As many of you know, a fine restaurant known as the Ranch House BBQ was wrecked by the floods last winter. The "babbling brook" turned into a raging river, ripping out a fairly recent add-on to the main building and carrying a shed (that used to be a video rental shop) many yards to the shoulder of the freeway. What made the disaster especially sad was that the Ranch House BBQ owners had managed to revive that place of business. I ate there several times and it was always packed with customers standing in line, waiting for tables. 

And it was worth waiting for.

I've been going to and fro on Highway 8 ever since it was converted from the old 410. I well remember when that restaurant was the fabled and wonderful Ranch Kitchen. This flood actually closed part of the road. Unprecedented in my experience out here. 

I see they have cleaned up the place quite a bit. The outlying debris is gone, the leaning and crumpled add-on has been removed. But the main original Ranch Kitchen (which survived a fire in the late 1950s, I think) still stands. A cyclone fence has recently been put up around it. 

So what's the deal here?  Does this fence mean the old building is going to be taken down, or, restored? Anyone out there have information? 

During the first quarter of the 20th century it is difficult to read about the Socialist movement in Washington State without running across the name of Emil Herman. Yet today he is known only to a few people who enjoy digging into the obscure corners of the local political past. So far as I can find, no one has ever provided a decent summary of his all-too-brief life. For you academics out there interested in Washington State labor history or in American political prisoners, this guy is waiting for your attention. You scholars can fill in the gaps I am woefully missing in my modest effort to cover his political life. Like some other previous Socialist Party ungovernors, Herman died young as a result of breaking his health in the course of carrying his political message with a religious zeal.

After Emil met his untimely end his widow, Ruby, wrote an essay on his career for the Oct. 19, 1928 Labor Journal (Everett, Wash.), which is the source for her quotes I'll be using.

Emil was born in Germany in 1879. His family came to the U.S. in 1882. Apparently his father, Frederick, had socialist leanings.

This is a CSA haul, a weekly pickup of prepaid organic produce from a local farm. This is from Pigman's Organic Produce Patch. The photos leave out the cauliflower.

My daughters and I just returned from a five-day visit to St. Bernard Project - a non-profit organization rebuilding homes post-Katrina in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. Our goal is to raise community awareness about the continued need for assistance in St. Bernard Parish and to raise funds and recruit volunteers for St. Bernard Project.

Cindy and Caitlin Meyer are students at The Evergreen State College. Lindsey Meyer is a student at Black Hills High School.

To visit a blog of our trip go to: http://helpstbernardproject.blogspot.com

Some interesting facts about the county of St. Bernard Parish:

• Katrina destroyed 100% of the homes (27,000 residences), displacing 65,000 residents
• 1800 families are still living in FEMA trailers
• approximately one-half (32,000) of the 65,000 residents have returned
• St. Bernard Project has completed 131 homes, and is currently working on 30 homes
• 60 people are on the waiting list
• St. Bernard Project can rebuild a house with volunteer labor for approximately $13, 500

For more information, visit St. Bernard Project's website: http://www.stbernardproject.org/

How well do you know Olympia? Here's the game: Each Saturday I post a picture from somewhere around Olympia and people try to figure out its location. The first person who gets it correct gets a Creative Commons Winner photo. If that doesn't get you excited then go start your own blog.

History show again and again

How nature point up the folly of men

Godzilla!

I would like to see a speakers corner on Saturday mornings at Capital Lake. I went to one in London and it was one of the most fascinating experiences of my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWrLGbJOKlg

Enjoy and be inspired with me.

About 14 member of the olympia police department and the washington state patrol shut down an acoustic show taking place underneath the 4th avenue bridge this thursday at around 8pm. This was the second acoustic show to be shutdown in the past two days.

Officers at the scene told the concertgoers they were tresspassing. One officer told the concertgoers to pick up the trash or, "the last one to leave gets ticketed for littering." It was unclear to me if the trash the officer was referring to was from the small crowd or not.

Bridge shows have been happening for the last several years. In the past I have only seen police officers come down to make sure people were not tagging the bridge. Kicking people out for tresspassing appears to be a new trend.

About an hour ago while passing through the artesian well parking lot I saw a band setting up for a free outdoor show. They said they were going to start in about 45 minutes and play for however long they could.