When God Made Trees He Started With The Giant Redwoods

I’m sitting here staring at this blank screen. Well actually blank 3-ring lined notebook paper because that’s what I write on when we are not near electricity for the computers. Yes we have batteries, but batteries drain fast. Okay back to staring. The tired adjectives of awesome, majestic, stunning don’t even begin to describe the giant redwoods.

The trees stand guard along parts of Highway 101 from slightly north of San Francisco up to Eureka. The first time we drove past one I thought that can NOT be a tree. It was a baby redwood only about 6 feet in diameter. Papa and Mama redwoods reach 30 feet in diameter. In case you forgot your high school geometry (never liked that subject), diameter is across the circle from one point to another going through the center of the circle. It’s not how far around the trunk is. The oldest living tree is documented at 2,200 years old.

The one I’m leaning on is probably 15 feet across.

Ferns, rhododendrons, and other shade loving plants grace the feet of the trees so perfectly it looks landscaped.

Your sight isn’t the only sense enthralled by this forest. Take a deep breath and you notice that fresh pine is the top note of the forest’s perfume. The rich earth adds the middle note, a pleasant combination of fungus, sweet decaying leaves and pungent soil. Finally, you become aware of the fragrance of the trees themselves.

The wind whispers through the needles of the trees. If the wind is still it’s silent to the point you swear you can hear the tree’s heartbeat.

Dee
Note to Self: Do not ever buy any redwood product again. The redwood forests are shrinking way too fast.