Photoessay #446 - Lyons Creek Enhancement Project

In front of the Subway in the Lake Forest Park Centre is a small brick stand with a metal plaque explaining the "Towne Centre Lyons Creek Enhancement Project" a great noun string if nothing else. It's an environmental mitigation project to improve the environment for the marine life as Lyons Creek approaches its end in Lake Washington (I just made that up). The creek flows through the parking lot and around the parking lot. The site has been improved for the creek flow with likely some flood control considered. There's a pond by the SeaFirst Bank, some creek running between the Town Centre parking lot and Bothell Way down from the Starbucks, a site near the plaque connecting two culverts in an exposed portion of the creek partially fenced. Also a section of open creek fenced off behind the mall.

I love the hidden features in our own neighborhoods. Did you even know it was there? We all go by there all the time. Check out the plaque explaining the different parts of the project.

You know what I'm thinking? A great place for some letterboxes. And I have some ready. I had crawled up behind the SeaFirst Bank near the fenced off pond as the creek goes under Bothell Way last Sunday afternoon. Definitely some possibilities. Prudently I decided not to climb behind the bank today as it's business hours. Just look too suspicious. I plant the letterbox in the portion of the exposed creek behind a rock, it's good. I return to the partially fenced portion by Subway. I'm poking around looking for a spot that's not too low, maybe above the entrance to the culvert. I can stick it between the rocks but it's pretty exposed. What can I find to hide it a bit. I look around, the rocks are too small, the bark is too rotted.

Suddenly

"You are not supposed to be in there"
I look around, the mall security guard. I mumble something.
"Oh?"
"Yes, it's a protected area"
and then in his very best security guard voice "Please exit"
I consider telling him about the letterbox, hmmm, doesn't look too promising. So I mumble something in assent while he's doing his security thing. I almost say "Let me grab my letterbox" but then I think that I'll leave it there, it's all ready to go in the rocks covered by the camo duct tape. It's just a little too exposed. Hey, it's already planted.

So I just pick up my bag and leave and walk away without looking back.

I know he's wondering, what the heck is that middle aged lady doing there? Maybe he went in there to look at the box, but I'm betting he was too lazy.

I will go back tomorrow and see if the box is still there. What do you think, dear readers, should I list the box?

UPDATE: When I left Ilana off at the bus, I checked the area, the box was still there. I thought that guard was too lazy to go investigate what I was doing