The Diversity of Nature

 I took the dog down to the park yesterday so we can both get a little exercise and he gets a chance to try out a different lawn to crap in. Variety is the spice of life or so they say. He's taken to eating the little crab shells that the ravens pick up from the beach and deposit on the walkway or grass down at the park. The tidal flats are right up against the park boundaries, so they are always digging for cockles and small crabs and breaking the shells by dropping them on the pavement. I don't know what the attraction is for my dog. The crab shells are empty; maybe he just likes the crunchiness of them, kind of like pretzels. I hope he doesn't develop a taste for beer- I'm going broke just keeping him in carrots. Anyway, while we were walking, I was struck by the sheer diversity of the plant life in and around the park. Granted, some of the trees like the apple, mountain ash, red maple and  hawthornes  were planted, there is an awful lot that just grows naturally. I wish I knew the names of them all. Between the road and the water there is an abundance of some kind of beach grass, as well as several varieties of clover, a Sitka rose, and what may be a castor plant, I don't know. Down closer to the water there are several varieties of kelp or seaweed. The small yellow flowers in the forth picture grow prolifically in every lawn and garden and spread, unwanted into every nook and cranny. I've heard them called Creeping Myrtle and Marsh Marigolds, but I haven't the slightest idea what they are. I just know that they become weeds when they grow in my garden and it's a constant battle to keep them out. The daisies seem to grow freely along walkways and alleys, and I've never seen another place where the astilibe grows to such heights and in such abundance as we have here. I wish I knew for sure the names of the pine and the drooping yellow flowers that are cascading from the tree, but I don't. Much like music, I love to listen to it, but I couldn't play a note to save my life. I was just overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and kinds of plants that grow in such a small area. I didn't mention the cedars, Sitka spruce, alder, cottonwood, osher and hemlock trees, but they all make a home in the area, and I'm glad they do. My life is so much better for them all and I thank God for the chance to enjoy the beauty of His creation.