Author: Diana Blakney

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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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Watch out, Scotch broom!

Zachary, Alex and Robert discuss how best to discourage Scotch broom and its progeny.
En route to our mission, we found three blockages to the forest road on the Rock Creek trail.
Bill and Zachary seek and destroy.
Robert and Zachary are mortal enemies of the dread invasive.
Robert and Zachary spot some Licorice fern growing on a Big Leaf maple and insist on tasting its tasty roots.
Tory’s tulips are so pretty.
Torti takes a much-needed break from hunting.
The chicken house is really going to be nice.
Sid cleans the old hive in preparation for the new bees.
The new bees are eager to start work.
The Annex is looking good now that dry wall has been applied.

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Rock Creek map from 1851

The attached 1852 map shows the Marys River flowing right by Shiver River. According to the local historian who sent this to me, this means that what is now Rock Creek was considered the primary source of Marys Peak and it directly connected Marys Peak and Marysville. This also means that the Rock Creek dam and other human impacts completely changed the hydrogeomorphology of the area until the drainage from Summit and the Tum Tum River overpassed the drainage coming from Rock and Greasy Creek. You will also note that Marys Peak was called Mt. Snelling. That was but one of 8 names for the mountain over a 40 year period. The name Marys Peak did predate 1852, but each mapmaker just used the last parochial name they heard from a local person as there was no consistent naming database that had yet developed.

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January

Alex is back at the farm, ready to start another term. Zia (Sandra) and Rossana admire the work Alex and Sid have done on the chicken house, and Bill, Bianca, Julius and Jessica admire it as well.
Wood from Grampa Brent’s tractor shed adds a touch of nostalgia to the chicken house.
Jessica and Julius walk down to the creek.
The creek is fascinating … too fascinating for comfort.
The rip rap stayed solidly in place throughout the recent high water!
Sid had one of the two farm milk cans sand blasted to get rid of the rust. It worked so well we will do the second one as well.
A pear tree was needed to replace one that died.
Pear tree in its new home.

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