Maybe I’m just weird, but while most young boys my age were lusting over Annette Funicello or Sky King’s niece Penny, I was in love with Morticia Addams, the matriarch of the Addams Family on our old black and white television.
Maybe it was her high cheekbones, or the long black hair, or those octopus legs; whatever it was about the woman, I was in love. Or at least lust. And though she was probably the original Goth girl, Morticia had a soft side to her. Who can forget her lovingly feeding her African Strangler plant, which she named Cleopatra?
I think Morticia would have felt right at home if she would have visited the Darlingtonia Wayside with us last week, which is located a few miles north of Florence, Oregon.
The small day use wayside has picnic tables and restrooms and a path that leads to an interesting botanical garden that is home to the interesting Darlingtonia californica, also called the cobra lily.
These carnivorous plants have yellow-green hoods and 10 to 20 inch stalks that are hollow tubes. A sweet smelling nectar attracts insects into a hidden opening into the stalk that is bordered by a large mustache-shaped appendage beneath the curved hood. Once inside, the insect becomes confused by transparent areas that appear like exits and moves deeper and deeper until it eventually drops into the lower part of the tube and is trapped by sharp downward-pointed hairs and falls into a pool of liquid at the bottom. Bacteria in the liquid decomposes the victim and it is then absorbed by the plant. Tell me Morticia wouldn’t love these things!
The plants, which are found in bogs in northern California and southwestern Oregon, flower in May and June, with hanging yellow and red blooms. The erect seed pods remain through summer and into early fall.
The next time you find yourself on the Oregon coast, stop and check out the Wayside. It will not accommodate large RVs, but smaller Class C or B vans would not have a problem.
We are still in a holding pattern, watching the weather and waiting for a break before we head south. It rained most of the day and night Sunday, and there were still high wind warnings in effect. It’s nice having our home with us so we can just bide our time until it’s safe to travel.
Terry spent most of the day making English muffins and her delicious pizza, both from scratch. Yummy! I kept busy writing, doing research for another project, and posting a new Bad Nick blog titled This And That. Good rainy day activities!
Thought For The Day – Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn’t be done. – Amelia Earhart
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Nick Russell
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Morticia was attractive, but Elvira is just plain hot! And still is! My vote has to go to Elvira as tv”s # 1 goth girl.
I’m with Terry M !!!