About Vancouver's Van Mall

Nutria - In spite of the possible word association with 'nutrition', Nutria is not a good thing. Read more about Nutria after you finish reading my post.

Recently I was walking from a local strip mall site to a mall parking lot and encountered a peculiar animal near a wetlands area between the two concrete and asphalt structures. Even though I tried to get a picture, since I was carrying bags and not a camera, I have no proof of what I saw.

For your entertainment, here are the emails I initiated about the episode:

(The person I sent the inquiry to is our local Watershed Stewards Honcho)

------Original Message------
From: Lynn Krogseng
To: Gary Bock
Sent: Dec 5, 2009 11:23 AM
Subject: albino beaver or muskrat near Van Mall

Hi Gary,
I was walking by the wetland space by Van Mall (intersection of Thurston and the road into the mall) and saw a critter. At first I thought muskrat, but then thought beaver. It did have a long naked tail, but I didn't notice if it was wide or not. Definitely albino though with white (albeit dirty) fur and not-brown eyes (my memory has changed them to blue, but they must've been red).

So - in your experience of city-dwellers, would that have been a beaver?

(end of my message)

---Gary's reply---

Lynn,
That there is a Nutria. They're a non native South American water rat that was imported for their fur and let loose when the market got soft. It's a shame you weren't carrying a pistol (kidding; no shootin in the city). We have trapped literally hundreds of Nutria out of Burnt Bridge Creek. Albinos are uncommon mostly because white is lousy camouflage. The only reason we have them is a near total lack of predators. Sorry you didn't see something cool like a beaver. We have those too.

 ---

So, now when I'm shopping, I'm going to carry a live-trap too. Read up on Nutria - they may be quasi-likeable, but NIMBY!

Whether you're looking for your first home, or possibly your last, or selling either of them, I have the patience and experience to help you make the best choice in Vancouver Washington. The Natural Choice in real estate is working with a professional real estate agent (me!) at Krogseng Real Estate who listens to your needs and works as a trusted advisor to get the best solution to your housing needs. We will give you a new attitude about real estate. If you are concerned about living a more sustainable lifestyle, Vancouver Washington may be the city for you. I specialize in knowing the neighborhoods in Vancouver Washington that have great walkscore ratings. Whether you want the low-maintenance condo lifestyle, a home that gets you off the grid, or a home that is something in between in Clark County, the natural choice in real estate will be someone that can help you find just the right home and neighborhood. If you're looking for homes that have been certified as green, you'll want to know I keep informed of the newly constructed homes and their various green certifications. Visit Krogseng Real Estate for more information.

Back to the Backyard Birdshop

I've mentioned before how much I enjoy going into the Backyard Birdshop, and I joke about how expensive my birdseed purchases are because I invariably find something else I just have to have.

Today I stopped in and got some really cool Christmas gifts for people I like and found one more thing to recommend: durable and attractive birdhouses made from recycled plastics (I think specifically from milk jugs but wouldn't swear to it).

The products sold in this store say alot about the owners too, I think. This is the store that does such a great job offering locally made products, cottage products, and USA made stuff. And so I was doubly pleased to learn of this new line of birdhouses.

There are two Backyard Birdshops here in Vancouver. The one I visit is near Van Mall (off Thurston, just north of Hwy 500). If you were to buy a home within a half mile of this area you'd have a selection of homes ranging in price from $94,900 to $239,900. Many of the available properties are condominiums, but there are a selection of attached and detached homes. The sqare footage ranges from 1040 to 2200. There are CTran routes in the area also. Let me know if this area might be interesting to you.

Whether you're looking for your first home, or possibly your last, or selling either of them, I have the patience and experience to help you make the best choice in Vancouver Washington. The Natural Choice in real estate is working with a professional real estate agent (me!) at Krogseng Real Estate who listens to your needs and works as a trusted advisor to get the best solution to your housing needs. We will give you a new attitude about real estate. If you are concerned about living a more sustainable lifestyle, Vancouver Washington may be the city for you. I specialize in knowing the neighborhoods in Vancouver Washington that have great walkscore ratings. Whether you want the low-maintenance condo lifestyle, a home that gets you off the grid, or a home that is something in between in Clark County, the natural choice in real estate will be someone that can help you find just the right home and neighborhood. If you're looking for homes that have been certified as green, you'll want to know I keep informed of the newly constructed homes and their various green certifications. Visit Krogseng Real Estate for more information.

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