Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there! There were so darned many things going on in Federal Way today that it's difficult to decide what to put in this blog. It's Mother's Day, of course. It's also the weekend of the Annual Buds-N-Bloom Festival, of which West Hylebos Wetland is not a part. It's that one lovely annual week in May where the sun shines, the sky is a beautiful cloudless blue, and the temperature is nice and warm. I left the house at 10:30 a.m. and it was already up to 61 degrees F. It's now almost 6 p.m. and my outdoor thermometer is showing 70 degrees F. Our local weather-people predict that we're going to have at least three beautiful days in a row. Throw on your shorts and run around half-naked, as most Pacific-northwesterners do during this week every year, but remember - it's going to be short-lived. We usually get about a week, but it's just a teaser. The clouds and cooler temperatures will return and we won't see warm weather again until at least the middle of July. But, talk about a blessing...Mother Nature's timing could not be more perfect.
Why, you ask? Because this is the day that the Denny Cabin opened to the public for the very first time!
Everyone's familiar with the outside of the cabin, but none of us have seen the inside of the cabin until today. The Historical Society of Federal Way has been busy restoring it for months.
The first thing I noticed upon entering the cabin was this wonderful old sign. I don't know where they've been hiding this over the years, but I'm so glad that it's finally on display.
This is what the rest of the cabin looks like. You can see through the rafters to the second floor, but the Historical Society did not actually install a floor up there. There's a window and door, but nothing solid to stand on. That's probably to discourage miscreants from taking advantage of the loft to do things they shouldn't be doing. The windows are huge, compared to the relative square-footage available inside of the cabin, so bring in a lot of light. This was probably very valuable in the age before electric lights, but I think they probably also let in a lot of cold air and I don't see a fireplace anywhere. Maybe a fireplace or stove will materialize in the future. I don't know about you, but I was so excited to be standing inside of this cabin looking out, after so many years of standing outside, just wondering about the interior.
I couldn't agree with this sign more. If you'd like to help make the past come alive, check out the Historical Society of Federal Way at www.federalwayhistory.org.
I think the cake says it all! I must tell you that if you didin't make it here, you missed some really good cake.
I was told that the event would run from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m., so arrived at 11 a.m. and immediately set my informational posters up in the covered bench at the meadow. My original intention was to arrive early and scope out the park before all of the visitors arrived and scared off the animals. To my surprise, people started showing up in the meadow shortly after 11 a.m., almost a full hour before the event was scheduled to begin, so I took that opportunity to take several groups of visitors on frog hunts instead. By 1 p.m., I was in serious need of the sani-can, so headed in that direction, only to discover that I way too far out of the action.
While I'd been sitting down in the meadow all by myself, Mayor Skip Priest, Jeanne Burbage, and Pete von Reichbauer, along with other dignitaries, were giving speeches and hanging out near the old cabins.
Along with the Northwest Carvers Association.
Bob Harkness reminded me that the Northwest Carvers Association was having their 32nd annual show and sale in the fairgrounds in Puyallup on November 10th and 11th.
Richard Mazza showed me how to play one of the beautiful flutes that he's carved. Oh, my God, I want one of these flutes so bad. They're worth every penny that he charges for them. Listening to him play them is like making a short trip to heaven. The sound makes my soul sing!
The Olde Tyme Fiddlers were playing on the east side of the Denny cabin. I love these folks! I'm usually stationed so far away from them that I never have an opportunity to hear them play, but I must tell you that they''ll have your toes tapping and your hands clapping.
Look at how beautiful this is! Just looking at it makes my heart sing all over!
Carl R. Hicks, Jr. and Erin Dorries are Civil War reenactors attached to Co. C., 4th Inf Reg't, at Ft. Steilacoom. They had a wonderful display of Civil War bits and pieces.
Including actual hardtack, which you were welcome to try at your own risk. Hardtack is nothing more than flour, salt, and water, which is fairly indestructible. Carl informed me that some hardtack was issued for consumption some 15 years after it was made. I actually accepted the dare to try some and must say that it's pretty tasteless, but in a pinch, nourishment is nourishment. It's light, doesn't rot, and provides nourishment and calories. I'm not sure a person could subsist on hardtack alone, though.
An antique fire-engine showed up.
And Umqua Bank was giving away free ice cream and bottles of water. OMG, I was so in the wrong place! After grabbing my free ice cream and bottle of water, I immediately headed for the meadow, packed up my stuff, and returned to the old cabins, where I proceeded to set up shop. I'm no dummy, I knew where the action was, and I wanted to be part of it.
I took Webelos Cub-Scout Pack 313 down to the Deep Sinks in search of frogs. I also had an opportunity to talk to a great many other visitors about the wildlife that lives in West Hylebos Park.
Linda Pratt was demonstrating how to spin wool in the old Barker cabin. We had a great talk and I hope to give her a personal tour of the park sometime in the future.
I saw the first dragonflies of the season.
I counted four big, bad, bullfrogs along the edge of Marlake.
The native Pacific trailing blackberry is in bloom.
Birds were singing their hearts out.
Frogs were everywhere!
The mallard ducklings were out on the lake. What's not to love? This has been an amazing day. I hope that each and every one of you had an opportunity to get out and enjoy it!
Teri I. Lenfest
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