Thirteen tiny yellow petals = danger:
Tansy Ragwort can be lethal to your horses or cattle. It is listed on the Wash. State Noxious Weed Control Board as a weed the landowner must control (RCW 17.10). Trouble is, in our 86th Ave. area, there is a ton of St. John’s Wort, which looks very similar. They grow together in the same areas, especially along the sides of roads, are both about 3 feet high, and have the same size yellow flower (similar to dandelion), except for one difference…St. John’s Wort has five petals on every flower. It also has small, narrow, smooth leaves, where the Tansy Ragwort has deeply indented, rough-looking leaves and more (13) narrower yellow petals on each flower. I easily spotted the 5-petaled St. John’s Wort growing beside our long gravel driveway, but several looked more like they might be the 13 petaled Tansy Ragwort? Yes, they were and I pulled them up all the way down the driveway, and then kept finding more on 86th so I continued and cleared up 86th about halfway up to 224th. The Tansy would hide among a wide bunch of St. John’s Wort, but by now I had a sharp eye for those 13 little petals. You can, too.
To the children:
Have you noticed the big iron gate in front of Grand Firs? It is because they want to have a little more control over who comes into their neighborhood. so if you want to visit a friend there, you might like to give them a phone call first to let them know you are coming. It is a polite thing to do.
Every Classroom grows food:
A young student at Spanaway Elementary was helping pull weeds at “God’s Garden” next to the Methodist Church in Spanaway. He said proudly that his school has a garden, too, and each classroom is given a part of it to take care of, He didn’t say whether the vegetables are used in the school lunch.
Garry Stutz:
the retired computer expert in Graham, is in Kenya helping families raise their standard of living by installing egg incubators powered with solar PV panels feeding into a car battery connected to a heater and thermostat keeping the eggs at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Shadrack built a 60 egg incubator, while Fednand built one for 220 eggs. Our Graham Business Association collected and donated $866 toward Garry’s work in Kenya. Meanwhile, his son, Brad, carries on the Computer House Calls business on Meridian.
All Aboard:
For a fantastic family experience, hop on board the new train going from Freighthouse Square to Northwest Trek via Eatonville. The next September 20th all day excursion leaves Tacoma at 9 a.m. Check nwtrek.org for details, or phone 360-832-7170. On the way, listen to your neighbor and author Andy Anderson relate stories of Old Graham andvicinity, as the train chugs past the very places he is talking about. Andy will have copies of the second edition of his poplualr book, In the Shadow of the Mountain, on board. But you can also phone him at 847-6182, and run up to his house at 22809 86th to get one. Rosalie (Country Curl-23807 86th) has them for sale, along with Wally Balmer at the liquor store. It’s a fascinating conversation starter, especially for you “newcomers” out there. His website is www.grahamhistory.com .
Three Cups of Tea
is the best-selling true story everyone is talking about. Greg joins an expedition to climb treacherous K-2 in Pakistan, gets lost coming down, and wanders into a remote village. His life changes abruptly, as he promises that village (and eventually many more) that he will somehow get a school built for them. But first, a bridge must be built, a powerful and instructive love affair ended, and $12,000 obtained (from Seattle). You can check www.threecupsoftea.com or the Central Asia Institute, P.O. Box 7209, Bozeman, MT 59771, www.ikat.org, or 1-406-585-7841. Also www.penniesforpeace.org.
Two new houses being built:
Pete and Mary, at 23005 86th, are finally beginning the house they’ve dreamed of for 12 years while living in the mobile home. The foundation will soon be ready to pour. And a short way up 239th you will see another dream home on two acres ready for the roof. It is for the Bergmans and their shitzu dog, Leo. They will be moving up from Vancouver to join our neighborhood and be nearer their friends here.
September Roadside Cleanup:
Many hands make light work. No date set yet, but with the support of Adopt-a-Road, we hope to spend a couple of hours in safety vests picking up roadside trash on 86th. Call Andy at 847-6182 if you are able to help organize this event. Reward for participation? Time of day? Ideas?
