Wasps in the Greenhouse

Today I took another carload of stuff down. I brought our dog Emmylou along for company, which thankfully didn't make me any more anxious about driving than usual. In fact my palms didn't sweat at all. Progress! Someday I may even drive on I-5.

I was also there to meet the wasp removal guy. He sucked them all up with a vacuum and destroyed the nest. I was prepared to deal with the nest myself, but I'm glad I didn't have to. And now I get to focus on the greenhouse, which is very exciting. Seriously, I've wanted one for so long, and we get a place that already has a huge one? Awesome!

I spent a little time removing some ivy from one of the walls, pulled up a bit of scotch broom, and deadheaded peonies, but quickly gave up. The time window for the wasp guy was noon to two, and I concluded it was a bit foolhardy to do yard work on a very hot sunny summer afternoon. More of a morning project, you know?


So Emmylou and I set off to explore a little on foot. The top of the bluff has been logged (done illegally by the last tenants to pay their rent!) so it looks how you might expect: big piles of logging debris are situated randomly, along with a few trees that remain standing. Obviously because they weren't good enough to sell, as they're pretty scraggly. These piles have been sitting for a while and a few things have happened that I have observed: everything is becoming covered with this creeping purple-flowered vine called vetch, scotch broom is invading, and there are a bunch of anthills. So nature is taking over, slowly but surely.


Between the property entrance/main gate and the house on top of the bluff, there's a long gravel driveway which winds through the forest and at one point crosses a creek. To the side of the bridge is a small cabin which has a caved-in roof from a tree branch falling on it. I explored inside quickly, but aside from maybe salvaging some things it seems in pretty poor shape.


The creek is flooded, probably due to damming by beavers, but it could just be a fallen tree for all we know right now. Our landlord told us this area right near the cabin and creek used to be horse pastures, but now it's a reed-filled swamp. Emmy lost no time in diving right into the stream, of course, and with that it was time to leave for Seattle.