Grape Ferns - Blog Posts

It was an unremarkable bit of rock. 

Oh, the light shone down the steep step-like structure in charming beams, the moss grew fetchingly at the sides. The whole thing felt a bit like it had come out of a fairy tale as some final, end-of-the-path obstacle to overcome before the prize was found at the top. But for all that, this one particular section of Earth was no mare charming, or important or magical than any other slightly-more-scenic section. 

Until one looked closer. 

The rock was still just slate, the moss was still just moss. But the ferns on the side...those were interesting. They were an almost-extinct version of fern found only on this particular stretch of rock, and though it was a several-mile long stretch of rock, that still left the plant a relatively tiny ecosystem to inhabit. 

Every year, a carefully selected group of no more than one hundred individuals would climb the slate steps to come into contact with this strange fern and its marvelous gift: grapes. 

Not true grapes, of course. Those only grew on vines and certainly never on so inelegant a plant as a fern. And yet, here they were. Clinging to the tiny shadows of the step, their tiny red fruit bursting with sweetness and flavor, perfect for the small-batch wine that was the treasure of the local town. 

The rock was unremarkable. As was the moss. But the ferns were a tiny bit of magic lingering in a world of metal.