Here is a photo of Mt. St. Helens prior to the big eruption that occured on May 18th, 1980, 27 years ago today. I remember when it looked like this.
A co-worker just stopped by to ask if I remember what I was doing on the day.
I sure do. Tucked away in my little apartment in SE Portland, on that dreary Sunday, my mom was the first to call to check up on me. Yea, I’m fine, No really can’t see it too well, it is a pretty gray day.
I do remember:
- Waking up to find my white Plymouth Duster covered in ash.
- People walking around town with dust masks.
- Scooping up a 2 lb coffee can of ash from a large pile of ash that was swept up in a corner of the lot at the Lloyd Center.
I remember waking up that morning to gray snow. I was very young at the time, and I watched the eruption all morning on the television. In the months leading up to the final big one, my mother used to take me over to the Channel on the Columbia. We brought pack lunches and would wait to see the smaller eruptions, though they were infrequent. Cannot believe it has been this long. And those dust masks has an awful smell that I can remember to this day.