Monday, May 18, 2009

May 18th, 1980


May 18th, is a lot cooler day than May 17th, ice cream first made it to Seattle in 1872 and of course Mt. St. Helens blew up. Even though we all scream for ice cream, Mt. St. Helens is better story. As a native of the state and being old, I remember the eruption very well. It was a very sunny and warm Sunday, we were to go to my grandparents house for dinner that day. Between 8:30 and 9:00 AM, I heard two very loud thumps, I remember my 9 year old mind, thinking that the sound was like somebody throwing a couch on our roof. I told my mom after she woke up, but she thought I was crazy. Later in the day we found out that others had heard the same thing. Turns out it was the sound waves of the initial explosion as the eruption began. Just before we left for my grandparents, I turned on the TV to watch the Mariners take on the Chicago White Sox from old Comisky Park. And there in a split screen, apparently the M's were too important to break away from, was Mt. St. Helens, really erupting. I called my family to check it out and quickly my dad decided it was too dangerous to drive to Sumner, so dinner was off. Then the power went out, a mild panic hit the neighborhood, was it due to the eruption!? Of course not, but we looted anyway. So tonight a couple photos I took at Johnston Ridge back in the spring of 2006, the day before Cicely found out she was pregnant.
Enjoy
Dan

2 comments:

jerrie said...

Your memory is amazing. I slept through the event since May 17th was my senior prom. I was on the way to church with the radio on when I learned of the eruption. I don't remember the dinner with the grandparents part at all. Guess it's a good thing you are the family historian.

Cicely said...

I am so glad I get to re-live this childhood memory of yours every May 18th. No sarcasm. really