I love the winter, but it’s hard not to get excited as warmer days, green growth and the flowers of spring begin to emerge.
And despite weather that changes faster than a teenager’s mood, this is a great time to get outside and get some work done.
Along with trying to keep up with the lawn and gardens at our own houses, there are lots of great opportunities coming up to be of service to our communities and neighborhoods.
Over Hill
A group I’m involved with, the Friends of the Seminary Hill Natural Area, will again invite volunteers to come together for our annual Earth Day Work Party on Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to noon.
And it is a party — we have food (cookies and hot Quiznos sandwiches), drink (coffee and tea) and lots of fun as we work together on taking care of our shared city forest.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to get your hands dirty and get good stuff done alongside other fun folks, this will be a fun day for you, indeed.
Over Dale
On Friday, April 25, Centralia College will also host a great slate of Earth Day opportunities at the Kiser Natural Outdoor Learning Lab (KNOLL). This wild block at the heart of the campus has native trees, big rocks from around the region and a good section of the channeled-but-feral China Creek flowing through it.
From 10 a.m. to noon volunteers will be picking up garbage, removing invasive weeks, mulching native plants with compost and learning about stewardship opportunities.
Then from 1 to 3 p.m. they’ll be planting native species at the KNOLL. (Lunch will be provided at noon for volunteers. Work hard then eat together. It’s a good one-two punch for parties like this.)
Tools, gloves and refreshments are provided. RSVP at bit.ly/LCEARTHDAY
We Will Put Chips on the Trail
If Easter Egg hunts aren’t your thing, come down to Vader on Saturday, April 19 for their fifth annual Chips for Trails event at, McMurphy Park, 317 Annonen Road, from 10 a.m. to 3
p.m.
It’s another good one-two punch as parks staff and volunteers collect branches and brush to be chipped, then the chips spread on trails at this great park, which features wide open spaces and a glorious bend in Olequa Creek.
Even if you’re not up for volunteering, this is also an opportunity for Lewis County residents to drop off brush and branches to be chipped. Branches should be no larger than 6 inches in diameter. No garbage, branches with hooked thorns, leaves, building materials or plastic bags will be accepted.
To volunteer or learn more, call 360-218-4257.
As the Argyles Go Rolling Along
Sometimes you just don’t know what you’re missing. A case in point came when my sister made an offhand comment in our family’s group text chat. She mentioned that while at W.F. West High School she declared the 25th of every month to be Argyle Sock Day, and she would celebrate by wearing argyle socks when the 25th rolled around.
Now I love a good argyle sock (or two — a matched set is even better). How on earth did I miss this holiday? It’s been (coincidentally) 25 years since she graduated, and at 12 months a year, that’s a lot of holidays squandered.
As the inglorious return of my Dad Joke of the Week, I’ll tell you my response to my sister, which I thought it was apt and punny: “Argh! I’ll miss no more of them.”
See what I did there? (Read the first two words aloud. Haha!)
Happy belated Argyle Sock Day to all who are inclined to celebrate. We are a small but mighty crew. Let me know if you’ll be joining us on April 25 and beyond for Argyle Sock Day.
As presidential candidate Richard Nixon famously said on Laugh In nearly 60 years ago: “Sock it to ME?”
Brian Mittge is a community enthusiast who has written for The Chronicle since 2000 as a reporter, editor and columnist. He can be reached at brianmittge@hotmail.com.
