Today, 18 May 2020, is the 40th anniversary of the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington. According to the Wikipedia entry, the eruption, which killed 57 people, is said to be the most economically destructive and deadly volcanic eruption in US history. I visited the site many years ago, but it was cloudy and foggy and we couldn’t see anything.
I started to say that I was sure everyone in the US remembers the eruption, and then I remembered that not everyone in the US was even born then. In fact, it seems that less than half the people in the US were alive back then.
Coincidentally, today is also the 40th anniversary of my 30th birthday. Under better circumstances, Leah and I would probably go to our favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch, where we would celebrate by having our Wednesday huevos rancheros on Monday, but we are still sheltering at home. It finally dawned on me that when the authorities said that those with health issues and the elderly should continue to shelter at home, they were talking about us.
Congratulations on your natal anniversary, however you do the math.
Happy 70th revolution around the sun, Mark! I remember that volcanic eruption, but hardly ever remember the date of it. I used to see Mt.Saint Helens pretty regularly, and it didn’t really strike me as volcanic mountain. It was always so smooth and serene looking, nothing like Mt. Rainier or Mt. Hood or Mt.Shasta. They always looked like volcanoes. It was quite a jolt to find that not only did it erupt, but it sent ash around the globe. Ah, Mother Earth, what a beauty! Enjoy your day, Mark!
Paul — Thanks. A friend told me he never tells the truth about his age, something that I have actually noticed, so I told him I was going all Jack Benny on him.
Robin — Thanks. I’ve seen images of the devastation, and it was impressive. I also once saw Rainier from the SeaTac airport. Apparently it was fairly unusual to get that good a view of the mountain. It looked unreal looming over the airport, like a backdrop in a Star Trek show..