I also bought something made out of the ashes .

{{gwi:141780}}

I have a cat statue that I bought for my Mamaw when we went out for a visit, which made me decide we were moving there. I also LOVED the 'emerald' earrings that were available from the ash, have beaten myself up about not getting those for years!!
Growing up in OH, I heard about the eruption, of course but had no real concept of the devastation - I don't think you ever do until you really see it yourself. I know when we drove up the road toward the observation center, the acres and acres of trees laid out like toothpicks or pick up sticks just completely awed me. Made me realize how tiny we really are in this world.

Wow...those are awesome pictures...I'm like Kelly..growing up so far away, we heard and read about it, but never had a real concept of the pain and devastation. Thanks for sharing the info with us.

This morning on the early news shows from New York they brought this subject up, and how after 30 years wildlife has returned to the area.

Has it really been 30yrs already..sheesh! I remember ash even made it here on the island, I remember it being on the cars....

Forgot to add, my DD wants to save some of my ashes and make jewlery from me!lol! AND I found out that people can donate their ashes to make concrete hollow spheres to redo coral reefs in the ocean(being destroyed by fishermen and pollution)I'd rather be put to use than lay in a box somewhere taking up space...hope you don't mind me making an ash out of myself with this topic, but I thought it was interesting....heh heh...

Nope I think it's a beautiful idea...I always liked the idea of ashes in outter space...but that costs a lot.

wow, I never knew one could make an ash out of themselves..

the things we can do for and with ourselves...it's amazing,

yeah, 30 years and counting..now, it's Mount Rainier that gets occasional attention, with the geologists.

at least the earthquakes we have are very deep, so we don't get the kind of collateral damage seen on news of other countries or areas.
the faults around here are around 30 miles deep, I do believe, so it rumbles and can knock things down but not tumble buildings to the ground.

Gosh, it's been 30 years? Seems like only 10. I remember thinking how scary it would be to be near it. Definitely gives you a greater sense of respect for Mother Nature and her power.

I remember it well. Hard to believe it was 30 years ago. I was so upset about the older man who wouldn't leave. But its true, we who didn't experience it didn't get a true sense of the enormity of the destruction.
I just saw a tv show about it which brought back memories, including ones of that time in my life that didn't have anyt hing to do with the volcano. The event was sort of a memory marker.
I think I remember hearing about the family that you were friends with. So sorry that tragedy happened.
Good pics.
Kathy

Yes, I remember it well & the man who wouldn't leave his home! It doesn't seem possible it was 30 yrs ago. I have a bear made of ash. Jan

I was 18 almost 19 at the time. Living in Spokane, I heard the BOOM that morning. That afternoon, the sky darkened...pitch black..and then the ash started falling. Ash was everywhere and on everything. Horrible to get rid of...sewers got clogged from it. I worked at a green house at the time. Guess who got to sweep the ash off the greenhouses? NOT FUN! :o) I saved all of the newspapers, took lots of pictures, and have jars of ash. Now I teach Washington history in my fourth grade class. We studied Mt. St. Helens today, watched documentaries, and looked at all of my memorabilia. The man who stayed was named Harry Truman, 83 years old... He said he would go with the mountain. It is AMAZING how life has returned to the area. Thanks for this post! Bear Hugs! Kirk

I swear I remember this, but I would have been 6. :/ I do remember going to see the mountain when I was older, and like kelly_oh I was so very impressed by how the trees fell ... it looked like they were combed all in one direction.

Off topic, but since calamity brought it up - I was talking to my daughters (3) the other day about how I wanted to be cremated when I go, and I wanted to make sure they were ok with that, my oldest (15) says "well, if that's what you want, but I want your head" I about fell out of my chair laughing. She went deer hunting this last fall with her father and got her first deer - I'm still ambivilent about that - and he's having the head mounted. So I asked her if she wanted to stuff my head and put it on her wall with her deer - LOL :) she was properly aghast at that idea, but then my youngest (almost 11) yells out "I want your body!" I'm hoping she means my arms that hug her and stuff like that, so that leaves my legs for #2, who being 13, just looked at us all and rolled her big blues.