Author: Diana Blakney

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Logging prep and Sandra to the rescue

Another tree comes crashing down … luckily nobody was on the Rock Creek trail when this “widow maker” fell
Sandra is back and is hard at work
Big Blue donated its wood pile to the farm (Tory and Robert have gas fireplaces now)
From Big Blue to the farm
The Starker clear cut has lots of slash piles now
Baby trees will be planted soon.
Dead false brome … sprayed as part of the prep for the thinning scheduled along the loop trail for August.
Timber Harvest Boundary sign posted near the entry to the Loop trail.
Trees marked with blue paint were selected for cutting.

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Big Blue’s owners at the farm

Bianca wisely keeps her distance while Sid, Tory and Robert wait for the honeybees to notice them. This hive is a wee bit more aggressive than the last, and yes … the bees did notice the observers and promptly buzzed Sid.
Bill and Sid found the strength necessary to move a huge beam after Robert and Tory treated all the Aunts and Uncles to a tasty lunch.
The old steps to the small porch died and Sid replaced them with these sturdy fellows.
Can anyone identify this flower/weed? We have been busy learning to identify Poison hemlock, Water hemlock, Cow parsnip, Cow parsley and Yarrow (we already knew how to i.d. Queen Anne’s lace). This one escaped identification UNTIL, after endless searching, Diana figured out it was Celeryleaf licorice-root.
The vetch is pretty, but it will take over given half a chance.
Ox eye daisy and vetch. So pretty.
.Scotch broom? Not pretty to these eyes

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Turbidity mystery solved

The turbidity was from routine maintenance that the City’s Water Operations do every year to clean out sediment accumulated at their intake pipes.  It usually happens in June, before the summer hits and demand for water increases, and after the last of the rains. 

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Mysterious turbidity

Last Saturday evening, Sid smelled and saw turbidity in the pond formed when Griffith Creek flows onto Shiver River property.

This photo is of the spot where the forest road crosses Griffith Creek before it joins Rock Creek.
Rock Creek was heavily affected. This photo is from our bridge.
Rock Creek above Griffith Creek was clear.
By Sunday, Rock Creek was clear again. Photo taken from the bridge.
Jess and Julius enjoyed the view on Saturday, before the stinky turbidity.
Monkeyflowers

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Bees, Rock Creek bathers, and (sigh) Scotch broom

Sawdust delivered and ready for spreading
Replacement bees installed in their new home. They are (for some reason) really angry. Is it possible these are not the easy going Italian bees?
Apparently not … Sid was chased and stung right after I took the first photo!
Abandoning the injured, Bill and Dee head out to tackle Scotch broom.
Alex, the merman
Scarlett, Gabriella’s daughter, enjoys a cold plunge during her and her mom’s holiday at Shiver River.

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Scoping out potential firewood

Rumors of a big downed fir sent Bill and I out to find it. Sid mowed a nice path for the Ranger.
The tree was rumored to be near the boundary of Shiver River/Starker.
Fern is already growing and soon there will be baby trees planted.
Aha! That root ball indicates we have found a downed fir.
One of the warning posts needed salvaging. The posts warn of the steep slope off to the right.
Grrrr…. a blooming Scotch broom
This leaning tree needs to come down. In the meantime, Bill trimmed the offending branches.
We collected a load of firewood Mike prepared the last time he was out.

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Forest Roads Mostly Cleared

The farmhoue tulips are lovely.
Sid’s office, located in the back of the small garage, has a beautiful new floor.
Not to mention a gorgeous view.
Mike the woodcutter drove most of the main forest roads over the weekend and cleared them of multiple obstructions. Bill is simply cutting a winder passage in order to get a few more pieces of firewood.
We mounted the game camera in the same general location it was in when it got the photos of all the animals a year or so ago.
This is the view I hope the camera has. That is Bill in the background, not Big Foot.
This tall Doug-fir is blocking the forest road that leads to the pond formed just past the giant culvert that brings Griffith Creek onto our property.
The pond is full and flowing in several outlets.
Something has fallen, and it sure is mossy.
This leaning tree looked hazardous.
Down it went, thanks to Bill and a bow saw.
Every place Mike cleared an obstruction, he left us firewood.
Griffith Creek looks so pretty.
You can see how nicely Sid has mowed the slope near the house.
I finally did more than take photos and pull Scotch Broom.

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Sunny day provides motivation to work (a little)

Winter and spring winds, along with rain, have created multiple blockages along our forest trails.
If the chain hadn’t slipped off of the chain saw, we might have been able to clear this one.
This one is on the loop trail. We ended up driving around it. My baby brother taught me how to be bold while driving the Ranger … gulp!
The swimmin’ hole is gorgeous and loud.
Me and my favorite dog.

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