Westside Stories

Last week, I shared about our first summer cleaning up our property in Grays River. When we were planning our move, the question we heard most often was, "You know it rains a lot there, right?" Of course, we were aware of that. It's the Pacific Northwest; everyone knows it. However, knowing about it in theory and experiencing it firsthand are two entirely different things.

In Sept. 2021, the rain began, and for months, it felt as though it would never stop. Locals even mentioned that this particular year seemed unusually rainy. We had planned to complete the driveway leading to where we were erecting a metal carport and storage room for our RV, but the area, which had once been a tree grove, quickly became saturated, and we found ourselves knee-deep in mud. The concrete truck that poured the foundation for the building sank, destroying the road base we had prepared. Any hopes of moving our trailer that year were dashed, and we spent the winter and into the spring at my uncle's property, without any cover.

The weather didn't stop us from working, though. In addition to the RV structure, we also built a shop on the existing concrete where the loafing shed had previously been located. We spent most days constructing workbenches, working on fun wood projects, and doing cleanup when the weather allowed.

The most significant learning experience during that season was drainage. The original engineering of the dairy farm was truly impressive. Given the steep hillside behind the concrete silos, clay piping had been installed beneath the large concrete foundation for drainage, along with deep ditches to redirect water. However, after the dairy closed, years of neglect allowed nature to reclaim the landscape; the clay pipes broke, causing springs to surface randomly. The ditches became overgrown with vegetation, causing them to overflow during heavy rains.

Our lower field flooded four times that year, clearly marking the boundaries for where we could build and where we needed to keep the field open. We also discovered several sinkholes in the lower field, where another clay drainage pipe had broken in various places, resulting in ground erosion. That's one project we haven't tackled yet.

When the rain subsided enough toward the end of spring, we finally completed the driveway and moved our RV under cover. We laid enough rock and road fabric to ensure that no truck would sink again.

The summer of 2022 was dedicated to addressing drainage issues. We spent weeks raking vegetation out of ditches and deepening them with our trusty backhoe attached to our John Deere tractor. By the end of that summer, I would estimate we had dug over a mile of ditches. We repaired the springs created by the breaks in the clay pipes or dug new trenches to divert the water. Now, everything flows more easily, without massive pools overtaking our yard. All the water now drains smoothly through the culvert under the highway into Grays River.

That summer, we also decided to have a large number of alder trees harvested to restore the property to its original state. Harvey Johnson and his crew spent several weeks cutting and hauling out truckloads of trees. After the trees were removed, the hillside looked bleak and empty. It took some time to adjust, but, as with everything, vegetation gradually returned.

As we cleared more of the land, we kept discovering hidden treasures. A vehicle graveyard on the far side of the property led to more trips to the scrapyard, with one vehicle left behind because a tree had grown around and wrapped itself around the chassis. We also found the names of several farmhands etched into the side of the red brick silo.

Speaking of the silos, we have been asked numerous times if we plan to demolish them. We hope to keep them as long as possible. The red brick silo, built in 1914, is in the worst condition but remains standing. Each winter, we find red bricks broken at the base as trapped water freezes and pushes them out. We would love to restore it, but the funds needed for that are required elsewhere. The two concrete silos, built in the 1950s, are also in decent shape and don't appear in danger of collapsing anytime soon. Mark has had many ideas for their use, ranging from his and hers saunas to greenhouses or even an observation deck on top. For now, they remain a reminder of days gone by, adorned with a Christmas star we constructed out of metal conduit and twinkling lights.

Unfortunately, the plans we had for the RV park were shelved the following year due to skyrocketing commodity costs, which forced us to make some tough decisions. It was disheartening for both of us to see that dream fade, but we came to terms with it and have since learned to appreciate things as they are.

If you'd like to visit and see what we've accomplished and what remains, please don't hesitate to reach out. We'd love to share it with you!

Westside Happenings

August

1 – West Wahkiakum Farmers Market at Rosburg Hall, 1 – 4 p.m.

1 – Tickets on sale for Covered Bridge Dinner at WSU Office in Cathlamet

3 – FAFF Meeting at Naselle Community Center, 4 p.m. - rescheduled

9 – Ice Cream & Egg Hunt Party at Naselle Timberland Library, 1 p.m.

15 – Meet Children's Author Ellie Peterson at Naselle Timberland Library, 11 a.m.

September

6 – Loggers Reunion at Appelo Archives Center

For a list of regular monthly events, please refer to the Wahkiakum Calendar.