Another Countdown Has Begun...
08/11/2008 - 08/17/2008
60 °F
View
Vashon
on radama's travel map.
Last week on Vashon Island! Wowie zowie how time does fly!
Last week we finished the trail around Fisher Pond by installing some spectacular stairs, had a day of bull thistle pulling with volunteers, and took the first steps of erosion control at Needle Creek. Needle Creek has turned into a miniature grand canyon because of poorly controlled drainage on the rest of the property. The sediment falling into the creek because of the erosion kills salmon eggs downstream. Our goal with our current project is to catch as much sediment as possible and temporarily prevent further erosion at the nickpoint. Last week we built 120ft suspended tarp slides down the sides of the ravine in order to get coir logs, sand bags, pipe, and other supplies down into the nickpoint with as little damage to ourselves and the land as possible. Needless to say the slides were awesome and very tempting to jump onto, but I managed to resist.
Friday we got a call from Beth, the Land Trust office manager, asking us if we wanted to go on an overnight sailing trip with her and her husband. We sailed from north Seattle in their 48ft sailboat to Blake Island. Christine and I slept on the deck under the full moon. In the morning, we explored Blake Island and headed back to Seattle sailing into the wind. Afterward, Beth and her husband Rob took us out for Thai. It was a beautiful trip, and I was reminded of how much I love being on the water.
On Sunday, I woke up early and headed over to my boss Abel’s house. I offered physical labor as his and Kim’s wedding present so we spent the morning and early afternoon working on the tree house where they will spend their wedding night. At 3 we had to get over to Beth’s house for a Land Trust board meeting potluck. I would have rather stayed at Abel’s and worked on the tree house.
I leave this lovely little island on Saturday morning to go back to Grand Rapids and finish my last semester of college. I am a mixture of excited and a little sad. I have grown attached to those I have met here and the land itself. I have found a piece of myself here I would have never found otherwise. I am also excited to hug my family and friends at “home” and to ‘hang with my girls’. But I have a week here left!
Posted by radama 08/19/2008 20:36
