What's wrong with this picture?

We're training a guy at work on how to limb out a tree from the bucket. What's wrong with this picture?

If you can't tell, that's a CHAINSAW stuck in the tree, probably 30 feet in the air. He was trying to cut this one limb so that it would go in a certain direction... and as he was finishing the cut, a gust of wind blew the limb back, causing it to pinch down on the saw - and he couldn't get it out! They ended up attaching a lanyard from the saw to the tree, and were about to push the limb in the other direction when the wind changed... and the branch nearly fell on Tim's head. Never a dull moment.

I just got news that a friend from Virginia might be coming up this weekend - haven't seen him since I invited myself over when I escaped from South Carolina in the middle of the night! Plus, the Michigan-Michigan State game is this weekend, Sponge is playing at 5th Avenue in Novi, and I wanna go mountain biking!

Autumn fun

I forgot to mention another reason why my weekend was so great:

It's cider mill season! I went to Parmenter's in Northville and picked up their awesome spiced donuts, apple cider, and cherry jalapeno salsa! That's one of the things that I missed most every time I moved out of state - the few weeks of apples apples apples!

I didn't do anything that was on my weekend wish-list, because I drove out to Cabelas on Saturday and Sunday for the Hunter Safety Class. I was the only older female, and the only adult without 12 year kids hanging off me! I did get to shoot a bow, but they only had a simulated rifle that you shot at a movie of deer on a big screen... which I did pretty well at! ;) I don't think I'll actually make it hunting this season, BUT...

There is a women's only firearms clinic at Multi-Lakes Conservation Association on October 15th for any of you ladies that want to try shooting a rifle or pistol! Here's the link for the "Women on Target" clinic. I'm excited!

So my wish list from last weekend... I'd do it this weekend, but I'm BUSY BUSY BUSY again! Kevin's birthday is the 1st, Jeff's is the 2nd... and they always have one hell of a party! Plus, I'm supposed to go to Cedar Point on Saturday...

I love fall! I am always so busy but it's so beautiful!

the good things in life

Another perfect evening, courtesy of the only good thing on Comcast: On Demand!

I can watch HBO's series "Deadwood" WHENEVER I WANT! Nothing like a sexy western lawman like Seth Bullock to keep me warm on a cool Friday night.

Add some gourmet pasta for dinner and I'm a happy camper. :)

My weekend wish-list is probably going to be modified quite a bit. I did end up taking a short hike with Wilson after taking him to the vet for an ear infection, but well I think I'm driving out to Cabela's in Dundee for a 2 day hunter safety class. Surprise! Yes I want to learn how to hunt, but my avenues for learning are limited to say the least. I might beg a guy from my old job to take me but I wish I had close friend that hunted! So that is going to take up all day both Saturday and Sunday. The plus is that I get to have another elk sandwich from their awesome deli!

I could always go out to Ann Arbor tonite to party with our no-longer-a-freshman friend Frosh (what do we call him now?!) and help get rid of 90 beers in beer pong... But all those empty calories! Hee hee!

Whenever I am stuck in traffic, I put on one of my favorite CDs and sing loudly to pass the time. I love it when I see other people singing, but especially men. If I ever find myself a single man that can handle me (ha ha ha!), I want him to be the type to sing in the car. Loudly. Enthusiastically. (And I don't mean to ghetto rap crap either!) So we can go on road trips and sound (and look) ridiculous together. And it would be great if he hunted, so he can show me how!! He has to own at least one pair of REAL boots and look good in Carhartts. And appreciate GOOD beer. And like spontaneous adventures. And Netflix. I'm addicted to Netflix.

Ok, now I just have to find him. ;)

thunderstorms

I'm sitting here with the lights off and the windows open, listening to the rain and thunder, watching a movie, and drinking the bestest summer beer in Michigan, Bell's Oberon.

What a fantastic evening!

The weather has turned a little cooler and the leaves are beginning to change, and seeing as fall is one of my top 4 favorite seasons (I love them all), it's inspiring me to do a lot of things I know I won't have time to do.

My weekend to-do/fantasy list:

- Take my digital camera with me EVERYWHERE. Take pictures of leaves changing, try to capture the flavor of pre-autumn in a photograph, for some reason everything seems so beautiful to me outside right now!

- Go for a long hike.

- Related to the hike: Either do that locally (Brighton? Bald Mountain? Somewhere new?) or go up north...

- Buy a leather jacket (FINALLY!) and hop on my motorcycle for a LONG ride - my longest is 1 1/2 hrs one way, so let's see where I can go!

- MOUNTAIN BIKE! I have to steal my parents tools and put on my clipless pedals that my buddy Dave hooked me up with, but this weather makes me wanna eat some dirt!

- Dog-nap my family's scotty dog Wilson for the weekend and take him with me for any adventures I get into... But he doesn't really fit on a motorcycle so I'll have to get creative.

Now back to my Bell's and my movie!

What my parents don't want to know...

Ok, so I'm not really a logger (I prefer the term "urban lumberchic), but this little article on MSN has supposedly the most dangerous jobs. The list is different from what I usually have heard, but they all say the same thing:

I love dangerous jobs, and I DON'T do it for the money. ;)

Sorry mom and dad. At least I have life insurance now! Hee hee!

Other news: Darby my fostered pup still hasn't been adopted yet. In another few weeks... if she's still around... hmmmm....

Got a windshield for my motorcycle. Just haven't had time to ride it!

Busy busy busy!

National Geographic photos!

I just have to share these links with you guys.

The first is a feature of NationalGeographic.com - their "Scenic Drive Guides to National Parks." Beautiful photographs of some of my favorite places in the United States. If I could, I would post a photo from the site, but I think technically that is a no-no. It's actually an advertisement, but I don't care!

The other is a photo of a liger - a lion/tiger hybrid. I've never seen a picture, but it's exactly what you would think of if you thought of putting a tiger and lion together - half a mane, lion's body, tiger stripes! And it's popular because of Napoleon Dynamite, or so they say.

All for now!

 

Puppy no more

After fostering Darby Coyote (aka Munchkin), the sweetest little shepherd girl, I decided not to keep her.

I SHOULD HAVE KEPT HER!

It was a tough call, but she had a few health problems I was concerned about, and she kept beating up my family's three little dogs. Looked like she was going to grow up to be an alpha female, but we were a bit worried she might hurt Tiny accidentally. She's just so young, it's hard to tell what kind of temperment and health problems she might have when she gets older. Gosh but she was the sweetest little thing. She was great in the car, and pretty good in her crate - only whined for a few minutes before quieting down. I think sometimes I bored her, especially when I was trying to put together my kitchen chairs and she kept stealing the screwdriver and anything else that was shiny. I brought her out to the park on Friday when I played horseshoes with my cityworker friends, and she was the best! She is a bit of a chicken so she didn't wander very far, but once she warmed up to the guys, she was the happiest little puppy and I could keep her off her leash without worrying about her.

I also know that having a dog would be a major hinderance to being a wildland firefighter in the future. Some places will allow dogs, and not all jobs travel as much as others... it would be do-able but challenging. For now, I had to give her back.

... But if she's not adopted out in a few weeks, I'm gonna take her back, as long as her health is better. No more worms! YUCK!

I even taught her how to sit and lie down in 5 minutes. She was so smart! And so pretty! It's lonely without her around here now. Granted, it was stressful and tiring trying to pottytrain her and deal with her endless puppy energy, but right now I miss having to take her out ever hour (only to have her end up peeing in the house anyway). She was a pain in the butt, but I loved her anyway! I mean, who doesn't appreciate unconditional puppy love? :)  She just followed me around and stared at her with her big brown eyes and tongue hanging out, watching me do dishes with such adoration, thinking I'm the most important person in the world when I am brushing my teeth... Why can't I find a man that treats me like that?! HA! :)

So here's lots of cute pictures. I hope Darby Coyote finds a great loving home! And if she doesn't... well I'm gonna get her back!

(photos are from my cell phone, that's why they're fuzzy)

 

My baby!

Got a pupper!

12 week old shepherd/spaniel mix, named Munchkin for now - but she won't be a munchkin for long! She already has big paws... and she's such a sweetie!

Need to think of a name!

Fastest trip to Colorado EVER

I packed the mini van and hit the road for that beautiful state called Colorado.

I got as far as Ann Arbor and bailed. As I was driving up 23, I thought about going north to the U.P. But I bailed on that idea when I got to I-96 and just went back to Royal Oak.

How lame is that?! But if I'm going out west, I might as well make a better trip out of it than this lame attempt. I want to see Montana, Wyoming, AND Colorado - if I'm going to one, I might as well go to them all.

I should have had this revelation BEFORE I started driving... but I was just so excited at the thought of being back there, I didn't really think it through.

So here are some pics from Ludington, and from Chicago. I think I'll just watch TV, build a bookcase, and go to bed early. Sounds like a decent labor day weekend to me!

Hmmph

I SHOULD be on the road right now, on my way to Buffalo, Wyoming. But I think my fire buddy out there got dispatched somewhere, since his cell phone isn't working. He might be on a fire, or even helping with hurricane clean-up. So I'm not going there.

Instead, I SHOULD be on my way out to Red Rock Lakes and Dillon, Montana to visit Howard, Marilyn, Jeff, Gillian; and watch those sexy cowboys in the rodeo; and tear it up for the Labor Day party. But because of the hurricance, gas prices are outrageous and I'm a little concerned about driving THAT far - about 32 hours. So I'm not going there.

Instead, I SHOULD be on my way right now to Fort Collins/Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park, to visit Jon, Scott, and Bill; and check out all those trees and plants I slaved away at planting, transplanting, raising, killing, and restoring; and finally climbing Longs Peak; and doing some bouldering and smelling the alpine air under that deep blue sky. But my mom is trying her hardest to bribe me to stay - promising to go furniture shopping with me, and go and find me a PUPPY this weekend! Plus, it's usually nuts in Rocky Mountain around Labor Day, and gas is more expensive there than in Montana. I miss it there so badly, though, and want to go, that I just MIGHT still head out there soon. I haven't made up my mind yet.

So instead, I am relaxing in my one armchair in my apartment, watching Gigantic, a documentary on They Might Be Giants, and putting off making the decision. If I don't think about it, I don't have to worry about it, right??

WHAT SHOULD I DO?!

Or, I might just go up to Copper Harbor. I haven't been there in years. Just need to get away!!!

The biggest reason I am hesitating going to Colorado is the fact that I am worried. No road trip is very good if there is that underlying concern about how much money you are spending, how much gas is going to be, if there will be shortages, etc etc. Hard to relax and enjoy yourself!

"If there's still ramblin' in the rambler let him go!" - Yonder Mountain String Band