When I was a kid, long before I even knew where Portland, Oregon was, my grandmother gave me a jar of Mount St.

When I was a kid, long before I even knew where Portland, Oregon was, my grandmother gave me a jar of Mount St. Helens ash that a relative who lived here had sent her. I only just passed that jar along to a nephew last summer. I guess I can now go outside and gather up some more ash. I can't believe that burnt portions of the beautiful forests we've hiked and camped in are now covering our deck. #PNWfires