*** Washington Road Signs
*** Cooperation between Genealogical & Historical Societies
***Don’t Kick These Rocks!
***What To Do With Your Rock Collection
Recently I drove from Port Angeles down to the Bainbridge-Seattle ferry. Saw two most interesting signs along that route. One was a highway department Tourist Activities sign showing three things: a distillery, a winery and a brewery. A better sign was a bit further along. This was one of those we-sponsor-road-clean up signs and was from the Geezers of Fury Bicycle Club. Liked that one way better.
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Chatting recently with Ginny Majewski and Roberta Griset (current and former Clallam County Gen Society presidents), we talked at length on the topic of the clear need for all museums, genealogical and historical societies in a given region to co-operate in their endeavors to both preserve history and serve the public. Ginny explained that there are eleven similarly-minded groups on the Peninsula and that CCGS is on the road to establish co-operating between them all. Shouldn’t this be a priority in your area?
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Smack-dab in the middle of Washington sits something you’ve zoomed past several dozen times without stopping. Just a mile north of Vantage is the Gingko Petrified Forest and Interpretive Center. This unusual forest on its 7500 acreas but they are all fossilized trees, the largest stone forest in the world. When you take the 3/4-mile walk along the Trees of Stone Interpretive Trail, you’ll see examples of more than 200 species of fossilized trees including Douglas fir, spruce, elm and the ginkgo, the rarest form of fossilized wood. And it’s a free stop!!
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Are you like me and pick up a rock or two from places you’ve traveled to visit? We even brought home a piece of granite from the Three Gorges Dam area in China in our suitcase! But then you’re confronted with what to do with those rocks. May I offer my idea? Make stepping stones for your garden!
Get some 9×13 aluminum cake pans, a bag of Quikrete, buckets for water and mixing, gloves and (most importantly) your rock collection. I spread an old tarp over the picnic table, had my rocks ready, mixed 4 soup cans of concrete mix to 3/4 can of water in a bucket and then dumped it into the cake pan. I “puddled” it with a flat piece of wood. The tray should be about two inches full. Then I placed my rocks. If it’s too soupy, they will sink out of sight. If too dry, they won’t seat well. Let them sit several days before turning them out and then several days more to ensure that they are thoroughly dry. One bag of mix made eight stepping stones. Next I’ll have my scratcher and hose ready and scratch up soil/mud in the area where I want the stone and settle it in good and tight. It will hold when the soil/mud dries. Go for it! It is a fun project.