|
Finally got to visit Hawthorne Farm. Loved it. Great to see such a passionate project in action. This summer when I got to spend some time in Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula, I tried to find out more about the creek running close to our rental.
During the research I learnt about a group restoring Ennis creek and then came across this song son Wes wrote for his Mom to acknowledge restoration efforts. I think it's beautiful, the story as well as the song: Lifeline Monday: Wander at Schmitz Slugs, mud, log Looked at crusty lichen on big trees Got to Linne Doran late Chatted Emailed til 2 Tuesday: Heard alarm at 6 Not a happy camper Learned about Linne Doran History Went on a bird wander Saw a grey jay maybe Learnt more about bird language Presented spotted towhee pipilo Cool stories about poly robins Senses Tired Walked to Mosswood w Genevieve Chatted with Rowan + Maggie Went to Tolt with Allegra Camas is Self-Heal Deer Ear Bird long white brown Weird poop Pizza This morning when I stepped outside for a second, I heard a very loud crunch on the right Douglas fir out front. I waited a bit and then the little fluffy tail came in site. I waited a bit more and my neighbor squirrel positioned itself on a little branch carrying a big nut or acorn in his mouth. The sound when he climbed head down the trunk to get to the branch was amplified, almost screaming at me. I do think he knows me. He rarely screams at me even if I pass under the tree. He nibbed a bit on his food before dashing off over his highway - from one Doug to the next over the cherry into the Cedar.
One of my goals is to earn his trust and be able to get closer. Also to find out if he is in fact a 'he'. When I stepped out in the afternoon to go to my sit spot there were two of them in the tree. One climbing down a very brittle, dried up looking branch, I would avoid if I was a squirrel. ...just not yet.
Washington had a big cloud of smoke move in from the South and the air quality was very unhealthy. I already felt some discomfort from the smoke on Friday and I was happy I didn't need to be outside all day in the smoke, and a bit sad Anake got postponed. It gave me time to help my best friend get her new house a bit more ready, which I wanted to do - and to get things more in order at home before I am taking off half of the week for the rest of the year. We had our Orientation Day yesterday. Strix Occidentalis. 2 Clans.
The smoke moved in quickly and it was nice to have the face masks. I particularly enjoyed the walk and learning that my sit spot for years is between the 'Cable Tree' and the Ancestor Hill. I also got to visit my sit spot and decided to put some intentions in my Anake year and remembered how Kyle introduced me to the site and demonstrated his skills on the log in the Enchanted Forest. So, I took this and thought what would Kyle do and started rolling down from my sitting position and lay above the big old stump where the 3 little birds visited me a while ago, where I got inspired to learn about the Hemlock, Cedar and Huckleberry, I didn't know yet. I loved to lay there in the still and look up in the tree tops. Another perspective. A bit of playfulness and cheer build-in.  On August 22nd in the afternoon we met with Stu and Helen from the Puget Ridge Edible Garden. First, Emory and Sarah welcomed the other Ambassadors and parents to PREP and Stu and Helen gave an introduction on how we would make cider using an apple press. While we picked up all the apples from a giant apple tree in the middle of the garden, some more people arrived to join us. We worked together pretty well and it did not take long at all to fill up the giant wheelbarrow and all crates with apples. We started sorting all the apples we found on the ground and ended up with one pile of good apples, we then washed in a big tub of water and cut them up in four pieces. The other apples went on a compost pile so nothing would be wasted. It smells pretty sweet. All the cut up good pieces ended up in an apple masher. We took turns turning the handle to mash. Whenever the bucket was full we dumped the mashed up apples into a big cider press. Rusty and Marco helped us using the press. The cider ran into a red circular spout and dripped into big Mason jars we all brought, so we could take some fresh pressed apple cider home with us. Once we had our first batch we all got to try some and everyone was pretty happy with the final result. We also learnt that the difference between apple juice and apple cider is that apple juice is more processed and apple cider usually has some chunks or pieces of apples still in them. Emma also gave us a little tour of the Garden and we harvested a few carrots from her little fenced-in experimental area to showcase how many different things can grow in only a very limited space. We all had a lot of fun and can't wait to come back. We recommend you visit, too.   After a long rollercoaster ride through many many potholes up the steep hill to Mt. Tuam in our 36 year old VW Bus Willie, Sarah needed a little bit to orient herself to the new environment at Camp. It didn't take her too long to figure out how to make new friends. She was in the 'Leafwalking Bandits' group with the 10 to 12 year olds with more girls than boys and the 3 instructors, Barnaby, Stephanie and Teresa. They practiced a lot of skits, played Quiddich (from HP) but some nearby wasps made it not fun for everyone. It seemed to be a common theme, as whenever the group tried to play games something else came up instead, so Sarah can't remember playing much games. The nonstop request for snacks from one very hungry starving fellow helped the rest of the group get snacks earlier and earlier every day. They found a very pretty hangout spot with a bunch of trees and a nice ocean view. The initially spot wasn't as nice, but after some search parties for a better home they all agreed on the new spo being awesome. So pretty. Sarah (Ladybird Beetle, short: Bird) made 2 new best friends, Spiderwasp and Rosegall. They discovered making leather pouches at the skill tent and were quite crafty. They also liked to chat a lot and Sarah was a little surprised how quickly she become best friends with the friendly boy with crutches (he had a rock fell on it 2 weeks before Camp). The Bandits also played Foxtails (stealing Bandanas out of each others pockets in a circle) with the Fawn families. Sarah's favorite part was when she (Bird) and Spiderwasp volunteered to help out a Fawn family, one with little ones, and got to watch a 3 year old girl during mealtimes. She didn't like to be quiet for a long time during campfire to listen to very long stories, but really liked the yummy dessert for lunch.   Sarah and Emma inviting the group to Puget Ridge Edible Garden.
 Just saw this at the pump, which is at least making some aware about the relationship of pumping gas and releasing dirty emission. Bold move to connect this. Pump here. Plant trees. I am still trying to figure out how much of this campaign is green washing vs. real action. The Facebook posts are all pretty vage. This one is also a bit confusing. Do they mean the carbon that is sequestered by the trees planted stretches over 80,000 acres? I would rather know how much emission 7-Eleven produces by the gas they sell per year and how much of that they offset with this campaign.  On the website they show a list of projects and one is even one with the Green Seattle Partnership I steward with. I would like to know if they pay for the trees, organize events, send volunteers, promote the events or what. It would have been nice if they would have included more details what they actually do.
 Planted 20 trees and shrubs and braved heavy snow.
|
AuthorCurious Bee. Forest Steward. Nature Nerd. Climate Activist Mom. Categories
All
Archives
September 2020
|
RSS Feed
