Pigeon Creek Clean-Up

Some of you are looking at this and think that the bare foot with the pedicure is ME, but you're wrong. I am the muddy boots to the right of that not-so-effective-in-the-sticky-sucking-mud foot. Hard to believe, I know, but this is the new April. Seriously. And this is not the first time, either. It's just the first time I remembered to document it.

So Canoe Evansville and a few other local agencies teamed up with the super-amazing folks from Living Lands and Waters (www.livinglandsandwaters.org) to work on cleaning up Pigeon Creek and Ohio River in Evansville. Pigeon Creek is where most of our educational programs take place.

Pigeon Creek

great blue heron

gi-normous beaver we saw while scouting the creek

The target of today's clean up was a mountain of very old metal trash. Many refrigerators, freezers, gutters, car parts, even a whole truck were piled here a long time ago and have many years of mud on top of them. It's amazing what a group of volunteers who are willing to get filthy and work hard can do with the right motivation and equipment.

yes, that tree is growing through the truck

Chad actually found this bike while scouting in a different part of the creek. It's in great condition!

This area will require a bit more work on another volunteer day, but today's impact was amazing!

Overdue Update

Well, I didn't realize how long it's been since I updated this, but a lot has happened. We returned to Nashville in March to do electrical work. Once we got here, Steve felt like he wanted to work and take College Algebra this summer and resume our traveling in the Fall.

SO. . .

As of last weekend, I am the Program Assistant/low-paid intern for Canoe Evansville. This position will give me the opportunity to go paddling frequently and improve my skills, lead groups on paddling trips, and provide (after I learn) environmental education to those groups. I know some of you just busted out laughing at the idea of that, but it's very exciting so far. I was even knee deep in mud (the super sticky kind) on Saturday and it was fun. The position comes with housing in an historic house in Evansville, IN, so I will be staying there until September. Steve will be back and forth between IN and TN.