As a kid I took to science like a fish to water so to be living in Vancouver, Washington, USA - or about 30 some miles south of Mt. St. Helens - during the 1980 eruption was something of a treat. I remember discovering all of the valuable uses of ash after listening to one of the local T.V. stations list off 20 or so "did you know" items showcasing all of its benefits (we were already aware of the downside items.) Vancouver didn't get hit by ash too hard, but hard enough it required dust masks and it was definitely enough to keep me occupied for weeks on end. I can't remember all of the details but I do remember how happy my parents were that I discovered that ash acted as a great way to clean up the oil stains from the cars in the driveway :)

Twenty-Five years. I can't believe it has been that long...

Happy Anniversary Mt. St. Helens! You've kept a lot of us captivated for many, many years, and it seems nothing has really changed :)

[NOTE: In addition to the above link, for those who havent seen them already I have some arial pics from a while back that you can find here.]