July 3 Summer Ticks and Turtle

 Out to the Woods this morning at 9 for first time in a few weeks. Stopped to see the work on the sewer line repair/ replace across the northern section of the Woods. Still heavy equipment operating, dragging large shattered logs around, recently healthy deciduous trees. Chipper running, reducing wood debris to shreds. Not sure how long this work project is slated to continue. Hope it is 'repaired' with reasonable cover of native vegetation, not rye grass or other invasive. Oliver's Woods at times seems to be an easy punching bag to destroy. State highway department plans a road through the middle of the Woods years ago for Hwy 9 and only agrees to abandon the plan when university agrees to sacrifice 13 acres of the north end of the Woods. Utility company requests permission to put major sewer line across the remaining north section. It is done and line is buried. OK for years until sagging pier support means major construction is approved to go back and devastate a few more acres to repair/ replace. Must be done. Power line folks come through aggressively taking out tall trees well back into the Woods in the name of protecting power lines strung across the northern section. Storm water runoff routinely floods the lower Woods suffocating hundreds of trees that grew before the campus directed storm water runoff on top of them. Death by a thousand cuts.

 I continued on to NE entrance and crossed down to the Western Wash. Apart from the noise of the construction/ destruction going on, the Woods are looking vibrant with summer. Abundant Elephantopus, Elephant's Foot almost conceals the trail along the Tree Loop and the canopy of summer growth is luxuriant. This early summer has been good for growth in the Woods with enough rain and good warmth.

The numerous visitors that enjoyed the Woods late winter and early spring this year are gone now. Driven away by the ticks who wait in the forest for passing vertebrates. I find a box turtle on the cross trail. She is probably happy to have no visitors in the Woods for the summer. 

I removed 6 ticks from my clothes and legs as soon as I returned home. Within minutes I had my clothes in the dryer on hot for 10 minutes to kill other ticks. I'm sure I'll find more ticks later today.

The Woods are still a precious green sylvan respite.