Tuesday, May 18, 2010

A Gray Powder

Dog Dad was wistfully looking at some light-gray powder. We had to ask him about it. Dad said the grayish powder first saw the light 30 years ago today, which is many dog moons ago. He talked about a hooman named Harry Randall Truman and a place called Mount St. Helens.

Light-Gray Powder

We went into the WABAC machine to a time Dog Dad was a young lad, studying geology. The events surrounding St. Helens were of major interest to geologist. It started with several small earthquakes on 15 March, then on 25 March a 4.5 earthquake on the Richter scale. Geologists took notice and on 3 April the Governor declared a state of emergency. A cantankerous old man named Harry Randall Truman living at Mountain St. Helens Lodge at the foot of the mountain captured the spotlight. No one was going to force him and his 16 cats to leave their mountain.

On 18 May 1980 at 8:32 a.m. Pacific Daylight time Mount St. Helens blew her top. A 5.1 earthquake rocked the area and a volcanic material spewed into the air. Thousand of animals and 57 humans perished in that eruption, to include the 16 cats and Mr. Truman. Things most haven gotten hot, because two weeks later the volcanic flow deposits still were 300 °C to 420 °C (570 °F to 785 °F).


Harry Randall Truman

Photographs courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey

18 May 1980 - Mount St. Helens

That light-gray powder is volcanic ash from St. Helens. Dog Dad was given that by another geologist he met while at a job interview with an oil company in Oklahoma. Well, this is the end of our tail from the WABAC machine.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

6 comments:

the magic sleigh said...

Wooos Collies! That was a sad story. We hope that others will take notice and not put lives at risk because they are stubborn ole fools!
~husky kisses~
-Kira The BeaWootiful

Kess And Her Mama said...

Thanks for the reassurance abt the scar healing. Glad to hear that Essex fully recovered and has all her fur intact! I guess the volcanic ash over Iceland must hv triggered the rememberance abt Mt. Helen.

Arran, Arthur and Mum said...

Kira be right there.
~lickies, Ludo

Dawn said...

I remember that...and I remember the story about Harry T as well. I guess he lived his life the way he wanted, and at least some people still remember him. Though it IS too bad he was so stubborn ...

Sunny,Scooter, (sometimes Jamie) said...

Mom says she remembers the story too. Some say if you die doing what you love, it is a blessing. Sad for those left behind tho. We have some of that grey ash too(tho stoopid mom has NO idea where it is)
Hugs
Sunny,Scooter&Jamie

Sunny,Scooter, (sometimes Jamie) said...

ps He reminds of us mom's grandaddy. Was Stubborn as the day is long. (Mom's dad 's degree was in geology too-though he mad a career of the Air Force. Loved flying more than geology I guess)
Hugs again