Prehistory in Miniature

I love these tiny ferns that grow on the garden wall. The dinosaur is a 'Whimsy' and came from a box of crackers in the late '60s or early '70s. He's only about as tall as a new penny coin (or a cent) so you can see how small the ferns are.

It delights me to think of the range of ferns on this planet - and their vast variation of size. It is fascinating and awesome to think of their age - going back to the era of dinosaurs or earlier. And they're still around. Have the same sense of awe for woodlice, too. Wonderful to think of the age of the earth. It puts our own puny lives, joys and sorrows, in perspective.

Thanks to Sue for suggesting they deserved a blip all to themselves. (Oh, OK, they ended up sharing their spotlight with a dinosaur, but he's there to add scale - in more ways than one.)