwood once you get it home? I've put mine in the garden, where it makes a nice accent piece. A friend has made candle holders and even a plant holder. But my former neighbor's son, Luke, had one of the most creative ideas. He made a chair. It still sits overlooking a bend in Quinliven Creek, a charming invitation to sit a spell.

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The charming blue Forget-me-nots are blooming on the Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts in sunny spots. This wildflower has more than one legend attributed to it but the one I like is this one. A knight and his lady were walking alongside a river when he spotted these lovely flowers on the other side. He lept into the waters, made it to the other side and picked some flowers for his lady love. Alas, when he tried to return the waters swept him away. He just had time to toss the tiny blue flowers to his lady, calling out, "Forget me not!"

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In the forest are 7 foot tall remnants of old growth Redwoods. The Gualala area was logged of Redwoods in the 1880's. The roots of the trees that were taken birthed second growth Redwoods and the stumps became a haven for plants such as these Huckleberry bushes. A few old growth Redwoods were spared in our area because they have a twisty growth pattern. I'll share a photo of one of those ancients in the days to come.

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A group of delicate five-petaled Windflowers survived the rains to bloom in the sunshine today. They are also called Wood Anemone and are members of the Buttercup family. I once touched one and it fell apart! So I am careful to admire them from a distance. In the bottom of the picture is a piece of lichen that fell out of a tree during a recent storm. It feels like spring is finally here on the Mendocino Coast today.

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Only when the Mendocino Coast receives significant rain does this hidden grotto come to life. With warmer weather to come, this will soon be gone but in its place will be the lovely wildflowers of spring. The first forget-me-nots have begun to bloom.