Muir Woods
Today my family decided to go to Muir Woods, because it was discovered that I had been neither to Muir Woods, nor to Alcatraz, and Alcatraz makes you buy tickets. So we went up and spent a couple hours wandering around the trails and taking lots of pictures of redwoods. I turned one of them into an icon. I have helpfully indicated myself and the tree, so that you know which is which. (The other person there is my little brother. I probably shouldn't call him little when he's clearly taller than me.)
It's a really pretty forest; I had a good time. I like redwoods a lot. I suspect having attended UCSC makes my view of them a little different than most people's. I think you're supposed to be looking at them and thinking things like, "Wow, look at these amazingly tall old trees. Whee, the awesomeness of nature. They sure do have some big trees in California," and not, "Aww, hey, this is just like walking to the library." Which was actually my first thought.
(Speaking of "awesome," now my mother is criticizing my impoverished vowel system. We were looking at the trees, and she asked me if I was awed. I said, "Yes, I'm awed." She looked annoyed and said, "No, not, 'odd,' 'awed!'" It's not my fault I only have the one vowel.)
At the gift shop I purchased a tacky magnet listing fun facts about the Coastal Redwood, and a tree. Yep, I bought me a redwood tree. It's, like, two inches tall. It's so cute. It is in a small tube. It has to be kept inside for two years, and it's at least five before I could actually plant it, not that I have a place to do so. I'm thinking it's going to be an indoor tree anyway, because I'm pretty sure it won't like winter in Massachusetts. Or summer, for that matter. The clerk who sold it to me swore that they could grow there and showed me pictures people in Massachusetts had sent of their redwoods and sequoias thriving outdoors. I'll probably kill it in a month, though, so I shouldn't get too excited.
I leave on Sunday. I think my mother doesn't want me to go.
It's a really pretty forest; I had a good time. I like redwoods a lot. I suspect having attended UCSC makes my view of them a little different than most people's. I think you're supposed to be looking at them and thinking things like, "Wow, look at these amazingly tall old trees. Whee, the awesomeness of nature. They sure do have some big trees in California," and not, "Aww, hey, this is just like walking to the library." Which was actually my first thought.
(Speaking of "awesome," now my mother is criticizing my impoverished vowel system. We were looking at the trees, and she asked me if I was awed. I said, "Yes, I'm awed." She looked annoyed and said, "No, not, 'odd,' 'awed!'" It's not my fault I only have the one vowel.)
At the gift shop I purchased a tacky magnet listing fun facts about the Coastal Redwood, and a tree. Yep, I bought me a redwood tree. It's, like, two inches tall. It's so cute. It is in a small tube. It has to be kept inside for two years, and it's at least five before I could actually plant it, not that I have a place to do so. I'm thinking it's going to be an indoor tree anyway, because I'm pretty sure it won't like winter in Massachusetts. Or summer, for that matter. The clerk who sold it to me swore that they could grow there and showed me pictures people in Massachusetts had sent of their redwoods and sequoias thriving outdoors. I'll probably kill it in a month, though, so I shouldn't get too excited.
I leave on Sunday. I think my mother doesn't want me to go.