Didn't get sent out on fire, but glad for my 3 day weekend!

I like to have interesting links and news in my journal sometimes, so here's the one that I liked seeing today:  I guess Texas has increased some speed limits to 80 mph, and some of those annoying slow areas in MI have been increased from 55 or 65 to 70! I always hated those parts, especially after a really long roadtrip and I'm stuck going 55 mph in a place where I'd much rather just be done with it! That's about as interesting as I am going to get tonight.

Tomorrow I was going to give Long's Peak a try, but the weather has been a little funky this week. This cool breeze that feels and smells like late August has been blowing from up high, and there was even a small amount of fresh snow/hail on top of one peaks yesterday... And the clouds have come in earlier than usual, with lots of lightening storms. I have to check the weather but maybe I'll just be doing Lawn Lake after all (which is a pretty hefty hike, so it's not like I'll be taking it easy!). We had a safety day yesterday and Did You Know? Cell phones and radios etc do NOT attract lightening. In fact, there is no "safe" place from lightening outdoors - not even under pavillions. That's my interesting fact for the day. ;)

Some good news for me - my season has been extended until almost November! Woo hoo! The bad news - since the beetles flew a few weeks ago, we are just now seeing new infestations - and it's NOT good. We thought we had cleared out nearly 100% of infested trees from the campgrounds, but they are coming from further in the forest and it's HORRIBLE. The west side is already a dead mess, but we found so many newly infested trees that the east side will start looking pretty bad as soon as next June. This means that there is going to be a LOT of work for us hazard tree folks over the next few years, so our boss is trying to secure some more long-term funding to make at least one, if not both, of our jobs a 4 year term. That means benefits and raises! If nothing else, I will be applying to fire jobs/whatever else they might hire over the winter.

I obviously did not get dispatched for a fire - instead they sent 3 fire people out with the other Northern crew. Tim and those guys hooked up with the Bandelier and some Texas fire people and are somewhere in Arizona right now. Not sure what fire they are going to, if any. My ex coworker from Red Rock Lakes NWR, Gator, is on his way up near Darby, MT (we were stationed there for a bit) to do some helitack work. I'd love to go out if nothing else to see some old fire buddies - it's a small world and you never know who you will run into!

In case anybody is interested in fire stuff, here is a link that shows some of the Rocky Mt. Region crews, where they are at, what fires they might be on, etc. The Northern Colorado Type 2 crew would be what myself or anybody I know would probably be on. Right now it just shows that they are available but doesn't say where they are.

Here's a neat link that shows the location of major fires around the country.

Fire season is officially starting for me!

Here's a few choice photos from Ron's Going Away Party in Grand Lake yesterday night. Cisco and I worked on the West side all day, drove back to Estes in the work truck, grabbed my truck and went back over there... 1 hr each way... and THEN he drove my pathetic tequila-saturated butt back home at 11 pm. Yeah, we went a little overboard, but hey who knows if/when we'll see Ron again so we had to see him off the right way! It was a really good time but a very LONG winding ride home.

My plans for the next two weeks have changed a bit - Tim got called to go out on a fire crew and left this morning at 5 am to head towards the Grand Canyon, and hopefully for him he will be out the full 2 weeks. I'm jealous! But that's why I had to come back from the party last night - so I could see him before he left again! Ugh! There is rumor that they might send out the Northern hand crew and I'm on the list to be sent out... So we'll see if I get the call, and then maybe I will be out for 2 weeks also! Somebody mentioned Montana, too! Anyway, this means I am not going to that party with Tim Thursday night, I will definitely get enough sleep to do Long's Peak on Friday morning, and I am not camping at the ranger cabin this weekend. He's bummed because he had bought tickets to RockyGrass Festival - the Bluegrass festival in Lyons. I'd love to go and see Yonder Mountain String Band, but just have too much other stuff to spend my money on lately! ;)

Anyway that's all for now because the library is closing!

Rodeo!

Yee haw!

Last night, Tim and I went to the 80th Annual Rooftop Rodeo in Estes. If you didn't know, I am a huge fan of PBR (professional bull riding... and the beer also, of course) and this was my chance to go to my first ever live rodeo! Let me tell you, they leave out a lot of good stuff when you watch it on TV. The main rodeo clown was some guy from Canada, and he was ridiculously funny - goofy, "I can't believe I'm laughing at this" funny! The banter between him and the laid-back announcer was fun, and watching the Rodeo Queen, Ms. Colorado, and the other lovely cowgirls run their horses full speed while carrying flags of various sponsors with their sparkley shirts and flowing chaps was neat. Makes me wanna be a rodeo queen! ;)

We both had a great time, except neither one of us was very keen on team roping - One guy on a horse ropes the head of a small steer, the other guy ropes the back two legs. Most of the calves that got roped hobbled away, limping from a groin strain or something! After that, Tim kept cheering for those steers that got away... And we both hoped to see somebody get tossed around by a bull. Yeah, maybe that's a little bit sick, but anybody who likes bull riding deep down inside knows that's what it's all about! ;) Those cowboys are though anyway, they ALWAYS walk away... even if they break an arm, 3 ribs, get trampled and tossed in the air 15 feet and have a concussion!

The only thing more crazy than bull riding has got to be the parents that sign their unsuspecting kids up for "Mutton Busting". They put these kids on the backs of sheep and let 'em go! They wear helmets and body armor, but seriously - is it just me, or is it strange they want their kids to get run over by Porkchop?!

When we were getting ready to leave, I turned to get my $2 program... and it was missing! The lady in front of me looked suspiciuosly around and I saw a program peeking out of her bag. She stole my program! I wasn't really upset by it, but seriously WHO STEALS A $2 PROGRAM?! I joked with Tim that I was going to take her out back and beat her up to get it back... not seriously caring thatit was gone... And on our way out, Tim turns to her and says "Hey did you get your program?" And the woman nervously says "Oh yes, it's in my purse....(pause) Why was that YOURS?" She was so full of bullcrap (in the rodeo spirit), she gave it back as her husband said "Did you steal something AGAIN?!" And her daughter was giving her a hard time. Stupid woman! But Tim came to the rescue and saved my $2 program! ;)  Yeah, it was pretty funny!

In other news, I feel horrible for my little brother. On his last day of basketball practice last week, he broke his thumb! And he was supposed to go up north today! But that's not the worst part... Because of the way he broke it, they needed to REBREAK it! Yes, they seriously DO rebreak bones, and poor Matt is walking proof. No painkillers or anything. Poor kid. But I think he still got to go up north after all... with a cast on his arm and lots of Tylenol 3s. :( 

Lots of other fun stuff happening, besides that I STILL haven't written about my family visit. Tomorrow is Ron's (a maintenance guy on the West Side) going away party, and I always love hanging out with Doug, Sandy, Kelly, Travis, and those other Grand Lake troublemakers. I hope they make Mai Tais again! ;)  Thursday I am going to a party with Tim, only to wake up at 2 am and do my solo attempt at Long's Peak. Then this weekend Tim may try to reserve a ranger cabin while a couple friends are in town and we might camp out a couple nights. Frontier Days in Cheyenne is going on pretty soon, as well as the RockyGrass Bluegrass Festival in Lyons - right near my new home. I plan on being totally moved in there this weekend. Don't think I'm going to RockyGrass, but we'll see. Also want to get my motorcycle all tuned up so I can go cruisin'!

I haven't mentioned work lately, but it's just overwhelming. The West Side is a red/dead pine MESS, and the east side is just so busy... We'll never catch up! Slowly but surely taking down the deadest of the dead and the most hazardous trees - of course, they never come down easily because the forest is so dense and snags get very stuck in living trees... Creative felling at its best! But always as safe as can be. There's a little bit of pressure when you have the road closed and just cars upon cars backed up, waiting for you to take this dangerously dead tree down... the tree gets stuck... People sit and wait and wait... And then you fell the tree, and it's so dead that limbs just explode in a twiggy mess all over the road... All the time, being watched by impatient drivers (and tourists with cameras)...

It's fun. :)

I am getting the rest of my climbing gear in this week, so I am going to start working on removing some limbs that have been on hold since 2003. We are trying to brainstorm with ways that we can better handle the dead/dying trees on the west side - it seems it takes about 2 years before those dead trees start to get just nasty and very hazardous. We are still trying to catch up from a couple years ago, and with the slew of fresh kills... It's only going to get worse, and 2 little seasonal hazard tree workers can't keep up with it. I guess it's good job insurance, ha ha, but seriously it's a LOT of work. If I can convince them to get a log loader and come back next season, it will make life a LOT easier - but with that many more dead ones to deal with. Exciting and overwhelming, but like I said, I love it!

That's all for now before I get kicked out of the coffee shop. Chris, the guy that works here, gave me a little free sample of Kind Coffee's "Kind Shake" - an espresso and chocolate milkshake... OMG it was the best EVER. I think it will be my new drink of the month... guess I better start running more! ;)

Lovin' life out here! Come visit!

Photos that few can probably appreciate...

Most of these photos, "you'd have to be there to understand"... from 5th Avenue and the Hawaiian BBQ. Also a few more from family visiting me, and one of my Dad standing nervously near the edge of a cliff in the Park. I'm proud of him for that photo!

Tim got back from an all-week trip to the Poudre Pass Ranger Station (I got to stay there once, it's in the middle of nowhere and BEAUTIFUL! I'm jealous!) so we listened to some tunes at the Rock Inn last night. Since they know me and a trails guy is also a bartender, they make them a little strong. :) I'm so sleep deprived, I slept in until 2:30 pm today!! I was PLANNING on waking up early and tackling a big hard hike - Flattop, Otis and Hallett peaks, or Lawn Lake, or something else with much elevation and distance. Alas, there was no way I was waking up. I am planning on doing Long's Peak next Friday, when there will hopefully be less people than on the weekend. It's nasty hot up here today, and I'm not feeling particularly motivated to do much of anything! I still have to finish moving my stuff into my Lyons place, but not now! Heck, I still have to sell that darned Focus, get a tune-up for Truck and motorcycle, and I have no desire to move out of this comfy seat at the coffee shop. :)

Maybe I'll write more in a little bit. But enjoy the photos for now!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MY BEST FRIEND!

I'm announcing the big news for him, since Steve is so busy and out of touch in the boonies of East Lansing...

STEVE IS ENGAGED!

Yes, my bestest friend (and ex boyfriend, ha ha! If you don't know us, that probably seems weird - but it's not!) proposed to his girlfriend Becky (a school teacher in Midland) in London on July 2nd! I am so happy and excited for him and well I haven't met Becky yet but she must be one heck of a woman to have won him over! I can't wait to meet her! Seriously, I am sooooo happy for him that I got all teary eyed! Who would have thought that the girl that Tara and Amy, at Tara's wedding, insisted Steve should go out with would end up being his fiancee?! The wedding won't be any time in the near future while he finishes up school and then sells his house. Yay for Steve and Becky!

WOOOO HOOOOO!!

 

Steve and Bear the Mastador!

 

Steve and I in the Smokies, wayyyy back in April 2002!