Stopping by Woods on a Sunny Morning

On my way home from Simon's soccer game (the Tigers triumphed this time, thanks in part to our boy's impenetrable goalkeeping in the first half, not to mention the goal he scored once Andrew set him loose on the field), I decided to check in on the Juneau Street Park work party.

Juneau Street Community Park & Garden, a work in progress at this point, lies where 46th Avenue would be, if 46th existed between Spencer & Juneau St. Instead there's this funny little sliver of tree-topped hill slicing through the neighborhood -- you can see it there in the distance behind that blue house.


Earlier this year someone donated an adjacent 30' wide strip of land, doubling the size of the lot available for a park. Over the summer people gathered & brainstormed; plans were drawn & reviewed; and now a devoted crew of neighbors has begun to clear out the ivy & blackberries that have had their way with the trees for too long. While this project has been on my radar since July, today was the first time I've been able to check the place out in person. I'm happy to report things are looking good!


The plan is to build a gathering place and play area here eventually, but right now it's all about yanking out brambles. Along the way the volunteers have unearthed some intriguing things, starting with a little grove of fruit trees at the Juneau end of the site.

One woman told me that years ago some neighbors had tried to turn the lot into a park, but fierce opposition from a nearby homeowner had killed the idea. Apparently this same person planted these fruit trees here before selling her house and moving away. It seemed like an auspicious sign that a fresh crew of park revivalists would discover, under years of thorny brambles, living evidence of this bitter neighbor's sweeter side.

Other treasures were revealed as well. When I arrived, the guts of a car's exhaust system had just emerged; while I watched, this guy found an engine.


Someone else pointed out the dashboard he'd uncovered earlier:


And there were rumors of a chassis on the other side of the hill. The automotive archaeologist in me has to wonder how many more car parts lie beneath these blackberries, and whether they all came from the same car. And if so, how did they come to be strewn across the hillside? Was the car driven here or did it arrive in pieces? Was this the bucolic site of a clandestine chop shop, or of a particularly spectacular accident?

I decided to venture a little further into the woods, to see if this unlikely place would turn out to be one of those lovely pockets of sylvan seclusion that lets you forget you're in the city for a moment or two.

At first I had my doubts: the neighbors' windows loomed a little too close in places, and I kept imagining the silhouettes of tires and fenders under the ivy. When the flattened blackberry stems crunching beneath my feet suddenly went soft, I looked down, hoping to find a patch of sandy loam or maybe a nice rotting nurse log. Nope -- a soggy chunk of foam. Ah, well.

And yet -- here were trees, and sun, and a path leading me on. All that ivy might be smothering the maples, but it also muffled the sounds of traffic on Rainier Avenue, a stone's throw away. Then, after a few more twists and turns, I found my way blocked:


By the time I was done admiring this decidedly non-human creation, I had my answer. And it was time to head home for lunch with the soccer champs.

Want to join the effort to restore this little pocket of forest in the heart of Hillman City? There are two more work parties scheduled this fall: October 10th & 24th, 10 am to 2 pm. Look for another community meeting in January to work on specific plans for the park's design. More info at www.juneaustreetcommunity.net.