A Walk in the Woods and Wetlands

"Mom! Hey, Mom! This way, this way! Let's go this way!" Oh, I forgot, I did. She has an agenda, today, she does. We're going onto trails she's never walked before, we are! An adventure we're off to, what fun! What fun!

We'll start off on the usual paths, we will. And be linking unexplored trails to the ones we know well, too, Mom said. Lowes Creek County Park has many trails for bikes, "leave it joggers", hikers, and us poochies on leashes. I love to come back here, I do!


We've walked for quite a while, we have. We usually don't walk this fast. There's always too much to smell and see, so we usually stop a lot, we do. But, not today!

I love walking through this part of the park, I do. It's so peaceful and tranquil. The leaves are pretty too,they are. Mom likes it too, she does.


By now we are out passed the trail "Red Flint". It turns into lots of other trails, it does. Mom's figuring out which is what and where they lead. But she knows exactly were we are, she does. If we go further east, we will be out by 93! See that blue in the top left corner? That building is on 93!


Remember Mom's blog on Waste Research and Reclamation Environmental Services? This is the back of WRR that was on fire, it is. That big black tower had huge flames coming from it, it did, and was on tv. It made really big news!

I remember it well, I do. It's not that often Mom takes me out before 7AM! But this day she did for sure, she did!

I got to see those thick black clouds of smoke, but mainly just sniffed the air. I doubt one of you would have smelled it where we lived, but Alpha sure did, he said.

He had been on 93 and got to see the huge balls of fire pouring from that tower right over there, he did.

Mom believes we are now where the polluted wetlands are. They got even more toxic after this fire, they did.


I got a drink back here. From standing water, uh oh. We just had rain, we did, but Mom was not too happy. Neither was my vet when he found out, he wasn't. "Deer ticks and toxic water--not very good", he said, shaking his head.

But pretty things still grow here, they do. We saw lots and lots of late blooming wildflowers and weeds back here! And pretty yellow butterflies and bees, too!


Look! See?! Take a peek at this, please do! Mom saw this and took two blurry pictures, she did! She said it freaked her out, it did. I did not smell what she saw. I was busy watching what Mom calls "leave it joggers", I was. But it does look like a man by the door, doesn't it, you think?

We're heading back now, we are.
Mom and I bring home little deer tick from here, we do. They are small and hard to find, even when they get bigger this time of year.

Mom forgot to put natural tick repellent on us both. She makes it with essential oils in olive oil, and it's always worked well for us, it has.


We're back to where we started from, we are. This is one of the paths us locals take to enjoy these trails. Many bicyclists ride these trails and can get in at several places.

I need another drink, I do! I can't wait to get home, I can't! We've been out here for three fun hours!

We're almost to the van! We're almost to the van, we are! I can't wait to go bye-bye in the van! We live only one block away, but Mom drives us here, she does. I don't stay in my yard, I don't, so she drives us to this local's entrance. I do think she's right, I do. If I smell my scent walking here, this would become part of my big backyard too, it would! --Mister Poochie

Fire!

Hearing strange noises coming from outside early Friday morning, I thought they must be working on our roads, again. My hubby soon left for work (around 6am) while I lay in bed, trying to rest--or fall back to sleep. Around 6:35, I decided to get up and take fido out for an early outing. As soon as we walked out the front door, we ran back inside to grab my camera. There were gigantic plumes of black smoke billowing up into the sky coming from beyond a remote section of my beloved Lowes Creek County Park, which is right across the street from us. Waste Research and Reclamation Environmental Services (WRR) was on fire!

While poochie and I were outside, I heard yet another explosion and the sound of heaving metal. Thankfully for us, the wind was carrying the smoke--and debris—in the opposite direction of our neighborhood in the country, which is maybe half a mile from the plant. Unfortunately, it blew over other residential parts of Eau Claire, necessitating precautionary evacuations, including Pine Meadows Golf Course and Fairfax pool. Highway 93 also was shut down for a total of twelve hours.

We decided to head for the Twin Cities a day earlier than planned after my hubby drove past WRR on 93 following yet another explosion. Witnessing an enormous ball of flames engulfing one of the structures, he promptly called, leaving two messages on our machine: get the kids up and dressed and ready to roll in 15 minutes. As a respiratory therapist, the father of two (mild) asthmatics, and a severe asthmatic himself, he thought it best to play it safe. Our youngest also has chemical sensitivities, so off we drove down the yellow dotted highway, heading for the hills, so to speak.

Thank the Lord, it was all but over by the time we got home, shortly after 6pm. At least the fire and smoke were gone. Unfortunately, the fate of the surrounding area’s land, due to run-off from the thousands of gallons of water used to extinguish the flames, is yet unknown. Firefighters were able to keep the toxic run-off away from Lowes Creek, but a nearby wetland, already suffering from pollutants, wasn’t as fortunate. The DNR is keeping a watchful eye on this for all of us in Eau Claire, which, by the way, is French for “Clear Water”.

Firefighters spent the night at the plant in the event another fire would start. One was later rekindled around 11am Saturday, and they were able to keep it under control. –LKR

6/23/07

Many things about tomorrow

I don’t even understand

But I know Who holds the future,

And I know Who holds my hand.