Mt. St. Helens

This is Spiril Lake before the May 18 eruption

We went to Mt. St. Helens on September 10, 2008, to work on my Forestry Merit Badge. On May 18, 1980 Mt. St. Helens erupted, blowing away 1,300 feet of the summit. The eruption killed 57 people. Ten million trees were flattened in seconds. After almost 30 years the mountain is still recovering, however the first trees planted after the eruption are ready to be harvested.

The Toutle River above the Sediment Dam

Reforested areas of the mountain and the crater

The Burke Museum

The Burke Museum features changing exhibits for the general public to enjoy on subjects ranging from current research and recent discoveries in natural history to the finest traditional and contemporary cultural arts.

My favorite part was about all the dinosaurs, even though they say that the dinosaurs lived millions of years ago (I'm really interested about dinosaurs since I read "Jurassic Park").

When my mom was little she saw a mummy at the Burke Museum but its not on display now.

Notes from Erica: The Museum is on the University of Washington campus just off the main entrance on 45th. It is free the first Thursday of the month. You can sign up for an educator newsletter and see the classes and workshops they offer in the Natural History discipline. Last year they did some workshops for Boy Scouts to earn their Geology Merit Badge (of course we had just finished that the month before). Evolution is very prevalent but they have fabulous skeletons and exhibits. We saw special exhibits on Antarctica and gemstones as well as Native cultures of the Pacific Rim.

Primroses bring thoughts of Spring

Do flowers mean anything to you? Can you pinpoint a bouquet of a type of flower and remember what makes it special?

When we were dating Ryan sent bouquets of roses regularly.

The time John Lyons sent me 3 yellow roses just for being a friend stands out.

When we lived on Guam there was bouganvilla and hibiscus and plumeria all over the place but the one flower that stands out isn't even one that I saw- there was one road that if you drove it in the evening after a rain then you could smell the wild orchids. It was wonderful and fleeting and if we ever get back to Guam it will be the first place I go.

We came back to the States in the fall, it was cold and gray and dismal. When I went into labor with Taryn they told me to go walk. We discovered the tulip fields in Skagit Valley. Tulips and Taryn go hand in hand. We try to go to the fields each spring, usually to Mossyrock but we may try the Willamette Valley this year, I've heard its beautiful.

Taryn was diagnosed with leukemia in October, by January I was ready to go home and let it all be over. For the first time I really noticed primroses when they appeared in the stores. I bought some and enjoyed them but 2 winters later after she had died the appearance of primroses reminded me that there is still Hope and Spring is coming. Each winter I've bought a pot or two or three to remind me. Last winter they appeared the week that we lost Ahvri, God wanted to make sure I knew that it's okay, there is still hope in this world, and better things are coming.

Yesterday was beautiful, I went out and poked around in the flower beds, The daffodils have buds, the snowdrops are up, and my primroses are starting to bloom. I've never had much luck growing tulips but every primrose I've ever bought gets planted in the flower beds. One of these days the entire yard is going to be covered in red and yellow and purple blooms. Oh, and I have one very special double primrose that was a gift after Taryn died.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am. John 14:1-3

~erica

Aberdeen Museum of History

We've been to Aberdeen countless times and had no idea this gem of a museum even existed. It was $5 for the whole family. It's on 3rd Street close to the high school in the old Armory building.

The Aberdeen Museum of History uses period furnishings from the town's pioneer days. It has photographs, as well as antique fire-fighting equipment, an old Model-T, and an exhibit about logging in the Aberdeen area. It also tells about the fire that happened in 1903, and how they fought it. My favorite part was learning about an old telegraph machine.

Tokeland Hotel and Washaway Beach

We went out to the beach to see if we could see the ship that had been uncovered by recent storms out at Washaway Beach- on the coast just north of Tokeland and just south of Grayland. We couldn't find the ship but we drove through Tokeland and saw the Tokeland Hotel.

The present building took part of its original shape in 1885 as the home of William S. Kindred and the daughter of the homesteader, Elizabeth Brown. In 1889, the Kindreds expanded their farmhouse and opened the Kindred Inn. Two steamers, Shamrock and Reliable, made trips from South Bend to Tokeland. Mr. Kindred used to meet the boats with a big, horse-drawn tally ho. It was during this time that Tokeland gained a reputation as a fine beach resort, attracting guests from as far away as Idaho and southern California.

MagiQuest at Great Wolf Lodge

This is something called MagiQuest, it is at Great Wolf Lodge, it's really FUN!
You get to choose a wand. There are different kinds of wands to choose from.
You also get a little booklet that tells you what to do and where to go. Here are some pictures from MagiQuest:

The Lady in the Wall gives you your Portal Rune

After you find all the Runes you get to fight the dragon

You can reactivate your wands to play for another 4 days at any time. Mom says next time the weather is really icky and we have Cabin Fever she'll take us up and activate our wands and we can run around all day while she sits by the fireplace and knits and sips Starbucks.

Museum of History and Industry

MOHAI traces the 150-year history of Seattle with compelling artifacts, images, films and oral histories. There are exhibits about the salmon industry, the maritime industry, Boeing development, and about the fire in Seattle on June 6, 1889. There are lots of hands-on exhibits for young children. My favorite part was the exhibit about the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, which happened in Seattle in June-October of 1909.

Tovah and Jonah packed salmon into tins- they wouldn't have made the cannery any money at the speed they worked.

Old labels are so cool.

Figureheads off of shipwrecked vessels. They were believed to protect the boat, Hmmm...

MOHAI is free the first Thursday of each month. According to their website they are moving to Lake Union Park into the old Naval Reserve building. They will be just down the hill from the Seattle Center.