Once upon a time, when our area was under water,

there were no parks or trails or trees or gardens.

I’m thankful that our mountains rose from an ancient ocean

so we could enjoy this beautiful place we call home.

I’m thankful for the bigleaf maples

that shower me with leaves as big as saucers

as I walk in Henry Cowell along the river trail

and for the giant redwoods that sprouted long ago

at the time the Mayan civilization was developed.

I’m thankful for the five-fingered ferns that grow lush along Fall Creek

on the way to the old lime kilns

and for the canyons, hiking trails and small waterfalls

that feed the year-round creeks.

I’m thankful for the sweet music of the violist

who practices inside the Felton Covered Bridge

and for the sound of children laughing as they play in the park.

I’m thankful for the pond and western turtles who live at Quail Hollow

and for the unique sandhills, grasslands and redwoods, too,

and for the plants and other small creatures that live only there.

I’m thankful for the dog park and soccer field at Skypark

where little kids and dogs both big and small have a place of their own

and for the bocce ball court and picnic area, the skate park and Fourth of July fireworks,

for the Art and Wine Festival and Music in the Park on summer nights.

I’m thankful for Bonny Doon, where you can see the Pacific

and panoramas of the San Lorenzo and Scotts Valley,

and for the wineries, lavender farm and fossilized marine animals and sharks teeth

that are exposed in the mountain made of sand.

I’m thankful for California’s oldest state park, Big Basin, with its waterfalls and lush canyons

and slopes covered with redwood sorrel, violets and mountain iris

and for the salamanders, banana slugs, marbled murrelets

and red-legged frogs who make it their home.

I’m thankful for the whisper of the wind blowing across the water at Loch Lomond

and for the gentle whir of fishing reels at the edge

of thick tanoaks, redwoods and madrone.

I’m thankful for the views from Pasatiempo

that’s perched atop a knoll overlooking Monterey Bay

and for the golf course and historic Hollins House that we all enjoy.

And finally, I’m thankful for friends and family and neighbors who share all this with me.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

• Jan Nelson, a California certified nursery professional at Plant Works in Ben Lomond, will answer questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. E-mail her at janis001@aol.com.