Christmas fern spores

It continued raining in the morning, and it remained very warm—near 60 by the time the sun came out in the afternoon. In between showers, I went out for a walk along the usual route, and though very little was going on, I did spot a few things of interest. The various moss species are greening up, in response to moisture, and, near them, evergreen Rock Polypody ferns have soaked up water and perked up on the rock ledge they call home. One frond, however, had already called it quits and drooped, exposing its spore clusters on the leaf's underside. Whenever I see these I chuckle. Years ago, when I was starting out as a naturalist, I had more enthusiasm than knowledge. I was leading a group of young teens, and when I spotted a similar fern, I brought the kids close and told them that we'd found insect eggs. Most were impressed, but one young budding botanist rolled his eyes, looked at me harshly, and declared, "No, they're spores." He didn't say, "No, you idiot..." or, worse, "No, you fraud..." But I got his point. Read nature and books... especially guide books.