As this semester winds down (or in my case ramps up...who the hell decided that I needed to be assigned 3 papers, 2 projects, and 4 final exams all within 3 days of each other? Eesh!) we were able to experience one last trip out of the four walls of our classroom. This time we visited Estero Island Cottage and Matanzas Pass as well as the FGCU Marine Research Facility for a little canoeing (my fav!) Besides the AMAZING sea grape jelly offered up by Jo, our 82 year old all knowing Ft. Myers Beach info bank, I was taken back by the history that comes with the area. Quality of life has changes through modern means of electricity (sweet glorious air conditioning) and through tourism which brings always needed money into the area. Visually, it has changed a lot. Bridges, canals, and constant building has changed the area. Jo spoke of a time when only one bridge took you to the island, and it was wood. She also took us back to a time when the local school had only a handful of students in it. In fact, when she was in third or fourth grade, the sixth grade classroom consisted of one, yes 1, student. Gone are those days!
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| One of my classmates with Jo |
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| Other classmates on our canoeing adventure. |
This makes me think of the neighborhood I grew up in. Until the late 1970's, it was a campground that many of the residents of Downtown Seattle visited to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Slowly, families began to build cabins on the camping plots, claiming permanent residence of their favorite weekend spot. By the time I was born in 1982 (a year after my parents moved in), our house was one of only 3 on the whole street. It stayed that way for years, only changing during a housing boom in the late 1990's which ate up every empty lot that housed one of my forts. While Maple Valley is still a beautiful place, it is no where near what it was during my childhood.
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| A well know view to residents of Maple Valley. Mt. Rainier visible from the shore around Lake Wilderness. |
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