Helping the environment!

I had the BEST day today.

Mom and Auntie Mo (and LUNA came too!) volunteered with REI, Earth Corps and Friends of the Hylebos to do Upland restoration/planting at Spring Valley Ranch on the upper reaches of Hylebos Creek. We planted FIVE HUNDRED Douglas Fir and Big Leaf Maples that will help cool the water so that salmon can survive and spawn.

We got VERY cool “Get Dirty” shirts!!!



It was a GREAT day that a slug can feel GOOD about; Look at the good work we did!




We did have one very scary moment. After all the hard work LUNA was missing. Auntie Mo almost cried, I did cry. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing my best friend. I was one panic stricken slug. Auntie Mo searched through her pack over and over again, and Mommy was going to “shake down” all the girl scouts that were there. She said, “Girl Scouts are NOT “goodie goodie; I should know, I was one!” Luckily, Luna was hiding in Auntie Mo’s jacket pocket, so it was all OK.

After all that great, hard work, we went up to Buck Creek in the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest to mushroom hunt and check out some new trails.

I LOVE riding in Auntie Mo’s car!



But even better than riding in the car, is riding on Mom’s backpack. I’m such a lucky slug!!!



I’ve got to get off the computer now. Mommy says that she needs to get in a hot bath, and I’m not allowed unsupervised internet access.

That’s it for now…

~DTES

More fun in the forest!!!

Auntie Mo and my Mom took me and Luna on another mushroom hunting adventure after work today.

We found all sorts of baby Chanterelles, but they won’t be ready for a few more days. So we did some exploring and took pictures of all sorts of interesting mushrooms.

But the best picture was of Luna and I (we were naughty and stayed out after dark!)



That’s all for now…

~DTES

Hide and Seek !!!

I got to go out mushroom hunting with my Mom and Auntie Mo yesterday. They were looking for Chanterelles.

The Chanterelles were hiding, so I decided that I’d hide too.



As it turns out, we were in the right place, they just weren’t big enough to pop out from under the leaves yet. We’re going back in a couple of days when the sun comes out.

We did find all sorts of other cool mushrooms that they took pictures of; they are on my Mom's blog.

Maybe Luna will come with us next time

That’s all for now…

~DTES

My Lost Lake Backpacking adventure

I had such a GREAT weekend. My Aunt Tony brought my brother Foster to visit and we went backpacking with our other friend Don. I wish Auntie Mo had been able to come along this time and bring my friend Luna. Maybe next time...

We went backpacking in the Norse Peaks Wilderness and camped at Lost Lake!!!



We got to ride on their backpacks so we could see everything. The forest there is so pretty.



Since it was very cold at night, Mom let me sleep with her in her nice, warm down sleeping bag. We sat by the campfire most of the night before bed (after hiking around the lake of course)



After we got done backpacking, we were all cold, tired, wet and hungry so we had Mexican food



As a responsible slug, I made sure that no one had more than one “weak ass” margarita and had lots of food and water so that they were safe to drive.



My mom is posting the whole adventure to her blog

http://www.awildcelticrose.blogspot.com

and all the pictures are here

http://www.wildcelticrose.net/lisasplace/lostlakefallbackpack.html

This was a great weekend!!!

That’s all for now…

DTES

My Point Defiance Adventure

Here I am on Five Mile Drive at Pt Defiance Park, where my mom and Aunt Molly took me for a walk. It was misting and lightly raining out, and all cool, green and mossy just like home (the Quinault rain forest). I was looking for some of my cousins but didn’t see any.



Here I am overlooking the Narrows (an area of the Puget Sound between Pt Defiance and Gig Harbor/Vashon Island) I am sitting on a Madrona (known as Madrone to the South and Madrona from the Puget Sound and North of the Canadian Border, eh.) Tree. My mom especially likes them because they are related to the Manzanita where she grew up. Both have very cool red bark that peels and are evergreen. Madronas only live within a few miles of salt water. Madronas are cool!



and here I am enjoying fall color. My mom wanted to take my picture in a Japanese Elm in the Zen Garden, but Aunt Molly liked these leaves better. It’s best to give Aunt Molly what she wants.



And this is the ferry Rhododendron coming into the Pt Defiance ferry dock from Vashon Island. I love the ferry. Maybe my mom will take me on a ferry ride one of these days!



Mommy’s going to dragon boat practice later. I don’t think she’ll take me today. The weather isn’t good and the water may be rough. She said it wouldn’t be good for a slug to fall into salt water.

[sigh]

I’m sure I’ll have another great adventure soon.

Until then, that’s it for now…

~DTES

Play date for tea and geeking

Luna and I finally got to spend some time together today.

I’m so excited to be taking a trip in the computer bag!



Our moms brought us to the Mandolin Café for tea and computer geeking. My aunt Morgain (Auntie Mo) likes the free WiFi Luna is a Mac Bunny and I’m a PC slug, but we get along just fine.



Depending on how long we’re here there will be live music.



That’s it for now. I’m going to Pt Defiance tomorrow on another great adventure.

~DTES

Darwin does the Tacoma waterfront (and gets political)

I had so much fun today!

My mom Lisa and her friend Morgain took me for a walk on the waterfront today after they got off work. (I napped with Bad Kitty today) Morgain didn’t bring Luna, which made me sad, but we’re going to meet for tea at the Mandolin Café tomorrow afternoon. We’re going to have so much fun!!! While our humans geek on the computer, we’re going to PLAY!!!

I LOVED the fishing pier, but Mommy wouldn’t let me go out there. She said that someone might use me for bait!



They have a very cool fire boat on display. I want to be a fire slug! You may not know this, but slime is an excellent fire suppressant. It works by cooling AND smothering. (removing heat and oxygen, two thirds of the “fire triangle”) See how my antennae are pointing the same way as the fire nozzle?



but the REALLY cool thing, is that I got to PROTEST!

United for Peace of Pierce County was out protesting against the bogus war in Iraq. The really cool guy that let me slime his protest sign is also a member of Veterans for Peace. If anyone has a moral and ethical right to protest, it’s a veteran who has “been there, done that”

Even a SLUG knows that this war is wrong and immoral



It’s been a busy day, and I’ve got another busy one tomorrow. I’ve got a "play date" tea with Luna tomorrow and a visit to Point Defiance with Molly on Sunday.

I am such a social slug! (but social slugs don't turn into social butterflys)

That’s it for now…

~DTES

In my new home

Mom was tired last night and had to get up early to go to work this morning, so I spent the day getting used to my new home.

There are a lot of interesting things in this tiny space and it’s quite cozy.

My new sister is Bad Kitty.

She sure sleeps a lot. She tried to ignore me (actually, she spent most of the day ignoring me) but finally came around and starting sniffing me. I thought she was going to nibble on my antennas, but she licked them instead and then gave me a bath. She made a funny face and then went back to sleep.

I think she likes me.



That’s all for now…

~DTES

My first post and adventure! (how I got adopted and brought home)

Today was a great day.

My brother and I were slugging around our bin in the gift store at the Lake Quinault Lodge where my new Mommy Lisa, her friend Tony and other friends came to have clam chowder for lunch after a backpacking trip to the beach.

They dug through the bin to find the best slugs, which were my brother and I of course.

They would have paid full price for us (we’re way too cute to resist) but all the stuffed animals were 30% off, so that gives them more money to take us on adventures and get us “slug treats”

My tag said that my name is “Foster” (what’s all this fuss about Bananas Foster?) and that my favorite food is Lichens. (I like chocolate, clam chowder, pizza and beer too!)

She named me Darwin because of my arms. She said I was “evolved”.

Here are Tony and my brother and my new Mom Lisa and I saying goodbye to the gift shop.



I am so happy riding in the car with mom.



My brother and I enjoyed the view from the dashboard



We got to take a break with the other pets at the Elma Rest Stop. Everyone said that I was “soooo cute”



I love riding in my mom’s backpack! I plan to spend a LOT of time there…



Until next time…

~DTES