LIttle Work in December

The weather has been a bit frightful this month. Either cold or wet or both. So, Jim cancelled the last two Sundays even though in the past we have actually worked in worse weather.

We did walk through the park last Sunday (Dec. 18). Starting on Meridian, we quickly went to the area north of the Trail of Cedars. We noticed some broken branches that have yet to hit the ground.

This one is worth keeping an eye on.

This fallen branch is conveniently held up by a hazel.

The ponds are iced over but the ice isn't that thick.

South pond

North pond

We then took a good look at the oil absorbents that have been placed in the north pond and in Thornton Creek by the north parking lot. It seemed to us that the fabric below had done its job, picking up oil. Unfortunately, it now looked as if it had become the source of the oil downstream. We didn't see any evidence of oil upstream; we could see a small amount flowing into the north pond.

I emailed Kirk about this. In turn, he forwarded my message to Surface Water. On Monday morning, Uki Dele, Shoreline's Surface Water and Environmental Services Manager let me know that city staff contacted Seattle City Light. I appreciated the quick response!

This coming Sunday is Christmas Day so the next working Sunday will be in 2017.

First Snow Fall

On Thursday night, it snowed. I noticed after 9 that it was coming down pretty hard. Friday morning, there were at least couple of inches on the ground. I decided to take a walk through the park.

Great use of the soccer field!

North pond, from east side.

Walking across the isthmus.

Another view.

Looking toward the Southern Forest from the trail west of the south pond.

Wetland south of the south pond.

South pond.

On a cut-up log of Lombardy poplar, west of north pond.

I took this photo not because I thought it was pretty but because I didn't remember the tree leaning like that.

Where Thornton Creek flows in the north pond.

Wetland west of the Arboretum.

The redwood trees behind the Arboretum

The stately young sequoia.

More trees planted by John.

Looking to the east in the Arboretum Annex.

Last photo of the walk!

Freed Three Trees

On Sunday, Dec 4, Jim and I headed out to the Southern Forest, taking the path from the Jobox. The path eventually crosses with another from the Trail of Cedars and they both intersect with a channel or gully that mostly runs parallel to the Trail of Cedars. In the summer, this gully gives the impression of being a dried up creek bed. Right now, it is filled with water. Somewhat hard to see in the photo below due to the leaves but you can see how the land dips down and how it may have been formed by soil eroded by running water.

We went to the area on the other side of the felled black locust. We noticed that something has been digging holes, really not sure what could have created them.

Jim wanted to tackle some blackberry that was growing high and weaving into three fir trees. It had gotten difficult to see the trees due to the blackberry. I decided to work on the nearest tree:

This is the tree after the blackberry was removed from all around it:

In removing the blackberry, I also found two non-native items: a plastic ball and a metal box. The box was empty.

After completing our task for the day, I walked by the small compost pile I started few weeks ago. It turns out both the Herb Robert and the creeping buttercup in the pile are living and growing. That was an easy lesson learned: Do not leave Herb Robert and creeping buttercup to compost on the ground under moist conditions!