mmegaera | Entries tagged with fort steilacoom

It’s 60 degrees outside! And the sun is shining!

Naturally, I went for a walk.

Waughop Lake is part of Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, Washington. It used to be a farm for the mental hospital across the road, where the patients doing farm work was considered therapy back in the old days. Nowadays it’s a city park, with soccer fields and a bark park (as my sister calls off-leash areas) and trails. And an old cemetery managed by a wonderful group called Grave Concerns.

Waughop Lake is not a Native American name, even though it sounds like it ought to be, at least to me. It’s named after a former superintendent of the mental hospital.

Anyway, it was a lovely spring day, and my new camera lets me take much better photos than my old one. So here’s some of what I saw.

A view across Waughop Lake from the miniature boat area (they have races there in the summertime). — A view across Waughop Lake from the miniature boat launching area (they have races there in the summertime).

Ducks. Mallards, although the angle of the sun makes it harder to see their coloration.

Canada geese are ubiquitous around here.

You may remember a recent photo I posted of some Glory of the Snow in my garden. These (and lots more) were growing in the grass near the lake. Back in the day, the wife of one of the former superintendents landscaped the area around the lake. It's mostly gone back wild, but some of the non-natives still grow and thrive there. — You may remember a recent photo I posted of some Glory of the Snow in my garden. These (and lots more) were growing in the grass near the lake. Back in the day, the wife of one of the former superintendents landscaped the area around the lake. It’s mostly gone back wild, but some of the non-natives still grow and thrive there.

I'm not positive what this is. I've heard them called coots. They're all over the place around water in this part of the world. Salt and fresh. — I’m not positive what this is. I’ve heard them called coots. They’re all over the place around water in this part of the world. Salt and fresh. ETA: According to my birder friend Katrina, this is an American Coot.

Forsythia, a non-native, but gloriously sunshine yellow.

I'm not sure what kind of bird this is, but there's no way I'd ever have been able to take a photo like this with my old camera. — I’m not sure what kind of bird this is, but there’s no way I’d ever have been able to take a photo like this with my old camera. ETA: Same source, Downy Woodpecker.

Plum blossom. Everybody and his cousin has a pink or a white ornamental plum in his or her yard here.

Not sure what this little guy is, either. The only reason I noticed him was because the closer I got to him the louder his chirps got. ETA: And this little dude is a Song Sparrow.

The pussy willows are just about done already. But they're so pretty. — The pussy willows are just about done already. But they’re so pretty.

A view back towards where I took the first photo, from the opposite side of the lake.

And that was my walk at Waughop Lake.

Mirrored from M.M. Justus -- adventures in the supernatural Old West.

Well, actually, to the Lakewood Historical Society’s new exhibit, which I researched, designed, created, and installed (in my other life as a freelance museum curator), about Lakewood’s long and deep connection with the military, from Fort Steilacoom in the mid-1800s, through Camp, later Fort, Lewis and McChord Air Force base, and on to what is now called Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Anyway, here are some photos of the exhibit, which I finished installing today, and which opens on Saturday. Do forgive the photography. Using a flash in the museum is not a good idea, and I obviously need to buy a tripod.

The introductory panel, with two photos of the main gate at Fort Lewis, one not long after it was built during WWI, and the other as it is now.

The first exhibit case, including a Civil War era forage cap from Fort Steilacoom, and a WWI era bugle from Camp Lewis.

The first exhibit case, including a Civil War era forage cap from Fort Steilacoom on the right, and a WWI era hat and bugle from Camp Lewis.

The panel about Fort Steilacoom and the early maneuvers in the Lakewood area.

A timeline panel, a couple of photo panels, and the panel about Camp Lewis.

A timeline panel, a few photo panels, and the panel about Camp Lewis.

Another timeline and more photos. The panel in the upper lefthand corner is a reproduction of WWII-era “smileage coupons” purchased by civilians, given to soldiers, who could redeem them for movie tickets, food, and other non-necessities.

The other exhibit case, full of commemorative regimental coins and a plaque with a replica Stryker vehicle from Lakewood’s community connector program. Oh, and three sets of dog tags. One from WWI, one from WWII, and one from Vietnam, all from local soldiers.

And more photo panels as well as the panel telling about JBLM and the community connector program, which connects local communities with specific military units as a mutual support program.

If you are in the vicinity (here is the link to the Lakewood Historical Society’s website) between noon and two o’clock on Saturday afternoon, May 3rd, for the grand opening, we’d love to see you there. And if you can’t make it then, the exhibit will be open to the public until next spring — the museum’s hours are noon to four, Wednesday through Saturday.

Mirrored from Repeating History.

A Professional Dilettante

Entries tagged with fort steilacoom

Around Waughop Lake, with birds and flowers

Welcome to my exhibit!

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