Guest Of Dishonor

Day 254: The Guest of Dishonor at today's All-Park Safety Meeting and Employee Orientation was Monochamus scutellatus, the White-Spotted Sawyer, a notorious predator of spruce and pine forests. I knew it only as a long-horned beetle of some type, so requested expert help in making an identification. I don't "do" insects. It's hard enough to manage wildflowers and specific families of lichen, so when something like this chap shows up, I turn to someone with the proper skill set, someone who is as passionate about their field as I am about mine. Knowledge is the common currency among naturalists, and for the most part, it passes freely between disciplines to contribute to a greater comprehension of the whole. The search for knowledge drives us; the sharing of that knowledge is equally compulsive. Feed us, and we will grow. Turn us on, and you may find that we don't have an "off" switch, but it is all a part of our enthusiasm for the natural world.

Sculptor's Studio

Day 22: Dan Klennert's studio is easy to spot if you're driving up to Mount Rainier National Park's Nisqually entrance. Two miles out of Elbe, you'll see a lifesize metal giraffe standing by the side of the road. It's not the kind of thing you could drive past without noticing, and that's just your introduction to "Recycled Spirits of Iron." Dan is a man of considerable talent. He has the ability to visualize the shapes of things out of their normal context, and to assemble them into very recognizable forms. He works primarily in recycled metal and "found" driftwood (of which there is no shortage in Alder Lake).

Dan and I have known each other for something like twenty-five years. I stopped by his studio today, stuck my head in the door and yelled, "You home?" A faint voice answered me from somewhere deep among shelves of nails, bolts, rake heads, gears, pipes, chain, wrenches, fittings and whatnots (strangely including a tiered crystal candelabrum). I ventured further in, peering into nooks and crannies in the hopes of catching the sculptor in a creative pose. When I finally found him, I was somewhat disappointed. He was working on an ATV, engaged in the purely mundane mechanics of repair. When I asked if he'd mind if I took a few shots inside the studio, he apologized for the chaos. He'd been bringing the more delicate pieces indoors for the winter.

He went back to his work and left me to prowl around at my leisure. I had taken quite a few photos and was getting ready to leave when I noticed the light on this driftwood horse where it stood in a darkened corner. For once, I had my tripod with me, so I was able to capture the moment in HDR.

Sad Story

Day 203: I don't happen to know the legend depicted by this story pole, if indeed it tells a genuine tale, but the characters are prominent figures in local history. The base shows Coyote, a mischief-loving prankster who often matched wits with Raven who, although almost obscured by moss, surmounts Bear in the center. I can't immediately recall a legend which involves the three together, but I'm sure there must be a few. I do remember when the pole was freshly carved and newly painted, and being sad when we drove by one day years later and it was laying on its back as if waiting for the forest to reclaim its heart of cedar. I was glad when persons unknown stood it upright again and retouched the peeling paint, to have it reestablished as a landmark on the road to Mount Rainier, a mile or so outside the Nisqually gate. I did not notice the moss encroaching until one sunny morning it caught my eye and I remarked in passing, "Dang, that shapeshifter Raven's gone and got himself a green bill. I see you, Raven. You're not fooling me! You're not a Grosbeak." But Raven never shed his disguise. In fact, it kinda grew on him until his whole head was green.

As is the case with many creative works, this tale wanted external support. The characters, although strong, could not stand without a hefty plotline to back them up. Hmmmm...I think I just came to the moral of the story while on that last quest for metaphor. That's Raven for you: leading you to your own conclusions.