Getting down to the last few days of our ownership of the Anchor Pub, I've been inspired, by a spate of late night vandalisms at the place , to spend the last nights sleeping on the couch down there along with our mutt Max, who is a wonderfull biological alarm system (good ears and a loud warning bark). So it goes.

Early this morning Max took me for a walk down to nearby Forgotten Creek, just two blocks down the street . Walking up the little trail there, we were passing a bare spot of bank, when an Aplodontia ran about 20 ft. across the slope and dissapeared down it's hole. Cool!

Despite several earlier posts about Aplodontia (AKA Mountain Beaver) sightings at the Anchor over the past few years, I'd never really seen a live one down here myself. The first one, actually inside the place, was murdered by a bartender before I could get down there to deal with it. The second one, just outside the door was filmed by drunken musicians - all I saw was the video.

So this morning's Aplodontia was only the 3rd one I've ever seen running around. The last one I saw was in 1972 in Schmitz park, while playing hooky from West Seattle High School.Playing hooky can be very educational.

Forgotten Creek is worth remembering largely due to the efforts of Bob Jackson ( and his wife Jean Murphy) who has championed the restoration of this small ravine by leading volunteer efforts to build trails, remove english ivy and other invasive plants , and replanting with natives. A work in progress (as dealing with isolated urban habitat always is) the place gets more interesting to the naturalist each year. Bob has been at it for more than 10 years.

I give Bob and Jean credit for my Aplodontia sighting this morning since the bare slope I spotted the critter on was recently cleared of ivy.Bob and Jean are good friends and really supported the Anchor at critical junctures.

Forgotten creek, although just a small area, is a pretty good bird spot. A pair of Pileated Woodpeckers are often around ( a number of very perforated alder trunks are evidence of that) ,and you might see Pacific Wrens or Brown Creepers in this little remnant of woods. Right now the Salmonberry Bird (AKA Swainsons Thrush) is singing there - lots of salmonberries along the creek. Everettites might check it out, and also volunteer oportunities - google, or whatever, Friends of Forgotten Creek for more info.

I said "almost" another Anchor Aplodontia in my efforts to be accurate in my Anchor nature posts. But really, Forgotten Creek is part of the Anchor too, in my mind. Sometimes it's the spirit of a thing that counts.

Jeff Gibson
on the couch at
The Anchor Pub
1001 Hewitt Ave
Everett Wa