I am currently sitting in the Flagstaff airport waiting to board my flight home for it grandparents' 80th birthday party. As I have a few minutes I thought I'd catch you up on what's been going on.
On Monday I was scheduled to work at HQ for the morning. I'm not sure I could ever express just how much I enjoy this place. At front desk I answer questions, the telephone, and in general just have a great time! Usually when I'm out on my rounds I don't get an opportunity to interact with my coworkers. They are some incredibly funny and nice people! When it was time for me to take my lunch one of my coworkers/friends joined me in the courtyard. We had a great time laughing and eating. At one point a bird flitted next to us. My coworker said "that's a bird." I started cracking up and thanked her for pointing that out. She went on to explain she categorized birds into two categories; robins and everything else. That one was not a robin.
Later that afternoon I was riding the red route shuttles when I started my usual skit. I introduced myself and asked if anyone had any questions. Receiving no response I said I gave reallygreat love advice. The bus driver I was riding with had just met me. One woman in the back shot up her hand and said "Are you single? Our sons are here without dates!" I laughed really hard and the bus driver cracked up.
Later on the bus someone asked aboutn the number of people who fall over the edge. I told them about the visitor who was standing on the edge having their picture taken. Apparently he was backing up and fell over the edge while they snapped the shot. I said that it was a horrible before and after shot. Now you see him, now you don't. The bus driver started laughing so hard she was crying. As we were pulling into a stop and she couldn't talk I made the announcement for our location. It took me a few minutes after everyone got off the bus to get her to calm down enough to talk again.
Tuesday morning I picked up some more of my uniform. You know the flat hats we wear when in uniform? Well the design on those is a little flawed. They are made out of straw, which will disintegrate in the rain. Not great when we work outside all day! Anyway I finally received my hat cover in the mail so I can wear it during the monsoons.
At work on Tuesday I came across a gentleman who was out of breath and looked uncomfortable. I sat down next to him so I could check on him. He was waiting for his family. A bit later his wife and two year-old grandson came up. I asked the little boy how he was to which he responded "this is driving me nuts." I laughed so hard I couldn't control myself.
I have to go through security so I'll finish his post at my next stop.
Hawaii
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Rich old men
I know, I know... I've been lax on writing on here!! It's been a crazy week! Monday and Wednesday I worked late shifts (1pm - 11pm), while Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I had regular shifts (7:30am - 5:30pm). Needless to say my sleep schedule was a little out of whack, but I'm back on track!!
Wednesday afternoon, early on in my day, I was riding one of the buses. As I always do I asked if anyone had any questions. By the end of the day my voice is usually a few octaves lower than it should be from trying to talk over other people, as well as the bus engines. At each bus stop I grab my hat and stand outside the bus in order to make room for people getting on and off, and to answer the questions of those getting off the bus. This particular morning two mature women stepped off the bus, and one of them grabbed my arm saying "You didn't tell us where to find two old rich men!" I pointed her back to the El Tovar, and she laughed.
A bit later in my rounds I saw a family of four skipping singing "We're off to see the Wizard!!" I laughed, and they were a bit embarrassed, but I assured them it wasn't the strangest thing I'd seen all day (though it probably was).
I love this place, and the people here. Every day I talk with any number of people, from every where in the world. A great deal of the visitors I work with do not speak much english, and we make do with what I know of their language, what they know of mine, and a whole lot of pointing at maps. It is just an incredible experience.
The bus drivers mainly all know me, and are more than happy to introduce me to the entire bus load over the microphone, sometimes as Special K, much to my embarrassment. Each time I do my introduction I'm faced with new questions, new people, and wonderful new smiles!
One person asked me why it was that one of the layers of the canyon was named "Vishnu Schist". Now I'm sure my mom would have a witty comeback, but instead I told them the story I had been told. Charles Dutton came to the Grand Canyon, and upon seeing it's beauty and majesty he realized the importance of this place. He believed the canyon was created by God. Wanting the canyon to belong to all peoples, not just those in the United States, he began naming areas after deities from many different beliefs and religions.
It's an awesome story, and a wonderful belief! This place, this earth, is a gift to all people. Regardless of how you may personally believe it came to be, it is a gift none-the-less. We marvel in it's complexity, simplicity, diversity, and mystery every day; when we realize it. Here you are forced to face this artistry, and something within you is sparked. You stand on the edge of life itself and there is peace. In this amazement, there is peace. To me it's one of the reasons I start off every morning excited to be here.
On my Thursday bus route I saw a couple I had talked to for a good half hour the night before. They waved emphatically from the back of the bus, and I laughed. Getting off the bus at the same stop the woman came up to me, hugged me, and said "Be as sweet as you are right now." It made me smile, and miss my family. Here this stranger had seen something in me that meant something to her, and was willing to tell me. It really meant a lot.
A few hours later when I was working the environmental education table the same woman came up to me, took my picture while I was doing a demonstration (which I will explain in a minute) and then pulled me aside to tell me she met a really sweet young woman in the El Tovar while having breakfast who's from Lake Placid, and I should be her friend. I laughed. Here she was trying to find me a friend, just in case I needed one. It was cute.
So back to the demonstration... At the Environmental Education table we have a bighorn sheep horn, a mule deer antler, a replica condor egg, and a replica condor skull. The first day I was at the table someone asked how big the wingspan is for the condor. Knowing numbers don't often relay the impact of size, I asked the other ranger at the table to help me. Having her place her left hand on her shoulder, stretch her elbow out, and her right arm towards me, I did the mirror image on the same size. Though I approximated (and it's probably about a half foot too small), the distance from her left elbow to my right elbow was about the wingspan, 9.5 feet.
I have a few other demonstrations I do at the table. For one I put the bighorn sheep horn on my head, sometimes the mule deer antler, and sometimes both. My picture is probably in everyone's photo album with one of each on my head, or my helping young kids do the same. I love it; it makes them laugh; and it gets them asking questions about the animals. I don't mind being a ham, if someone is learning!!
Later on I walked over to catch a shuttle on out towards Hermit's Rest. Due to regulations about how many people can be on the bus, there is often a very long line. Since I'm the only person who is allowed to ride the bus standing, I don't feel too bad moving to the front of the line, because I don't take anyone's seat. Usually I make conversation with the people there in order to answer questions, and just get time to pass for these folks.
On this particular day I saw a group of deaf folks signing. Catching the eye of two of them I signed "Do you have any questions?" Immediately they got their entire group to turn towards me and we conversed for a while. They were interested in who I was, if I had deaf parents, and so on and so forth. It was great to get to sign, but I must confess I needed to brush up!! I've been studying a bit every night since then.
Part of my route was to ride that bus to the top, and then back down to a specific stop, at which I'd get off and hike back to the village. Starting the trip down I asked if there were any questions. One young boy in the back of the bus asked how the Grand Canyon came to be. I told him about the lifting up of the Colorado plateau, the downcutting of the Colorado river, and the erosion of the layers into what we see today. Almost immediately a woman in the front said "Where did you get that?! That's not how it came to be! It was Noah's flood!!"
A debate was born!! One woman was really offended by another, and so on and so forth until they were talking very loudly at each other. Picking up a few more passengers I got everyone's attention, and launched into an impromptu interpretive talk on the trees in the area, and the history of the plants. Much like when I work with 3 year olds, get them distracted and suddenly everyone is happy.
My coworkers have commented that I seem to get all the crazy experiences. This was only supported by the request I had from one gentleman. He asked if he could videotape me walking towards him saying hello. Pictures I get asked for every day, but video?! Interesting...
On Friday morning one of my first duties was to ride the bus out to Tusayan, and back in a few times. On these buses I'm supposed to give a talk, welcoming folks to the Grand Canyon, and giving out basic information. On the first time out of the park I had a family of four. They told me they were headed to the Grand Canyon Airport to take a helicopter trip out over the canyon. The mother of the family was a bit scared, as she had previous experience with helicopters. She told me not to worry though; she had some rum. She wasn't kidding. In a water bottle she had stored 12 oz of rum!! She promised to bike and find me later in the day so I knew she was okay.
This morning, after a wonderful breakfast at the El Tovar, one of my coworkers and I loaded our bikes up onto the shuttle bus, rode it out to Hermit's Rest, and biked back down into the village. I say "back down" but in reality the majority of our trip was uphill. I'm going to be a bit sore tomorrow, that's for sure!!
I have pictures; they will be up shortly!! Sorry for the immensely long post. I will try to be more diligent about writing promptly!
Wednesday afternoon, early on in my day, I was riding one of the buses. As I always do I asked if anyone had any questions. By the end of the day my voice is usually a few octaves lower than it should be from trying to talk over other people, as well as the bus engines. At each bus stop I grab my hat and stand outside the bus in order to make room for people getting on and off, and to answer the questions of those getting off the bus. This particular morning two mature women stepped off the bus, and one of them grabbed my arm saying "You didn't tell us where to find two old rich men!" I pointed her back to the El Tovar, and she laughed.
A bit later in my rounds I saw a family of four skipping singing "We're off to see the Wizard!!" I laughed, and they were a bit embarrassed, but I assured them it wasn't the strangest thing I'd seen all day (though it probably was).
I love this place, and the people here. Every day I talk with any number of people, from every where in the world. A great deal of the visitors I work with do not speak much english, and we make do with what I know of their language, what they know of mine, and a whole lot of pointing at maps. It is just an incredible experience.
The bus drivers mainly all know me, and are more than happy to introduce me to the entire bus load over the microphone, sometimes as Special K, much to my embarrassment. Each time I do my introduction I'm faced with new questions, new people, and wonderful new smiles!
One person asked me why it was that one of the layers of the canyon was named "Vishnu Schist". Now I'm sure my mom would have a witty comeback, but instead I told them the story I had been told. Charles Dutton came to the Grand Canyon, and upon seeing it's beauty and majesty he realized the importance of this place. He believed the canyon was created by God. Wanting the canyon to belong to all peoples, not just those in the United States, he began naming areas after deities from many different beliefs and religions.
It's an awesome story, and a wonderful belief! This place, this earth, is a gift to all people. Regardless of how you may personally believe it came to be, it is a gift none-the-less. We marvel in it's complexity, simplicity, diversity, and mystery every day; when we realize it. Here you are forced to face this artistry, and something within you is sparked. You stand on the edge of life itself and there is peace. In this amazement, there is peace. To me it's one of the reasons I start off every morning excited to be here.
On my Thursday bus route I saw a couple I had talked to for a good half hour the night before. They waved emphatically from the back of the bus, and I laughed. Getting off the bus at the same stop the woman came up to me, hugged me, and said "Be as sweet as you are right now." It made me smile, and miss my family. Here this stranger had seen something in me that meant something to her, and was willing to tell me. It really meant a lot.
A few hours later when I was working the environmental education table the same woman came up to me, took my picture while I was doing a demonstration (which I will explain in a minute) and then pulled me aside to tell me she met a really sweet young woman in the El Tovar while having breakfast who's from Lake Placid, and I should be her friend. I laughed. Here she was trying to find me a friend, just in case I needed one. It was cute.
So back to the demonstration... At the Environmental Education table we have a bighorn sheep horn, a mule deer antler, a replica condor egg, and a replica condor skull. The first day I was at the table someone asked how big the wingspan is for the condor. Knowing numbers don't often relay the impact of size, I asked the other ranger at the table to help me. Having her place her left hand on her shoulder, stretch her elbow out, and her right arm towards me, I did the mirror image on the same size. Though I approximated (and it's probably about a half foot too small), the distance from her left elbow to my right elbow was about the wingspan, 9.5 feet.
I have a few other demonstrations I do at the table. For one I put the bighorn sheep horn on my head, sometimes the mule deer antler, and sometimes both. My picture is probably in everyone's photo album with one of each on my head, or my helping young kids do the same. I love it; it makes them laugh; and it gets them asking questions about the animals. I don't mind being a ham, if someone is learning!!
Later on I walked over to catch a shuttle on out towards Hermit's Rest. Due to regulations about how many people can be on the bus, there is often a very long line. Since I'm the only person who is allowed to ride the bus standing, I don't feel too bad moving to the front of the line, because I don't take anyone's seat. Usually I make conversation with the people there in order to answer questions, and just get time to pass for these folks.
On this particular day I saw a group of deaf folks signing. Catching the eye of two of them I signed "Do you have any questions?" Immediately they got their entire group to turn towards me and we conversed for a while. They were interested in who I was, if I had deaf parents, and so on and so forth. It was great to get to sign, but I must confess I needed to brush up!! I've been studying a bit every night since then.
Part of my route was to ride that bus to the top, and then back down to a specific stop, at which I'd get off and hike back to the village. Starting the trip down I asked if there were any questions. One young boy in the back of the bus asked how the Grand Canyon came to be. I told him about the lifting up of the Colorado plateau, the downcutting of the Colorado river, and the erosion of the layers into what we see today. Almost immediately a woman in the front said "Where did you get that?! That's not how it came to be! It was Noah's flood!!"
A debate was born!! One woman was really offended by another, and so on and so forth until they were talking very loudly at each other. Picking up a few more passengers I got everyone's attention, and launched into an impromptu interpretive talk on the trees in the area, and the history of the plants. Much like when I work with 3 year olds, get them distracted and suddenly everyone is happy.
My coworkers have commented that I seem to get all the crazy experiences. This was only supported by the request I had from one gentleman. He asked if he could videotape me walking towards him saying hello. Pictures I get asked for every day, but video?! Interesting...
On Friday morning one of my first duties was to ride the bus out to Tusayan, and back in a few times. On these buses I'm supposed to give a talk, welcoming folks to the Grand Canyon, and giving out basic information. On the first time out of the park I had a family of four. They told me they were headed to the Grand Canyon Airport to take a helicopter trip out over the canyon. The mother of the family was a bit scared, as she had previous experience with helicopters. She told me not to worry though; she had some rum. She wasn't kidding. In a water bottle she had stored 12 oz of rum!! She promised to bike and find me later in the day so I knew she was okay.
This morning, after a wonderful breakfast at the El Tovar, one of my coworkers and I loaded our bikes up onto the shuttle bus, rode it out to Hermit's Rest, and biked back down into the village. I say "back down" but in reality the majority of our trip was uphill. I'm going to be a bit sore tomorrow, that's for sure!!
I have pictures; they will be up shortly!! Sorry for the immensely long post. I will try to be more diligent about writing promptly!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Junior Rangers
For those of you who don't follow the cycles of the moon, we are currently very close to the new moon phase. Taking advantage of this "lack" of the moon, last night, tonight, and tomorrow night, there are star talks going on. Yesterday I was assigned to help out at one of these night talks, which means I worked 1pm - 11pm.
Pretty early on in my day I was riding one of the buses. On the buses I answer questions, tell a few jokes, and give out general information. I need to be outgoing in my job and get people to open up to me when they really do have questions, so I'm often a little odd (I know, this isn't atypical). For instance I often say "Does anyone have any questions? About the Grand Canyon? Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness?" or make a joke about how bus surfing is fun, but bus falling is not (so people hold on to the railings). Most folks laugh and start talking to me, which is the main idea.
At one point on my bus route I had an older gentleman approach me before he got off the bus. This is what he said: "You are very young, very pretty, and very smart." I laughed and thanked him. Some folks on the buses say the funniest things to me. Today one asked if I was in high school, and refused to believe me when I said I was a 2nd time graduate student.
In preparation for the star talk that evening I helped the ranger in charge load up his van with boxes of special flashlights, as well as the PA system he would use during the talk. When I say "special flashlights" what I mean is we have boxes of regular ol' flashlights that we took a red marker to, to color in the plastic top so that the light coming out is red. Red lights are better for your night vision because they don't cause your pupils to constrict as much, allowing you to adjust from looking down to looking up at the stars. My job was to hand out the flashlights and ask people to turn off their megawatt bulbs.
Listening to the talk from up the way a little I was able to follow along looking up at the zodiac signs, the Milky Way (incredibly bright without ambient lighting in the area). The ranger giving the talk explained how far light had to travel in order to see the stars, often hundreds to billions of light years away. This was really neat, because we are really looking back in time every time we gaze into the heavens.
Thinking about a shooting star, galaxies away... The light reaches are eyes and for a short few seconds we are blessed with the rare view of a fiery being streaking across the sky. Inside our hearts leap, and our minds send out immediate wishes. Pupils dilate as we search the sky for more of these wonders. In reality though, this event happened hours, days, even years ago, and we only now are seeing its beauty. How true this is for life in general. The moments that define, influence, and inspire us are often not those epiphanies when we realize we have changed. In fact they happen months and years ahead of time, preparing us for this moment. And it isn't just the short streak across the sky that we find beautiful; it is every moment prior.
This morning I started work at 7:30am, which after last night's late night was a bit early. Later this week I'll have the same schedule though; one late night followed by an early morning. One of my first duties of today was to ride on out to the Tusayan bus that runs from the park into the small town of Tusayan. While waiting for my bus I met a group of probably around 12 folks, all related to each other. They asked if I wouldn't mind having my picture taken with their kids, so I did. They had half a dozen cameras, so we were there for a while.
A bit later in the day I saw them again, and answered some more questions. Even later I saw the same family, and this time they wanted more pictures with me, and then I was able to swear in 3 of their kids as junior rangers. What I thought was incredibly cool was at one point I got talking to them about when I was a junior ranger. At home I have a picture of me in one of the ranger hats from when I was young, sitting next to a park ranger. This family thought that was really neat, and one of the young girls wants to be a ranger when she grows up, so we took a similar picture together. Just a great family and an awesome experience.
Today my count was a bit high for people contacts. As I look over at my counter I see I'm up to 405 people. There are a few who stick out, who I'll tell you about. I came across two gentlemen staring at a map, and I knew they were a bit mixed around. I went up to offer some help when one of them turns to me, obviously relieved, and asked if I wouldn't mind walking him to the canyon (300 yards from where we were standing). He reached out his hand, so I grabbed it, and started jokingly walking him towards the rim. He laughed pretty hard, and I let go and pointed them on their way. People are generally just good natured and love a laugh and a smile.
I also came across two couples, a pair of 70 year olds, and a pair of 40 year olds. They had a ton of questions, and I talked with them for about a half hour. We chatted about my job, where I was from, information about the park, what are the best books to buy, what emergency was happening... you name it, they asked about it! It's great to spend a bit more time with each of these folks, and they really appreciate it. And they are hilarious!
When I ride the buses I don't sit. I always stand in the front and hold on. Sometimes if I need my hands to point to the map or so forth I'll put a foot on either side of the aisle, bracing myself. While I was doing this answering question one gentleman asked if we were trained in martial arts. I put my hands up and said "Why yes of course! We use it when we walk home at night to fend off the coyotes." He laughed pretty hard. I told him we were also trained in surfing, and immediately jumped to a surfing pose. I followed that with "And it's a miracle I didn't just fall doing that." I love this job!!
Tonight one of my friends and I went and grabbed some dinner and ice cream, and then drove on up to watch a bit of the sunset. I was very disappointed I hadn't grabbed my camera! I promise to catch a real sunset and take more pictures. Well I'm beat, so I'm headed to bed. If anyone wants to come out and visit I'd be happy to show you around South Rim, and take you for a hike if you're up for it!!
Pretty early on in my day I was riding one of the buses. On the buses I answer questions, tell a few jokes, and give out general information. I need to be outgoing in my job and get people to open up to me when they really do have questions, so I'm often a little odd (I know, this isn't atypical). For instance I often say "Does anyone have any questions? About the Grand Canyon? Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness?" or make a joke about how bus surfing is fun, but bus falling is not (so people hold on to the railings). Most folks laugh and start talking to me, which is the main idea.
At one point on my bus route I had an older gentleman approach me before he got off the bus. This is what he said: "You are very young, very pretty, and very smart." I laughed and thanked him. Some folks on the buses say the funniest things to me. Today one asked if I was in high school, and refused to believe me when I said I was a 2nd time graduate student.
In preparation for the star talk that evening I helped the ranger in charge load up his van with boxes of special flashlights, as well as the PA system he would use during the talk. When I say "special flashlights" what I mean is we have boxes of regular ol' flashlights that we took a red marker to, to color in the plastic top so that the light coming out is red. Red lights are better for your night vision because they don't cause your pupils to constrict as much, allowing you to adjust from looking down to looking up at the stars. My job was to hand out the flashlights and ask people to turn off their megawatt bulbs.
Listening to the talk from up the way a little I was able to follow along looking up at the zodiac signs, the Milky Way (incredibly bright without ambient lighting in the area). The ranger giving the talk explained how far light had to travel in order to see the stars, often hundreds to billions of light years away. This was really neat, because we are really looking back in time every time we gaze into the heavens.
Thinking about a shooting star, galaxies away... The light reaches are eyes and for a short few seconds we are blessed with the rare view of a fiery being streaking across the sky. Inside our hearts leap, and our minds send out immediate wishes. Pupils dilate as we search the sky for more of these wonders. In reality though, this event happened hours, days, even years ago, and we only now are seeing its beauty. How true this is for life in general. The moments that define, influence, and inspire us are often not those epiphanies when we realize we have changed. In fact they happen months and years ahead of time, preparing us for this moment. And it isn't just the short streak across the sky that we find beautiful; it is every moment prior.
This morning I started work at 7:30am, which after last night's late night was a bit early. Later this week I'll have the same schedule though; one late night followed by an early morning. One of my first duties of today was to ride on out to the Tusayan bus that runs from the park into the small town of Tusayan. While waiting for my bus I met a group of probably around 12 folks, all related to each other. They asked if I wouldn't mind having my picture taken with their kids, so I did. They had half a dozen cameras, so we were there for a while.
A bit later in the day I saw them again, and answered some more questions. Even later I saw the same family, and this time they wanted more pictures with me, and then I was able to swear in 3 of their kids as junior rangers. What I thought was incredibly cool was at one point I got talking to them about when I was a junior ranger. At home I have a picture of me in one of the ranger hats from when I was young, sitting next to a park ranger. This family thought that was really neat, and one of the young girls wants to be a ranger when she grows up, so we took a similar picture together. Just a great family and an awesome experience.
Today my count was a bit high for people contacts. As I look over at my counter I see I'm up to 405 people. There are a few who stick out, who I'll tell you about. I came across two gentlemen staring at a map, and I knew they were a bit mixed around. I went up to offer some help when one of them turns to me, obviously relieved, and asked if I wouldn't mind walking him to the canyon (300 yards from where we were standing). He reached out his hand, so I grabbed it, and started jokingly walking him towards the rim. He laughed pretty hard, and I let go and pointed them on their way. People are generally just good natured and love a laugh and a smile.
I also came across two couples, a pair of 70 year olds, and a pair of 40 year olds. They had a ton of questions, and I talked with them for about a half hour. We chatted about my job, where I was from, information about the park, what are the best books to buy, what emergency was happening... you name it, they asked about it! It's great to spend a bit more time with each of these folks, and they really appreciate it. And they are hilarious!
When I ride the buses I don't sit. I always stand in the front and hold on. Sometimes if I need my hands to point to the map or so forth I'll put a foot on either side of the aisle, bracing myself. While I was doing this answering question one gentleman asked if we were trained in martial arts. I put my hands up and said "Why yes of course! We use it when we walk home at night to fend off the coyotes." He laughed pretty hard. I told him we were also trained in surfing, and immediately jumped to a surfing pose. I followed that with "And it's a miracle I didn't just fall doing that." I love this job!!
Tonight one of my friends and I went and grabbed some dinner and ice cream, and then drove on up to watch a bit of the sunset. I was very disappointed I hadn't grabbed my camera! I promise to catch a real sunset and take more pictures. Well I'm beat, so I'm headed to bed. If anyone wants to come out and visit I'd be happy to show you around South Rim, and take you for a hike if you're up for it!!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Canyon Wren
First, my apologies for not keeping up with my posting! Most evenings if I'm working I either work late, or when I get home I'm just too pooped to think much!! No wise cracks about not being able to think regularly.
Tuesday afternoon I borrowed one of the government vehicles to pick up my uniform from the warehouse. With my uniform came my brand new flat hat (think Smokey the Bear) and the belt that goes around it. So Wednesday morning I went to morning meeting so I could learn how to tie the belt on the hat. A bit of Arts and Crafts!! Running home to get changed back into my uniform, I went back to work for a later shift. With our star parties going on those of us working the party are scheduled until late in the evening.
Since I had such a late schedule my lunch was scheduled from 3:30-4:30pm. I had been hanging out near the main Visitor's Center, so I took my lunch inside. Chatting with my coworkers and friends, answering the phone when everyone else was busy, and generally just loving being in this place. I hated to leave, but I did have to go to my next duty!
As the star party was that evening I was working on getting people where they needed to go, directing traffic at times, and answering questions. In the span of a few minutes I had two cars pull up needing help. These two cars were different because the people inside were deaf, and I spoke and signed with them. I miss signing!!
A bit later I was freezing my butt off, so I was jumping around in my post. Two guys walked past in t-shirts and shorts, so I asked "Aren't you cold?". Their response? "No! We're from Buffalo!" How wonderful! They were actually from the town over from mine. We chatted for a bit. I've met quite a few people from back home area.
After work I hung out for a bit at Headquarters doing some reading while I waited for my cousin to get out of work. By the time I got home I could barely stand up any more!!
Every other week we work 4 days instead of 5. This week was my 4 day week, so Thursday was my "Friday". In the afternoon I was doing my rounds when I came across some gentlemen sitting on a bench. I chatted with them for a bit when they asked if I knew of anywhere they could get a small version of the Grand Canyon to take home. Not knowing of a place to get one they asked me if I'd like to join in their business venture to make one. From there the conversation went on to talk about Topology. Why yes, I do have random conversations with visitors about Hausdorff spaces, and how Hausdorff spaces do not necessarily imply a space is normal!
Friday morning my roommate and I drove to Flagstaff to run our errands, pick up groceries, and in general cause a ruckus. After a bit of an issue with her car, we ended up staying a bit longer than we planned, but made up for it by having a delicious lunch. Veggie burger that makes you melt!! Friday evening there was a block/going away party not too far from our house, so we went over there to hang out for a bit. It was nice to chat with folks outside of work, and just hang out with the girls. I'm loving living here; have you noticed yet?
Some days I have a lot of motivation. Today was one of those days (at least in the morning). After packing up my things I hiked down to the Bright Angel Trailhead, and took off for 3 mile house. Quite literally, 3-mile house is 3 miles down Bright Angel Trail. I was hoping to make it down there in an hour and a half, hang out for a bit, and then turn around and hike out. The hike down took a little over an hour. Reaching 3-mile house I walked out to find a rock, sat, and ate some Frosted Mini-Wheats and roasted almonds. Odd snack you may say, but it's got the right nutrients you lose on that hike.
For the next two hours I hiked out, stopping every so often for a picture or two (to be posted shortly), some water, or to move out of the way as the mules pass. Just past mile-and-a-half house it began to rain. Did you know there are very distinct forms of rain? Rain that falls in large drops and soaks you through is what I'm used to back home. But here we have what I call misty rain. Basically you get soaked, but the droplets are so miniature. The rain felt great on the hike up as it was getting to be about noon, and toasty.
By the time I reached the top I was pretty soaked through. Thankfully my roommate kindly picked me up at the trailhead and I quickly jumped in the shower. On the hike you basically end up covered in redish dust from your knees on down, in your shoes. So taking a shower is a must!!
For this afternoon we're hanging out watching movies and working on some things inside the house. Just a lazy Saturday afternoon! We'll that's all for now. More adventures to come!!
Oh before I forget, the reason this post is called "Canyon Wren" is because I heard one on my hike. When I got home I asked my roommate what is was (and imitated the call). Thankfully she's a bird biologist so I have a name for that lovely bird.
Tuesday afternoon I borrowed one of the government vehicles to pick up my uniform from the warehouse. With my uniform came my brand new flat hat (think Smokey the Bear) and the belt that goes around it. So Wednesday morning I went to morning meeting so I could learn how to tie the belt on the hat. A bit of Arts and Crafts!! Running home to get changed back into my uniform, I went back to work for a later shift. With our star parties going on those of us working the party are scheduled until late in the evening.
Since I had such a late schedule my lunch was scheduled from 3:30-4:30pm. I had been hanging out near the main Visitor's Center, so I took my lunch inside. Chatting with my coworkers and friends, answering the phone when everyone else was busy, and generally just loving being in this place. I hated to leave, but I did have to go to my next duty!
As the star party was that evening I was working on getting people where they needed to go, directing traffic at times, and answering questions. In the span of a few minutes I had two cars pull up needing help. These two cars were different because the people inside were deaf, and I spoke and signed with them. I miss signing!!
A bit later I was freezing my butt off, so I was jumping around in my post. Two guys walked past in t-shirts and shorts, so I asked "Aren't you cold?". Their response? "No! We're from Buffalo!" How wonderful! They were actually from the town over from mine. We chatted for a bit. I've met quite a few people from back home area.
After work I hung out for a bit at Headquarters doing some reading while I waited for my cousin to get out of work. By the time I got home I could barely stand up any more!!
Every other week we work 4 days instead of 5. This week was my 4 day week, so Thursday was my "Friday". In the afternoon I was doing my rounds when I came across some gentlemen sitting on a bench. I chatted with them for a bit when they asked if I knew of anywhere they could get a small version of the Grand Canyon to take home. Not knowing of a place to get one they asked me if I'd like to join in their business venture to make one. From there the conversation went on to talk about Topology. Why yes, I do have random conversations with visitors about Hausdorff spaces, and how Hausdorff spaces do not necessarily imply a space is normal!
Friday morning my roommate and I drove to Flagstaff to run our errands, pick up groceries, and in general cause a ruckus. After a bit of an issue with her car, we ended up staying a bit longer than we planned, but made up for it by having a delicious lunch. Veggie burger that makes you melt!! Friday evening there was a block/going away party not too far from our house, so we went over there to hang out for a bit. It was nice to chat with folks outside of work, and just hang out with the girls. I'm loving living here; have you noticed yet?
Some days I have a lot of motivation. Today was one of those days (at least in the morning). After packing up my things I hiked down to the Bright Angel Trailhead, and took off for 3 mile house. Quite literally, 3-mile house is 3 miles down Bright Angel Trail. I was hoping to make it down there in an hour and a half, hang out for a bit, and then turn around and hike out. The hike down took a little over an hour. Reaching 3-mile house I walked out to find a rock, sat, and ate some Frosted Mini-Wheats and roasted almonds. Odd snack you may say, but it's got the right nutrients you lose on that hike.
For the next two hours I hiked out, stopping every so often for a picture or two (to be posted shortly), some water, or to move out of the way as the mules pass. Just past mile-and-a-half house it began to rain. Did you know there are very distinct forms of rain? Rain that falls in large drops and soaks you through is what I'm used to back home. But here we have what I call misty rain. Basically you get soaked, but the droplets are so miniature. The rain felt great on the hike up as it was getting to be about noon, and toasty.
By the time I reached the top I was pretty soaked through. Thankfully my roommate kindly picked me up at the trailhead and I quickly jumped in the shower. On the hike you basically end up covered in redish dust from your knees on down, in your shoes. So taking a shower is a must!!
For this afternoon we're hanging out watching movies and working on some things inside the house. Just a lazy Saturday afternoon! We'll that's all for now. More adventures to come!!
Oh before I forget, the reason this post is called "Canyon Wren" is because I heard one on my hike. When I got home I asked my roommate what is was (and imitated the call). Thankfully she's a bird biologist so I have a name for that lovely bird.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Bats
Wanting to try out my new bike, I put on my helmet and climbed on. Unfortunately the seat was a little high, so I lost my balance and fell. Thankfully a large prickly pear cactus caught my fall. I spent a good 15 minutes pulling out over a hundred spikes from my leg. They didn't hurt a whole ton, just stung a bit and itched afterwards.
As planned, one of my coworkers and I went for a hike down Bright Angel Trail on Sunday, just down to Mile-and-a-Half House and back. It's not a bad hike at all, and I'm getting more used to the elevation I feel. Problem was even though I wasn't in uniform I couldn't help but check on the other hikers to make sure they had enough food and water, and they weren't being dumb. Since we both work for NPS we often would ask how folks were doing, and stop to chat with them. Surprisingly I felt great after the hike!
Sunday evening we invited over some friends of my cousin and roommate. We called it our Burgers and Fries Girls Night. We hung out and chatted, having a blast just hanging out together. Later I had to walk over to the house I was taking care of, and one of the girls kept me company on my walk. We had a blast talking and laughing, trying not to fall in the dark. I had my headlamp, but we didn't use it that often unless cars were coming by. On our way back there were some bats flying near one of the very few street lights. Apparently the bat wanted to get up close and personal, as he flew right into my face. I didn't scream hardly at all, just a little "Eek!" It was pretty funny. It was honestly a blast though, walking and talking and just hanging out under the gorgeous starry sky!
As for Monday, I spent the day meandering, helping folks out, and setting up for the star party. Star Parties are when we have volunteer astronomers come in and set up telescopes for the public to gaze through in order to see the stars. It's pretty awesome, but can cause a traffic jam for those not paying attention. The set up went well, and the sky cleared up beautifully for viewing. As I wasn't getting off work until late, one of my friends picked me up. We went out for a walk along the rim later. How different the village is after dark! It was an awesome hike, and I didn't even realize how long we had been out.
Today I was working a regular shift, and got to meet some great folks. At one point this little toddler told me his name was Chris. I told him my name, and his older sister said "You're my cousin!" since she had a cousin by the same name. For the next half hour the three children followed me around talking my ear off. It was incredibly cute. Earlier in the day I had to reach into my pack for something, and I told the visitors I was helping that much like Dora the Explorer I had a handy pack, but unfortunately I did not have a trusty sidekick.
I'm not sure I could keep count of the number of people who daily ask me if I wouldn't mind just being their personal park guide, and if I would travel with them. It's pretty kind of them, and I have to laugh. I love this job! I have a blast talking to people and they are typically very friendly. I still throw in a little French now and then, and as of the end of last week I signed up to be a sign language interpreter in case of emergencies. That way if they have someone who needs help who signs they'll call me. I'm pretty excited!!
Well I haven't eaten dinner, and today my lunch was cut short so I couldn't eat then, so I'd better go find some food!
As planned, one of my coworkers and I went for a hike down Bright Angel Trail on Sunday, just down to Mile-and-a-Half House and back. It's not a bad hike at all, and I'm getting more used to the elevation I feel. Problem was even though I wasn't in uniform I couldn't help but check on the other hikers to make sure they had enough food and water, and they weren't being dumb. Since we both work for NPS we often would ask how folks were doing, and stop to chat with them. Surprisingly I felt great after the hike!
Sunday evening we invited over some friends of my cousin and roommate. We called it our Burgers and Fries Girls Night. We hung out and chatted, having a blast just hanging out together. Later I had to walk over to the house I was taking care of, and one of the girls kept me company on my walk. We had a blast talking and laughing, trying not to fall in the dark. I had my headlamp, but we didn't use it that often unless cars were coming by. On our way back there were some bats flying near one of the very few street lights. Apparently the bat wanted to get up close and personal, as he flew right into my face. I didn't scream hardly at all, just a little "Eek!" It was pretty funny. It was honestly a blast though, walking and talking and just hanging out under the gorgeous starry sky!
As for Monday, I spent the day meandering, helping folks out, and setting up for the star party. Star Parties are when we have volunteer astronomers come in and set up telescopes for the public to gaze through in order to see the stars. It's pretty awesome, but can cause a traffic jam for those not paying attention. The set up went well, and the sky cleared up beautifully for viewing. As I wasn't getting off work until late, one of my friends picked me up. We went out for a walk along the rim later. How different the village is after dark! It was an awesome hike, and I didn't even realize how long we had been out.
Today I was working a regular shift, and got to meet some great folks. At one point this little toddler told me his name was Chris. I told him my name, and his older sister said "You're my cousin!" since she had a cousin by the same name. For the next half hour the three children followed me around talking my ear off. It was incredibly cute. Earlier in the day I had to reach into my pack for something, and I told the visitors I was helping that much like Dora the Explorer I had a handy pack, but unfortunately I did not have a trusty sidekick.
I'm not sure I could keep count of the number of people who daily ask me if I wouldn't mind just being their personal park guide, and if I would travel with them. It's pretty kind of them, and I have to laugh. I love this job! I have a blast talking to people and they are typically very friendly. I still throw in a little French now and then, and as of the end of last week I signed up to be a sign language interpreter in case of emergencies. That way if they have someone who needs help who signs they'll call me. I'm pretty excited!!
Well I haven't eaten dinner, and today my lunch was cut short so I couldn't eat then, so I'd better go find some food!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Santa Maria Springs
I like to explore. I love wilderness, and I love spending time adventuring in it. Today my cousin and I decided to take a hike. We packed snacks and I had 1 liter of water, 1 liter of Gatorade. Driving up to Hermit's Trailhead, we jumped out of the car and headed down to Santa Maria Springs.
I know I've said you should always hike before 10am, or after 4pm to stay out of the heat of the day. We started our hike at about 1pm. The hike down to Santa Maria Springs follows the Hermit Trail into the canyon. It is about 5 miles round trip, with a drop in elevation of 1,760 feet. It's not an easy hike. I know five miles doesn't seem like a ton, but when you're hiking in to the canyon or back out, this hike should take between 4 and 6 hours.
With my camera in hand (there will be photos up shortly), we took off down the trail. Hermit's Trail is rough and the park service does not maintain it. Originally it was built by the Fred Harvey company so they could bring mules down in to the canyon. In fact the trail does go all the way to the river. As the trail was built for mules there are large cobblestones laid out on great portions of the trail.
Along the way we stopped once or twice to cool off in the shade and rest our feet. As the path descends in to the canyon you can see the change in rocks around you. It's a hard hike, but a good one. Coming out to the Santa Maria Springs Rest House, we took rest under the shelter, snacking on pistachios, chicken jerky, and water. There is a small spring (Santa Maria) that runs there. You can drink that water if you treat it, but we just used it to cool off. Around 3pm my cousin realized she had to be at work in a few hours, so we split up. She started hiking right back out while I hiked out, but at a much slower pace. I'm not as used to the elevation or the toll on your body.
Every ten minutes (or less if there was no cloud cover) I'd stop and find shade to cool off. I waited for my heartbeat and breathing to return back to normal and then I'd take off again. It was a difficult hike. I had no idea how far I had come, nor how far I had yet to go. That's not really comforting, let me tell you. I still had a blast though, stopping to watch the clouds, checking out the vegetation (I can name quite a bit of it now), watching the lizards dart across my path.
It took me a little less than two hours to get back up the path (though it felt much longer). When I got to the top I felt this great sense of accomplishment, though I knew I was in desperate need of water. I still had maybe 6-8oz left, but I had been saving that, not really knowing how much longer I'd be on the trail. Stopping to buy a bottle of cold water (and downing most of it quickly), I jumped on the shuttle buses, and out of the kindness of her heart, my other roommate picked me up at my shuttle stop so we could go back home.
Taking another shower and making some dinner, we spent the evening chatting and watching movies, just laying low. Another amazing day in the Grand Canyon!!
I know I've said you should always hike before 10am, or after 4pm to stay out of the heat of the day. We started our hike at about 1pm. The hike down to Santa Maria Springs follows the Hermit Trail into the canyon. It is about 5 miles round trip, with a drop in elevation of 1,760 feet. It's not an easy hike. I know five miles doesn't seem like a ton, but when you're hiking in to the canyon or back out, this hike should take between 4 and 6 hours.
With my camera in hand (there will be photos up shortly), we took off down the trail. Hermit's Trail is rough and the park service does not maintain it. Originally it was built by the Fred Harvey company so they could bring mules down in to the canyon. In fact the trail does go all the way to the river. As the trail was built for mules there are large cobblestones laid out on great portions of the trail.
Along the way we stopped once or twice to cool off in the shade and rest our feet. As the path descends in to the canyon you can see the change in rocks around you. It's a hard hike, but a good one. Coming out to the Santa Maria Springs Rest House, we took rest under the shelter, snacking on pistachios, chicken jerky, and water. There is a small spring (Santa Maria) that runs there. You can drink that water if you treat it, but we just used it to cool off. Around 3pm my cousin realized she had to be at work in a few hours, so we split up. She started hiking right back out while I hiked out, but at a much slower pace. I'm not as used to the elevation or the toll on your body.
Every ten minutes (or less if there was no cloud cover) I'd stop and find shade to cool off. I waited for my heartbeat and breathing to return back to normal and then I'd take off again. It was a difficult hike. I had no idea how far I had come, nor how far I had yet to go. That's not really comforting, let me tell you. I still had a blast though, stopping to watch the clouds, checking out the vegetation (I can name quite a bit of it now), watching the lizards dart across my path.
It took me a little less than two hours to get back up the path (though it felt much longer). When I got to the top I felt this great sense of accomplishment, though I knew I was in desperate need of water. I still had maybe 6-8oz left, but I had been saving that, not really knowing how much longer I'd be on the trail. Stopping to buy a bottle of cold water (and downing most of it quickly), I jumped on the shuttle buses, and out of the kindness of her heart, my other roommate picked me up at my shuttle stop so we could go back home.
Taking another shower and making some dinner, we spent the evening chatting and watching movies, just laying low. Another amazing day in the Grand Canyon!!
We can count on you!
This post is for my adventures on Friday, June 12th.
On some days as part of my duties I go hiking down to Cedar Ridge and back up. Cedar Ridge is on the South Kaibab Trail, about 3 miles round trip, with a change of 1,000 feet in elevation. It's a really awesome hike, though I'm likely to be breathing quite heavily on the way back up.
In preparation for today's hike on down to Cedar Ridge I borrowed my cousin's hiking poles (they look a lot like ski poles) and had two Nalgene bottles of water; one for myself, one to pour out for visitors without enough water. Hopping the shuttles out to the trailhead I called in to dispatch to let them know I was headed down. It's something we do so they can make sure we're all safe. On one of the shuttles I met two couples who were also planning on a hike. They asked me if I was a student, and then what I was studying. When I told them mathematics, the one gentleman said he was surprised it wasn't really related to the Grand Canyon, but he was glad they could "Count on you." I laughed, and his friends just rolled their eyes.
The trip down didn't take me too long, an hour at most. About halfway down you find "Ooh Ahh Point". For those of you who haven't figured out the meaning behind that name... it's because you stand at that point and say "Ooooooh Ahhhhhh!!" As usual, groups going by asked me to take their picture for them. You didn't know photographer was in my job title, did you? After taking one groups' picture they saw my camera and asked if I wanted my picture taken! I laughed and said sure, knowing my parents and sisters would love to see me in full uniform.
One of my main tasks on the hike is to make sure everyone going by has enough water for whatever trip they are planning on taking, and enough salty snacks. On the hike out of the canyon I was able to stop every so often to ask those going by these questions. It helped me catch my breath.
Back up top I called in to dispatch again, and found a place to sit where people going to the trailhead would walk by. I had already refilled one person's water supply on the trail with my extra bottle, and as the day progressed I knew more and more people would be starting on their way down. It's surprising the number of people who wear flip flops, or who bring 1 liter of water to supply 4 grown adults and think nothing of it. For future reference, wear good hiking shoes, hike before 10am, and bring water for each person, over the recommended amount.
At one point another ranger joined me on top of the trail and seeing a group of middle schoolers go by to take the hike he shouted to them "Hydrate or Die!" They laughed, and some looked terrified, but it is absolutely true. On the top of that trailhead there is a large placard. It says "Can you run a marathon? This young woman did in X amount of time, and she died in the canyon." It's true, and the family of the young woman asked to have those placards put around the rim trails. Just because you can run marathons, or just because you climbed the Alps, it does not mean you can hike in to the canyon and back out.
After getting back to HQ I ran home for lunch and took a quick shower. Heading back to HQ I was stationed on the front desk for a few hours. I answered the telephones, handed out information to people coming in, and even got a few young people ready to be junior rangers! I love talking to the public. It's a lot of fun, and they are usually very receptive to the information I have for them.
I forgot to mention, on Thursday I was working at the Train Depot, and afterwards roving around the trail by El Tovar. Just near there the Environmental Education table is set up. Lending a hand there I watched a 19-20 year old Army Soldier bust his butt in an hour and a half to finish the Junior Ranger program and get his badge. He was one of the funniest guys who has come up to our table.
Back to Friday... Jumping on a bus to go in to the village for my next duty I am met by no one else but the bus driver who nicknamed me Special K! Together we informed and entertained the bus passengers. There were two couples speaking French near the front of the bus. One of them leaned over and in English asked me what was on the front of the bus. In French I responded it was for bicycles. You should have seen the look on this woman's face! She fully understood what I meant, and I think she was grateful I had spoken in French. A little later they asked again in English some piece of information relating to the time it took to get some place. I again responded in French. Just as I was about to get off the bus they asked to take my picture, first by myself, and then with the bus driver. It was pretty hilarious.
Getting off the bus (at the protest of the bus driver) I saw the family I had given water to earlier on the South Kaibab Trail. They chatted with me for a while, and I was able to answer their questions. It is really neat being recognized by visitors, and seeing the same families time and time again. They often say "Hey you were on the bus yesterday!" or something to that effect.
After I had finished my duties and was headed to go home a car pulled up in front of HQ to ask me a question. I never really mind answering questions before I start work or afterwards. It isn't a chore or anything. The interaction with people is incredibly positive, and even if it is the 50th time I've been asked what time is sunset, or where can I go to eat, it's never boring.
"Weekends" for employees in the Park Service are any span of two days you have off in a row. My "weekends" actually fall on the weekend, as do one of my roommate's. In celebration of a great week, we had a great dinner and spent part of the evening relaxing in a hot tub. What a great end to the day.
On some days as part of my duties I go hiking down to Cedar Ridge and back up. Cedar Ridge is on the South Kaibab Trail, about 3 miles round trip, with a change of 1,000 feet in elevation. It's a really awesome hike, though I'm likely to be breathing quite heavily on the way back up.
In preparation for today's hike on down to Cedar Ridge I borrowed my cousin's hiking poles (they look a lot like ski poles) and had two Nalgene bottles of water; one for myself, one to pour out for visitors without enough water. Hopping the shuttles out to the trailhead I called in to dispatch to let them know I was headed down. It's something we do so they can make sure we're all safe. On one of the shuttles I met two couples who were also planning on a hike. They asked me if I was a student, and then what I was studying. When I told them mathematics, the one gentleman said he was surprised it wasn't really related to the Grand Canyon, but he was glad they could "Count on you." I laughed, and his friends just rolled their eyes.
The trip down didn't take me too long, an hour at most. About halfway down you find "Ooh Ahh Point". For those of you who haven't figured out the meaning behind that name... it's because you stand at that point and say "Ooooooh Ahhhhhh!!" As usual, groups going by asked me to take their picture for them. You didn't know photographer was in my job title, did you? After taking one groups' picture they saw my camera and asked if I wanted my picture taken! I laughed and said sure, knowing my parents and sisters would love to see me in full uniform.
One of my main tasks on the hike is to make sure everyone going by has enough water for whatever trip they are planning on taking, and enough salty snacks. On the hike out of the canyon I was able to stop every so often to ask those going by these questions. It helped me catch my breath.
Back up top I called in to dispatch again, and found a place to sit where people going to the trailhead would walk by. I had already refilled one person's water supply on the trail with my extra bottle, and as the day progressed I knew more and more people would be starting on their way down. It's surprising the number of people who wear flip flops, or who bring 1 liter of water to supply 4 grown adults and think nothing of it. For future reference, wear good hiking shoes, hike before 10am, and bring water for each person, over the recommended amount.
At one point another ranger joined me on top of the trail and seeing a group of middle schoolers go by to take the hike he shouted to them "Hydrate or Die!" They laughed, and some looked terrified, but it is absolutely true. On the top of that trailhead there is a large placard. It says "Can you run a marathon? This young woman did in X amount of time, and she died in the canyon." It's true, and the family of the young woman asked to have those placards put around the rim trails. Just because you can run marathons, or just because you climbed the Alps, it does not mean you can hike in to the canyon and back out.
After getting back to HQ I ran home for lunch and took a quick shower. Heading back to HQ I was stationed on the front desk for a few hours. I answered the telephones, handed out information to people coming in, and even got a few young people ready to be junior rangers! I love talking to the public. It's a lot of fun, and they are usually very receptive to the information I have for them.
I forgot to mention, on Thursday I was working at the Train Depot, and afterwards roving around the trail by El Tovar. Just near there the Environmental Education table is set up. Lending a hand there I watched a 19-20 year old Army Soldier bust his butt in an hour and a half to finish the Junior Ranger program and get his badge. He was one of the funniest guys who has come up to our table.
Back to Friday... Jumping on a bus to go in to the village for my next duty I am met by no one else but the bus driver who nicknamed me Special K! Together we informed and entertained the bus passengers. There were two couples speaking French near the front of the bus. One of them leaned over and in English asked me what was on the front of the bus. In French I responded it was for bicycles. You should have seen the look on this woman's face! She fully understood what I meant, and I think she was grateful I had spoken in French. A little later they asked again in English some piece of information relating to the time it took to get some place. I again responded in French. Just as I was about to get off the bus they asked to take my picture, first by myself, and then with the bus driver. It was pretty hilarious.
Getting off the bus (at the protest of the bus driver) I saw the family I had given water to earlier on the South Kaibab Trail. They chatted with me for a while, and I was able to answer their questions. It is really neat being recognized by visitors, and seeing the same families time and time again. They often say "Hey you were on the bus yesterday!" or something to that effect.
After I had finished my duties and was headed to go home a car pulled up in front of HQ to ask me a question. I never really mind answering questions before I start work or afterwards. It isn't a chore or anything. The interaction with people is incredibly positive, and even if it is the 50th time I've been asked what time is sunset, or where can I go to eat, it's never boring.
"Weekends" for employees in the Park Service are any span of two days you have off in a row. My "weekends" actually fall on the weekend, as do one of my roommate's. In celebration of a great week, we had a great dinner and spent part of the evening relaxing in a hot tub. What a great end to the day.
Love your enemies...
I have a few days to catch up on, so I'm going to write a post for each. This is the post for Thursday, June 11th.
As I wasn't due in to the office until 10am this morning, I took my time being a bit lazy. Walking down to work I passed a car with the following saying on it: "Love your enemies and you won't have any." Immediately after reading it I smiled. I hope it has the same effect on you.
One of the first days I was in uniform I had my picture taken half a dozen times. I laughed about it, and commented to the coworker I was shadowing for the day. She told me that we are the Mickey Mouse of the National Park Service. Everyone wants a picture with us. I've had my picture taken with young Junior Rangers, with couples who speak very little english, and with an older gentleman on the request of his daughter!
At one point in my duties I was riding one of the shuttle buses for an hour and a half. Very quickly I often chat with the people on the bus, finding out about them, and telling jokes. They may ask me questions about the park, or I may do an impromptu interpretive talk about the area around us. Just depends on the crew.
On one of my bus routes there was a young boy around 9 years of age who decided he wanted to come sit near the front where I was standing. His family was halfway back on the bus. The young boy and I chatted for a while, and he told me where he was from and the 3 week trip he was on with his family. At one of the bus stops two couples boarded the bus. The last gentleman on the bus turned to the bus driver and asked if the bus went to Maswik Lodge. That's the stop we were at. He was just joking around, and his wife told me not to encourage him, while laughing. The gentleman sat across from the young boy, right next to where I was standing. When he asked the young boy if he was riding alone I said that he wanted to ride with me, and his family was further back on the bus. The gentleman stood up and said he wished he was with me! I cracked up, and his wife swatted him one.
The largest trees we have in the park are Ponderosa Pines. The bark of these giants often look like puzzle pieces laid on top of each other, and the color can vary from dark gray brown to a warm sierra. The warm sierra color is usually found on older trees exposed to the sunlight. On these trees you can lean in and smell the bark. People say it smells like sugar cookies, cotton candy, or butterscotch. One family came up to me and asked what those good-smelling trees were. I told them, to which the father responded, "Oh yeah! The scratch and sniff trees!"
Every day we carry around counters and whenever we talk to someone for more than just a passing hello we keep track. Mine is attached to my backpack strap so I can just reach up and click it before I forget. I've been asked quite often if it's my pedometer. On the first day I had my handy-dandy counter I logged talking to 235 people, and 266 the second day!! Wow.
For whatever reason I'm always more exhausted after a 10am-8pm shift than our 7:30am-5:30pm shift. After making some dinner and checking on a friend's house I crashed for the evening.
As I wasn't due in to the office until 10am this morning, I took my time being a bit lazy. Walking down to work I passed a car with the following saying on it: "Love your enemies and you won't have any." Immediately after reading it I smiled. I hope it has the same effect on you.
One of the first days I was in uniform I had my picture taken half a dozen times. I laughed about it, and commented to the coworker I was shadowing for the day. She told me that we are the Mickey Mouse of the National Park Service. Everyone wants a picture with us. I've had my picture taken with young Junior Rangers, with couples who speak very little english, and with an older gentleman on the request of his daughter!
At one point in my duties I was riding one of the shuttle buses for an hour and a half. Very quickly I often chat with the people on the bus, finding out about them, and telling jokes. They may ask me questions about the park, or I may do an impromptu interpretive talk about the area around us. Just depends on the crew.
On one of my bus routes there was a young boy around 9 years of age who decided he wanted to come sit near the front where I was standing. His family was halfway back on the bus. The young boy and I chatted for a while, and he told me where he was from and the 3 week trip he was on with his family. At one of the bus stops two couples boarded the bus. The last gentleman on the bus turned to the bus driver and asked if the bus went to Maswik Lodge. That's the stop we were at. He was just joking around, and his wife told me not to encourage him, while laughing. The gentleman sat across from the young boy, right next to where I was standing. When he asked the young boy if he was riding alone I said that he wanted to ride with me, and his family was further back on the bus. The gentleman stood up and said he wished he was with me! I cracked up, and his wife swatted him one.
The largest trees we have in the park are Ponderosa Pines. The bark of these giants often look like puzzle pieces laid on top of each other, and the color can vary from dark gray brown to a warm sierra. The warm sierra color is usually found on older trees exposed to the sunlight. On these trees you can lean in and smell the bark. People say it smells like sugar cookies, cotton candy, or butterscotch. One family came up to me and asked what those good-smelling trees were. I told them, to which the father responded, "Oh yeah! The scratch and sniff trees!"
Every day we carry around counters and whenever we talk to someone for more than just a passing hello we keep track. Mine is attached to my backpack strap so I can just reach up and click it before I forget. I've been asked quite often if it's my pedometer. On the first day I had my handy-dandy counter I logged talking to 235 people, and 266 the second day!! Wow.
For whatever reason I'm always more exhausted after a 10am-8pm shift than our 7:30am-5:30pm shift. After making some dinner and checking on a friend's house I crashed for the evening.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Special K
Today was the first day I was out on my own roaming around on my own all day. I started off the day riding the bus from Grand Canyon in to Tusayan. On the trip out of the park it was only the bus driver and I, but on the way back in to the park we had a crew of riders. The bus driver I was riding with was hilarious, joking around. I joined in, giving information, but cracking jokes.
After we dropped off our passengers the bus driver and I spoke for a little. He told me he thought I was naturally talented at working with people, and he was impressed. He also said that if he had a nickname for me it would be Special K. From that point on that's what he called me. On the bus, to the new passengers, over the microphone, and apparently to another staff member who later came and found me.
For the rest of the morning an into the afternoon I roved around the Grand Canyon Visitor's Center, answering questions. At one point as I hiked along Mather Point I came upon an abandoned walking cane. Asking a few visitors in the area I found out the cane had been there for about a half hour. As I carried the cane in to the Visitor's Center to put it in our lost and found I received quite a few odd looks. Usually I cracked a joke saying the canyon healed me, or reassuring people the cane wasn't mine.
One of the neat things about walking around the Grand Canyon is the great number of different people you meet. I spent a good ten minutes with a group of German-speaking folks, most of which spoke little English, except for one young man. I tried desperately to convince them it was probably not a good idea. Later I handed out guides in Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian, German, and English!
Random fact of the day... in Grand Canyon we have Pinyon Pines. Do you know what comes from Pinyon Pine trees? Pine nuts!! Also, juniper berries are used to make... gin!! Very cool foody facts for you all.
In the afternoon I worked at the environmental education table. I got to talk with a lot of kids about becoming junior rangers, and explain the length of the condor's wing span by standing with my arms out connecting with a coworkers arms. It was a blast!! I love hamming it up and educating people about the cool things in the Grand Canyon.
In exhaustion and awe... I'm headed in. Night all!
After we dropped off our passengers the bus driver and I spoke for a little. He told me he thought I was naturally talented at working with people, and he was impressed. He also said that if he had a nickname for me it would be Special K. From that point on that's what he called me. On the bus, to the new passengers, over the microphone, and apparently to another staff member who later came and found me.
For the rest of the morning an into the afternoon I roved around the Grand Canyon Visitor's Center, answering questions. At one point as I hiked along Mather Point I came upon an abandoned walking cane. Asking a few visitors in the area I found out the cane had been there for about a half hour. As I carried the cane in to the Visitor's Center to put it in our lost and found I received quite a few odd looks. Usually I cracked a joke saying the canyon healed me, or reassuring people the cane wasn't mine.
One of the neat things about walking around the Grand Canyon is the great number of different people you meet. I spent a good ten minutes with a group of German-speaking folks, most of which spoke little English, except for one young man. I tried desperately to convince them it was probably not a good idea. Later I handed out guides in Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian, German, and English!
Random fact of the day... in Grand Canyon we have Pinyon Pines. Do you know what comes from Pinyon Pine trees? Pine nuts!! Also, juniper berries are used to make... gin!! Very cool foody facts for you all.
In the afternoon I worked at the environmental education table. I got to talk with a lot of kids about becoming junior rangers, and explain the length of the condor's wing span by standing with my arms out connecting with a coworkers arms. It was a blast!! I love hamming it up and educating people about the cool things in the Grand Canyon.
In exhaustion and awe... I'm headed in. Night all!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Desert View
To continue my training today, I spent the day with my boss and the only other new hire, exploring the greater Grand Canyon region. We started off the day headed out to Desert View, stopping at a few outlooks and the Tusayan Museum along the way. One of our stops was at Grand View Trail Head, where we hiked down a bit to check out that trail. Grand View is no longer listed as a hike as the trail is not maintained, and it is incredibly steep.
A short way down the path my boss pointed to a tree and asked what kind it was. Looking at it, and feeling the cooler air of being just below the rim, I finally figured out it was a Douglas Fir. It's pretty neat the different microclimates we have here, depending on where you are in the canyon. On the hike up the path I was breathing so hard I thought I'd need an inhaler. It's pretty typical for our hikes, but I'm not a fan of the feeling like you can't get enough oxygen.
Just before the east entrance/exit of the park is Desert View. Desert View has a general store, a bookstore, gas station, and the watchtower. The watchtower was designed by Mary Jane Coulter, who designed many of the other buildings in the area. In all of her designs she aimed to use natural, native elements in her design, so the majority of the buildings are made of limestone and sandstone, rocks, and mud. Very cool!! At the top of the watchtower you can look into the canyon.
As you travel along the canyon your view changes, sometimes drastically. Out near Desert View you can see The Painted Desert in the distance. The canyon seems to be less deep, as the river snakes through. This is one of the few locations where you can see the Canyon Supergroup. Typically this layer of the canyon is hidden behind the other layers. I took some pictures, as I can't really describe it, but those will have to wait tomorrow to be loaded up.
As we traveled back towards the village we stopped at a few other lookouts. At one towards the right (upriver) you could see the river lazily meandering, where as towards the left the river began to cut out the inner gorge. Very cool!! I took pictures of this as well.
Midday we ended back up at headquarters and broke for lunch. After lunch we continued our exploration with a trip out to Hermit's Rest, which is the other end of the South Rim. Along the way we discussed the mission of the park service, and how it fits in with the developments in the park, and different aspects of our daily activities. It's very cool; a balance between nature and culture, between past, present, and future, and between enjoyment and restoration.
At one of our stops along the way we were shown a bird. I knew it was a swallow, and learned later that it was the violet-green swallow. A gorgeous bird, with a heck of a flight pattern!
I'm running out of steam, so I'm turning in for the night. Tomorrow I'm back in uniform, and on my own. I wish you could all experience this with me. It is absolutely a fantastic time!!
A short way down the path my boss pointed to a tree and asked what kind it was. Looking at it, and feeling the cooler air of being just below the rim, I finally figured out it was a Douglas Fir. It's pretty neat the different microclimates we have here, depending on where you are in the canyon. On the hike up the path I was breathing so hard I thought I'd need an inhaler. It's pretty typical for our hikes, but I'm not a fan of the feeling like you can't get enough oxygen.
Just before the east entrance/exit of the park is Desert View. Desert View has a general store, a bookstore, gas station, and the watchtower. The watchtower was designed by Mary Jane Coulter, who designed many of the other buildings in the area. In all of her designs she aimed to use natural, native elements in her design, so the majority of the buildings are made of limestone and sandstone, rocks, and mud. Very cool!! At the top of the watchtower you can look into the canyon.
As you travel along the canyon your view changes, sometimes drastically. Out near Desert View you can see The Painted Desert in the distance. The canyon seems to be less deep, as the river snakes through. This is one of the few locations where you can see the Canyon Supergroup. Typically this layer of the canyon is hidden behind the other layers. I took some pictures, as I can't really describe it, but those will have to wait tomorrow to be loaded up.
As we traveled back towards the village we stopped at a few other lookouts. At one towards the right (upriver) you could see the river lazily meandering, where as towards the left the river began to cut out the inner gorge. Very cool!! I took pictures of this as well.
Midday we ended back up at headquarters and broke for lunch. After lunch we continued our exploration with a trip out to Hermit's Rest, which is the other end of the South Rim. Along the way we discussed the mission of the park service, and how it fits in with the developments in the park, and different aspects of our daily activities. It's very cool; a balance between nature and culture, between past, present, and future, and between enjoyment and restoration.
At one of our stops along the way we were shown a bird. I knew it was a swallow, and learned later that it was the violet-green swallow. A gorgeous bird, with a heck of a flight pattern!
I'm running out of steam, so I'm turning in for the night. Tomorrow I'm back in uniform, and on my own. I wish you could all experience this with me. It is absolutely a fantastic time!!
First day in Uniform
In order to make this a bit more readable, I'm going to split up the posts from yesterday and today. Yesterday (Monday) was my first day in uniform. Seeing as I am new to this job, I spent the day shadowing another ranger, so I could better learn the ropes. My main job is to interact with the public and answer questions. And I love it!!
Most days we work 7:30am-5:30pm with an hour lunch. Some days though, as it was yesterday, we work 10am - 8pm. There are yet more schedules, but I won't go into those yet. We started off the day riding the village bus, answering questions, and basically just entertaining people. I probably was asked a hundred times if I was a seasonal employee, and why my hat wasn't like the one worn by the woman I was shadowing. It was a blast!!
At one point while riding the bus a gentleman asked me if I thought the canyon was formed by creation or evolution. I told him I believed in a mix of both, to which he replied "Have you ever considered a career in politics?" Sometimes we were asked if we had to go through physical training for our jobs, to which we replied "We are required to be able to run down into the canyon and back out in 3 hours." It's a minimum 14 mile round trip down to the river and back, and obviously a fib.
After riding the buses for a bit we went to the Train Depot where a train from Williams comes in once (or maybe twice) a day. The cool thing is the staff on the train dress up in period costumes and apparently have bandits come on the train. Very neat!!
After lunch I went over to the Visitor Center to walk around and answer questions. The woman I was shadowing was off running other errands, so for the first time that day I was on my own. No more than five minutes in to my time there a gentleman came running up to me shouting that I needed to arrest someone for him due to a physical/verbal dispute between the two. After making the call to dispatch and getting some law enforcement out on the site, and answering questions for the officers, I was able to continue on my rounds. Wow... a crazy first day!!
Shortly after the incident I was walking along when a french-speaking couple came up to me talking quickly in french pointing to the glass and their eyes. I finally realized they were talking about the Skywalk. For those of you who don't know, the Skywalk is in the Hulapai Reservation, five hours west of Grand Canyon. It is privately owned, and you pay $75 to walk out onto it. You are not allowed to use your camera on it. In any case I was unable to get them to understand this, so I took them up to a big poster saying exactly that, and pointed to it.
Leaving this couple I pulled out my notebook and wrote down how I wished I spoke more French. No more than two minutes later I said hi to another couple, who responded with "Francais?" Telling the couple I only spoke a little french, we chatted for a minute or two, before the language barrier became too much, and we smiled and parted ways. Later a group of tourists from one of the Asian countries came through the park, nearly all of whom bowed slightly to me as they passed. It is incredible the different cultures we see here!!
Finishing up my day riding the buses and closing up another Visitor Center, I was dead tired on my feet!! But it was the birthday of a friend of my cousin, so we went out to dinner. By the time I got home I was beyond exhausted, and I slept like a rock.
It was an amazing first day. One visitor asked me if I ever got sick of looking at Grand Canyon. I told her "No. Every time you look at Grand Canyon you see a different face of hers; every day is different."
Most days we work 7:30am-5:30pm with an hour lunch. Some days though, as it was yesterday, we work 10am - 8pm. There are yet more schedules, but I won't go into those yet. We started off the day riding the village bus, answering questions, and basically just entertaining people. I probably was asked a hundred times if I was a seasonal employee, and why my hat wasn't like the one worn by the woman I was shadowing. It was a blast!!
At one point while riding the bus a gentleman asked me if I thought the canyon was formed by creation or evolution. I told him I believed in a mix of both, to which he replied "Have you ever considered a career in politics?" Sometimes we were asked if we had to go through physical training for our jobs, to which we replied "We are required to be able to run down into the canyon and back out in 3 hours." It's a minimum 14 mile round trip down to the river and back, and obviously a fib.
After riding the buses for a bit we went to the Train Depot where a train from Williams comes in once (or maybe twice) a day. The cool thing is the staff on the train dress up in period costumes and apparently have bandits come on the train. Very neat!!
After lunch I went over to the Visitor Center to walk around and answer questions. The woman I was shadowing was off running other errands, so for the first time that day I was on my own. No more than five minutes in to my time there a gentleman came running up to me shouting that I needed to arrest someone for him due to a physical/verbal dispute between the two. After making the call to dispatch and getting some law enforcement out on the site, and answering questions for the officers, I was able to continue on my rounds. Wow... a crazy first day!!
Shortly after the incident I was walking along when a french-speaking couple came up to me talking quickly in french pointing to the glass and their eyes. I finally realized they were talking about the Skywalk. For those of you who don't know, the Skywalk is in the Hulapai Reservation, five hours west of Grand Canyon. It is privately owned, and you pay $75 to walk out onto it. You are not allowed to use your camera on it. In any case I was unable to get them to understand this, so I took them up to a big poster saying exactly that, and pointed to it.
Leaving this couple I pulled out my notebook and wrote down how I wished I spoke more French. No more than two minutes later I said hi to another couple, who responded with "Francais?" Telling the couple I only spoke a little french, we chatted for a minute or two, before the language barrier became too much, and we smiled and parted ways. Later a group of tourists from one of the Asian countries came through the park, nearly all of whom bowed slightly to me as they passed. It is incredible the different cultures we see here!!
Finishing up my day riding the buses and closing up another Visitor Center, I was dead tired on my feet!! But it was the birthday of a friend of my cousin, so we went out to dinner. By the time I got home I was beyond exhausted, and I slept like a rock.
It was an amazing first day. One visitor asked me if I ever got sick of looking at Grand Canyon. I told her "No. Every time you look at Grand Canyon you see a different face of hers; every day is different."
Friday, June 5, 2009
Cedar Ridge
To kick off the day's training, we began with a hike down South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge. The entire trip is only 3 miles, but it's a tough trek. Starting off you make your way down into the Canyon by way of tight and narrow switch-backs. These are very steep and the path is made up of crushed stone from whichever layer of the canyon you happen to be in at the time. For example, the start of the trail is coarse crushed limestone, where as the end of the trail (by Cedar Ridge) is fine sand from the sandstone layer.
Starting at 7:45am we hit the trail. I brought up the back of our group as I stopped often to take pictures. Equipped with water, snacks, and a few other essentials my pack was relatively light. Approximately halfway down the path you make it to Ooh Ahh Point. I'm not kidding, that's what it's called. Here the grade changes dramatically. From Ooh Ahh you can make out Cedar Ridge, and it honestly doesn't look that far.
With only about 300 yards left to our resting point at Cedar Ridge my knees and legs really began to protest. About a half dozen times my knee gave out or locked up; both of which are incredibly painful. My legs began to shake uncontrollably. When you know you have to turn around and hike the way back up neither of these are very comforting. Resting in the wind on Cedar Ridge we snacked and refueled. The way down took a little less than an hour.
Repacking everything (and putting away the camera) we made our way back up to the top. Typically the way up takes twice as long, and this time was no exception. Shortly into the trip I was very out of breath. You add the steepness of the trail to the elevation and lack of free oxygen in the air, and you can get worn down quickly. Though I was able to make my way without too much hassle to the top, I was definitely spent. The hike to Cedar Ridge is part of my duties every so often, so it's something I'm going to need to do.
Thanks to the kindness of one of my new coworkers, I was able to go home for lunch. This allowed me to take a shower, and change before we reported back for more training. Our afternoon training was in Law Enforcement and Medicals, which meant we learned how to use the radios in order to get help for medical issues and problems involving the law. It was very interesting, and a lot of fun! At one point our boss had to play the part of a belligerent visitor, a crazy with a knife, and an injured man. We never really stopped having fun.
One of our final activities of the evening was to go to the condor talk led by one of the rangers. Due to the popularity of the talk I was standing pretty far away from the ranger leading our talk, so I didn't hear the majority of it. I did see a condor though!! It was very cool.
Tomorrow is my day off, so I'm looking forward to sleeping in a little bit. That means those of you from the East coast, don't text or call me at 7am your time! That's 4am mine!! Just so you know, the pictures posted below are from my trip to sunset. The pictures posted above (hopefully) are the ones from the trip to Cedar Ridge today. Alright I'm off to stretch my legs before I crash for the evening. Also, I want to thank you all for posting comments and so forth. I don't really know who reads this, but it is an incredible experience for me, and I would like to share it with you all.
Starting at 7:45am we hit the trail. I brought up the back of our group as I stopped often to take pictures. Equipped with water, snacks, and a few other essentials my pack was relatively light. Approximately halfway down the path you make it to Ooh Ahh Point. I'm not kidding, that's what it's called. Here the grade changes dramatically. From Ooh Ahh you can make out Cedar Ridge, and it honestly doesn't look that far.
With only about 300 yards left to our resting point at Cedar Ridge my knees and legs really began to protest. About a half dozen times my knee gave out or locked up; both of which are incredibly painful. My legs began to shake uncontrollably. When you know you have to turn around and hike the way back up neither of these are very comforting. Resting in the wind on Cedar Ridge we snacked and refueled. The way down took a little less than an hour.
Repacking everything (and putting away the camera) we made our way back up to the top. Typically the way up takes twice as long, and this time was no exception. Shortly into the trip I was very out of breath. You add the steepness of the trail to the elevation and lack of free oxygen in the air, and you can get worn down quickly. Though I was able to make my way without too much hassle to the top, I was definitely spent. The hike to Cedar Ridge is part of my duties every so often, so it's something I'm going to need to do.
Thanks to the kindness of one of my new coworkers, I was able to go home for lunch. This allowed me to take a shower, and change before we reported back for more training. Our afternoon training was in Law Enforcement and Medicals, which meant we learned how to use the radios in order to get help for medical issues and problems involving the law. It was very interesting, and a lot of fun! At one point our boss had to play the part of a belligerent visitor, a crazy with a knife, and an injured man. We never really stopped having fun.
One of our final activities of the evening was to go to the condor talk led by one of the rangers. Due to the popularity of the talk I was standing pretty far away from the ranger leading our talk, so I didn't hear the majority of it. I did see a condor though!! It was very cool.
Tomorrow is my day off, so I'm looking forward to sleeping in a little bit. That means those of you from the East coast, don't text or call me at 7am your time! That's 4am mine!! Just so you know, the pictures posted below are from my trip to sunset. The pictures posted above (hopefully) are the ones from the trip to Cedar Ridge today. Alright I'm off to stretch my legs before I crash for the evening. Also, I want to thank you all for posting comments and so forth. I don't really know who reads this, but it is an incredible experience for me, and I would like to share it with you all.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Prickly Pear
At the beginning of our training today we joined up with the Environmental Education folks to go on a hike led by a restoration biologist in the park. The hike was to help us identify different plant species in the park. The hike started at Hermit's Trail (near Hermit's Rest) and went down into the canyon a bit. Did you know that Grand Canyon park is the most botanically diverse park in the nation? That means it has the most species (something like 1750 different ones).
In Grand Canyon Park there are 3 types of trees (for the South Rim): Pinyon Pine, Ponderosa Pine, and Juniper. That makes it a ton easier to identify trees than back home! There are quite a few shrubs and grasses as well, and on our talk we learned about native plants and invasive plants. One of the worst invasive plants is napweed, which is very difficult to remove as the roots grow to be 40 feet deep!!
At one point our guide pulled up a piece of a brush, rolled it in her hands and gave it to us to smell. It was sage! I don't think I've ever seen a real sage bush. The scent was so strong, and wonderful! One of the funniest names (I thought) for a grass was "Blue gramma" which when the seeds are released the end curls up and looks a lot like a fake eyelash. Reminds me of my Grandma "putting on her face" while she drove.
Throughout the hike I wrote down a ton of notes about each of the plants. The information was just fascinating to me! I've got pictures in my notes, so now I have to go back through the field guide so I can remember the more delicate and intricate details. One of the coolest plants I thought was the Agave. This plant looks like a small spiny bush, with little teeth on each of the spines. Towards the end of its life, the agave grows a tall shoot (about 6 feet tall) covered in small gorgeous flowers! It's like the swan song. If you look back in my pictures you'll see one of these.
Also, the cactus looking plant is actually a prickly pear! Be honest, when you read this did you start getting the song in your head from The Jungle Book? "Don't pick the prickly pear with the paw, when you pick the pear try to use the claw, but you don't need to use the claw, when you pick a pear from the big paw paw, have I given you a clue? Gee thanks Baloo!" If you didn't then, you certainly do now!!
At one point my boss stopped me to point out some interesting parts of the rock layers of the cliffs. Nearly all the striations of the layers in the cliffs run horizontally, except for one layer in which the striations all follow the same diagonal pattern. This is because that section was really wind formed from sand dunes! How cool is that?
After our plant ID time we finished up training on uniforms and customer service. I've received nearly all parts of my uniform. As my uniform has been used by others it doesn't have that crisp look to it. This evening I tried it on just to check for fit. The minute I put on my badge and name plate the uniform took on a different air. It's an amazing feeling knowing you're working for something that has such a rich background and importance to our world.
In our uniform training we were told the story of why there is a white buffalo on the NPS patch. Years ago over 40 million (it could be 60 million, I don't remember exactly) buffalo roamed North America. Due to poaching and so forth, but 1900 there were only about 100 left, concentrated in Yellowstone area. One gentleman was killing off the remaining buffalo simply for their skulls. Aware of this the Army Rangers sent out two men to apprehend this guy. Skiing 75 miles to where this guy was, they found his campground, and heard 6 shots. Finding their way towards the shots they found the man standing in a clearing with his gun raised ready to kill yet another buffalo. One of the rangers (Felix Burgess I believe) knew he had to stop this man before he killed any more. Having only a pistol he couldn't apprehend the guy from across the clearing. So he ran across the clearing, miraculously unseen by both the poacher and his dog, and apprehended the man.
In 1904 there were only 23 buffalo left in North America. Due to the conservation efforts there are now thousands of buffalo living in Yellowstone. The white buffalo on our patch symbolizes the unity of many people, as well as the positive effects of the work we do. It's pretty incredibly to be able to wear that patch and uphold the importance of this work and gratitude for those before us.
That's all I have for now. I wasn't able to take any pictures today, but tomorrow we're on a long hike, so I'll pack my camera!
In Grand Canyon Park there are 3 types of trees (for the South Rim): Pinyon Pine, Ponderosa Pine, and Juniper. That makes it a ton easier to identify trees than back home! There are quite a few shrubs and grasses as well, and on our talk we learned about native plants and invasive plants. One of the worst invasive plants is napweed, which is very difficult to remove as the roots grow to be 40 feet deep!!
At one point our guide pulled up a piece of a brush, rolled it in her hands and gave it to us to smell. It was sage! I don't think I've ever seen a real sage bush. The scent was so strong, and wonderful! One of the funniest names (I thought) for a grass was "Blue gramma" which when the seeds are released the end curls up and looks a lot like a fake eyelash. Reminds me of my Grandma "putting on her face" while she drove.
Throughout the hike I wrote down a ton of notes about each of the plants. The information was just fascinating to me! I've got pictures in my notes, so now I have to go back through the field guide so I can remember the more delicate and intricate details. One of the coolest plants I thought was the Agave. This plant looks like a small spiny bush, with little teeth on each of the spines. Towards the end of its life, the agave grows a tall shoot (about 6 feet tall) covered in small gorgeous flowers! It's like the swan song. If you look back in my pictures you'll see one of these.
Also, the cactus looking plant is actually a prickly pear! Be honest, when you read this did you start getting the song in your head from The Jungle Book? "Don't pick the prickly pear with the paw, when you pick the pear try to use the claw, but you don't need to use the claw, when you pick a pear from the big paw paw, have I given you a clue? Gee thanks Baloo!" If you didn't then, you certainly do now!!
At one point my boss stopped me to point out some interesting parts of the rock layers of the cliffs. Nearly all the striations of the layers in the cliffs run horizontally, except for one layer in which the striations all follow the same diagonal pattern. This is because that section was really wind formed from sand dunes! How cool is that?
After our plant ID time we finished up training on uniforms and customer service. I've received nearly all parts of my uniform. As my uniform has been used by others it doesn't have that crisp look to it. This evening I tried it on just to check for fit. The minute I put on my badge and name plate the uniform took on a different air. It's an amazing feeling knowing you're working for something that has such a rich background and importance to our world.
In our uniform training we were told the story of why there is a white buffalo on the NPS patch. Years ago over 40 million (it could be 60 million, I don't remember exactly) buffalo roamed North America. Due to poaching and so forth, but 1900 there were only about 100 left, concentrated in Yellowstone area. One gentleman was killing off the remaining buffalo simply for their skulls. Aware of this the Army Rangers sent out two men to apprehend this guy. Skiing 75 miles to where this guy was, they found his campground, and heard 6 shots. Finding their way towards the shots they found the man standing in a clearing with his gun raised ready to kill yet another buffalo. One of the rangers (Felix Burgess I believe) knew he had to stop this man before he killed any more. Having only a pistol he couldn't apprehend the guy from across the clearing. So he ran across the clearing, miraculously unseen by both the poacher and his dog, and apprehended the man.
In 1904 there were only 23 buffalo left in North America. Due to the conservation efforts there are now thousands of buffalo living in Yellowstone. The white buffalo on our patch symbolizes the unity of many people, as well as the positive effects of the work we do. It's pretty incredibly to be able to wear that patch and uphold the importance of this work and gratitude for those before us.
That's all I have for now. I wasn't able to take any pictures today, but tomorrow we're on a long hike, so I'll pack my camera!
Spongebob and Coyotes
So today was what I like to call "Ahh save me!!" day. We had training for CPR/AED and First Aid all day. Our instructor was amazing, and made some great jokes. When working on timing the chest compressions for CPR he starting singing "Another One Bites the Dust" in order to keep us in time. Realizing how morbid that song is when you're trying to do CPR he switched to "Stayin' Alive". It was all around really informative and really fun.
For part of the First Aid training we had to use training Epi Pens, get drawn on with pen to simulate a wound our partner had to bandage, and at one point I had to hold a coworkers head/neck in traction for a good five minutes.
In our training we learned a lot about how to handle environmental concerns. There are quite a few things I didn't know:
- Rattlesnakes: there are six species of rattlesnakes in the Grand Canyon, though they are mainly found down in the canyon itself, not on the rim.
- Scorpions: The most poisonous of these are the little bitty ones, though unless you are allergic to scorpion venom, typically it just hurts and doesn't do any permanent damage.
- hyponatremia: When you drink too much water without food causing there to be too little sodium in your system. People will be hot, disoriented, and have delayed reaction time in speech. It's kinda crazy!
- Killer Bees: These buggers will chase you for about a .5 mile before they give up, so just keep running!!
In other news, today I saw a female elk just lounging out by the road chewing at some grasses!! Very cool!! On the walk home from work this afternoon I came across these two really distinct smells: authentic Mexican cooking and spices, and cedar chips. This is just to help you fully experience what I am every day.
Speaking of food, on the first day here my cousin suggested I pick up some of these local flour tortillas. My goodness gracious they are the best tasting tortillas I have ever tasted!! I'm going to try and pick up some to bring home. Seriously I don't know if I'll be able to switch back to the kind they sell at Wegmans (sorry Danny).
One of my cousin's friends left his guitar at the house so I could play a little before he came back to visit. People are incredibly kind here, and I am always amazed. I couldn't bring my guitar here, so instead I get to play on this one for a bit. It's a gorgeous classical guitar (nylon strings) with a really warm and deep tone.
As part of the job I have to wear an NPS uniform. Due to a snafu, I wasn't able to order my uniforms before I came to work here, and as I need one when I start doing my regular duties, today I was able to explore the "Uniform Cache". Thankfully I found two pair of pants that fit along with two shirts. Thanks to some generosity and ingenuity on the part of my boss I also have a pair of boots and an NPS belt to nearly complete the uniform! Wow!!
Okay, the last two stories of the night. This evening as part of our training we were asked to attend an evening program. This one was rather hilarious. The park ranger giving the talk was dynamic, and moved about the stage with the excitement and enthusiasm usually reserved for four year olds on a trampoline. He told the funniest jokes and just said the oddest things at times. At one point he used a stuffed version of Spongebob Squarepants to illustrate a point. Later he put on an odd had with a white crest on a green ski cap and talked about the "White-crested Green-capped" tree, that obviously didn't grow around the Grand Canyon, but instead in Michigan. It was just a blast to watch.
Oh, I nearly forgot!! Prior to the talk I headed down to the rim a bit early to perhaps catch some photos of the sunset. I wasn't able to get a ton of great ones due to the angle I was at, but I got some really nice ones. I will post those shortly.
Finally, after the evening program I had to walk home. It's about a 2 mile hike home, through the woods. I make this trip every day, so I know the path rather well. Since I didn't start the hike until about 9:30pm, I was wearing my handy-dandy head lamp. It was working really well.
When I had made it most of the way back to the house I caught something in the beam of my headlamp. Suddenly I noticed two glowing orbs moving across the path ahead. As the rest of the body caught the light I realized it was a coyote walking along not too far ahead of me. I was scared! I've not dealt with coyotes before, and I had no idea what to do. Deciding I didn't feel comfortable hiking the rest of the way through the woods I called my cousin who kindly woke up and came to pick me up. On our way home we crossed paths with yet another coyote. Safely home, I feel a lot better about the whole scary animal in the woods, but let me tell you, I was not comfortable in the least!!
Pictures will be up shortly!!
For part of the First Aid training we had to use training Epi Pens, get drawn on with pen to simulate a wound our partner had to bandage, and at one point I had to hold a coworkers head/neck in traction for a good five minutes.
In our training we learned a lot about how to handle environmental concerns. There are quite a few things I didn't know:
- Rattlesnakes: there are six species of rattlesnakes in the Grand Canyon, though they are mainly found down in the canyon itself, not on the rim.
- Scorpions: The most poisonous of these are the little bitty ones, though unless you are allergic to scorpion venom, typically it just hurts and doesn't do any permanent damage.
- hyponatremia: When you drink too much water without food causing there to be too little sodium in your system. People will be hot, disoriented, and have delayed reaction time in speech. It's kinda crazy!
- Killer Bees: These buggers will chase you for about a .5 mile before they give up, so just keep running!!
In other news, today I saw a female elk just lounging out by the road chewing at some grasses!! Very cool!! On the walk home from work this afternoon I came across these two really distinct smells: authentic Mexican cooking and spices, and cedar chips. This is just to help you fully experience what I am every day.
Speaking of food, on the first day here my cousin suggested I pick up some of these local flour tortillas. My goodness gracious they are the best tasting tortillas I have ever tasted!! I'm going to try and pick up some to bring home. Seriously I don't know if I'll be able to switch back to the kind they sell at Wegmans (sorry Danny).
One of my cousin's friends left his guitar at the house so I could play a little before he came back to visit. People are incredibly kind here, and I am always amazed. I couldn't bring my guitar here, so instead I get to play on this one for a bit. It's a gorgeous classical guitar (nylon strings) with a really warm and deep tone.
As part of the job I have to wear an NPS uniform. Due to a snafu, I wasn't able to order my uniforms before I came to work here, and as I need one when I start doing my regular duties, today I was able to explore the "Uniform Cache". Thankfully I found two pair of pants that fit along with two shirts. Thanks to some generosity and ingenuity on the part of my boss I also have a pair of boots and an NPS belt to nearly complete the uniform! Wow!!
Okay, the last two stories of the night. This evening as part of our training we were asked to attend an evening program. This one was rather hilarious. The park ranger giving the talk was dynamic, and moved about the stage with the excitement and enthusiasm usually reserved for four year olds on a trampoline. He told the funniest jokes and just said the oddest things at times. At one point he used a stuffed version of Spongebob Squarepants to illustrate a point. Later he put on an odd had with a white crest on a green ski cap and talked about the "White-crested Green-capped" tree, that obviously didn't grow around the Grand Canyon, but instead in Michigan. It was just a blast to watch.
Oh, I nearly forgot!! Prior to the talk I headed down to the rim a bit early to perhaps catch some photos of the sunset. I wasn't able to get a ton of great ones due to the angle I was at, but I got some really nice ones. I will post those shortly.
Finally, after the evening program I had to walk home. It's about a 2 mile hike home, through the woods. I make this trip every day, so I know the path rather well. Since I didn't start the hike until about 9:30pm, I was wearing my handy-dandy head lamp. It was working really well.
When I had made it most of the way back to the house I caught something in the beam of my headlamp. Suddenly I noticed two glowing orbs moving across the path ahead. As the rest of the body caught the light I realized it was a coyote walking along not too far ahead of me. I was scared! I've not dealt with coyotes before, and I had no idea what to do. Deciding I didn't feel comfortable hiking the rest of the way through the woods I called my cousin who kindly woke up and came to pick me up. On our way home we crossed paths with yet another coyote. Safely home, I feel a lot better about the whole scary animal in the woods, but let me tell you, I was not comfortable in the least!!
Pictures will be up shortly!!
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