Above Ground Tour

  2019 Festival of Fruit Pipers Orchard Over 300 people attended the 13 th annual Piper's Orchard Festival of Fruit in Carkeek Park Seattle, Washington on October 5 th 2019. Attendees enjoyed Master gardeners, fruit tasting, cider pressing and orchard tours. For the first time in many years two apple trees were planted in the orchard. After volunteering at the Festival since 2008, I was excited to become a member of the tree planting committee until I found manual labor was involved as Paul Brookshire handed me a shovel indicating where to dig. Soil in the orchard is a hardpan glacial till similar to quick dry concrete. While digging a nearby anthill boiled ants while squirrels dropped horse chestnuts from a nearby tree! Ah these are the joys of volunteering. Our first tree, donated by Bob Baines, was an Ashmead Kernel in a 10 gallon pot. Soon a crowd formed to witness this auspicious occasion and discussions on planting apple trees and soil amendments ensued. Bob’s theory is...

  We will never forget                                                                                September 11 th 2020   Edmonds Washington Fallen Firefighter Memorial            On Friday September 11 th I took the day off and visited the Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Edmonds Washington to remember the first responders. I found flowers and a note “ We will never forget” on a steel girder recovered from the World Trade Center. Surrounding the memorial are four panels with the names of 343 first responders A Chaplain, Firefighters, EMTs, Chiefs, Capt...