Hot and cold

I started working with the fire crew on Tuesday. My first day of work, we snowshoed (my first time ever) up Deer Mountain. It wasn't windy enough to burn piles (ironic, because Estes is SOOO windy... if it's not windy enough, the smoke won't disperse and settles in town, which is not good) so we spent all day shoveling 2-3 feet of snow off of slash piles and got off early. It was tiring but felt good to be working again.

Yesterday, it was windy enough to burn. We parked on the south side of Deer Mountain and went up, over and down the north side of Deer Mountain, with our fire packs, shovels and drip torches - probably an extra 50 lbs of stuff, wearing only a cotton t-shirt, a polypropelene (moisture wicking) shirt, and a Nomex fire shirt, Nomex pants and gaiters... in 17 degree weather, wind blowing icy snow on the exposed ridge in our faces...

Yeah, I've been unemployed since October and it shows. I was EXHAUSTED just on the hike up. All uphill, without snowshoes until we got to the top... then we strapped them on because the snow was 3-4 feet inside the forest. I haven't done this much physical work, yet alone in these extreme conditions, in a long time. Once we hiked down to the piles, we had to shovel more snow off of them, then light them (they actually burn pretty easily despite all the snow) and make sure they don't get out of hand and start lighting the standing trees on fire. I mean, these piles were letting off 20-30 foot flame lengths, and it does get into the green trees and start torching them from the bottom up. Plus, all the dead snag trees were a hazard, and the deep snow... Let me put it like this. I was supposed to do 15 piles; I only got to 9. One guy did 20. Now, this was my first day, and most of them were on hot shot crews so they're in great shape... But I just couldn't keep up. And, I was not used eating all that smoke, so I was hacking and my eyes were watering. After we light the piles, we go back and "chunk" them - we jump into the pit left by the pile (usually 10-15 feet diameter, still very hot like a huge bonfire) and take the unburned ends on the outside of the ring and throw them into the middle, to try to completely burn everything. This, we do without snowshoes on. So I was hiking uphill in 3-4 feet of crusty snow with all this gear, jumping down into the 3 foot deep pits that are still burning, eating more smoke...

I didn't know if I could even hike out by the end of the day, I was so tired and sore. Everything from my neck, to my arms, my quads, my butt... soooo exhausted. We strapped our snowshoes back on and hiked up up UP the mountain and back down the other side, coughing the whole way. It was 30-45 minutes hiking out. Put this all together, and you have one worn-out Lisa.

I coughed all evening and my body hurt more and more. There was no way I was going to be able to do this again today, 2 days in a row. It's just TOO MUCH too soon. Between inhaling smoke and the cold air, and my aching muscles, I know I couldn't have made that hike today. I called in and told them that physically I just couldn't do it. Not a big deal. They understand, because they've had since November to get used to it... hard to just jump into something like that. I have Friday off to go ice climbing, and will be going in again on Monday.

I was so tired that I couldn't make the shrimp fettuccine that I was going to attempt last night. Instead, Tim and I finally got my belated New Year's tradition chinese food. :)  We tried to watch a movie, and I couldn't even stay up for it (Gladiator, which is one of my favorites)... I passed out, drooling on poor Tim ha ha. I'm only half kidding about the drooling part. :P

I slept like a log last night and had crazy dreams. One was that the pocket on my jacket ripped open, and Logan pulled all the stuffing out. I didn't know how on earth I was going to fix it! Another part, Tim asked me if I was excited for our big vacation. I was very excited, except I don't know where we were going. The weirdest thing is that I didn't know I was dreaming. I woke up thinking my jacket was broke, and that I was going somewhere with Tim. ;)

Logan is getting more shots today. His other ear finally popped up and he looks like a real german shepherd! Need to get some new photos on here soon. He's over 30 lbs and, though he's super smart, he's a little stubborn and loves to nip and mouth. He loves to "talk" but doesn't bark much. He's pretty much housebroken and not nearly as shy as he was before. I can usually expect to sleep from 10 pm until 6:30 or 7 am without him waking up... but then, he needs to go potty and expects breakfast! While I am working, I keep him on a leash indoors so he can get to his crate and water; I don't want to keep him in that little crate all day, but when I let him loose he hangs out on the couch, eats my slippers, and goes potty in the corner. He doesn't make a mess when I keep him in a small area, and he has a huge crate coming any day now (48" tall; will fit him when he's an adult!). If you go to the Silver Creek Kennels website and scroll down, you'll see something cute and funny that the breeder wrote about Logan. ;)

They still haven't posted the notice for that crew leader hazard tree job that I want; It may go from Resource Management to be directed by the Fire program. I doubt we'll be on the West side of the park as much as before, but I ran into Doug (the maint. supervisor on that side) and he told me he expects me to come back over there and he'll make arrangements so I can bring Logan. ;) 

We'll see if I'm going ice climbing in Ouray. It's like an 8 hour drive, and gotta figure out how much the hotel/renting equipment costs... and, I'll have psycho puppy to attend to while we are out there (yes, he'd be going with me).

That's the latest and greatest. I'm just gonna chill out while my aching body and congested lungs repair themselves today, while the wind blows the old, icy snow into huge drifts and the clear blue sky is deceptively inviting. By the way, snowshoeing is so much fun!! I highly recommend it if you've never tried it; they are light weight and easy to walk in, and keep you floating on even the deepest snow! It makes walking in winter more fun. ;)

Logan at 11 weeks old

Tim drinking Glenlivet scotch and watching the Eagles lose at the Rock Inn... with our "turkey feather" Eagle mascot and Randall the bear

Bruce and the Eagle, after shotgunning two Old Style beers

A comic from the local paper about all this damned wind!

Working! Not going to MI!

That's right, I've got a job! The fire crew picked me up for a month or so as an "AD hire" (kindof the fast track to temporary employment for a while with the gov) so I'll be burning slash piles in 3 feet of snow and blowing wind, maybe get to stay on the west side for a few days also. So that means I won't be coming back to MI. Kindof bummed but then again it will be fun working with the fire folks and making money is always a plus. ;)

Looks like next Thursday I'm going to Ouray, CO to do some ice climbing with Kevin (Tim's friend), his girlfriend Kim, Logan, and a few other people. I've never ice climbed, should be fun!! I love it down there in Ouray, Tim and I went there when we hiked those 14ers.

Guess I'm watching football at the Rock tonight... Go Eagles!

An Inconvenient Truth - WATCH IT!

Yes, that's right. Al Gore's documentary about global warming - An Inconvenient Truth - watch it now. Make your friends and family watch it. I don't care what you think about Gore as the should've-been president or anything like that. It's an eye opening look at the science and facts, and the images of the melting polar ice caps and glaciers (Glacier National Park; Switzerland; Greenland)... I mean, you can SEE it. I remember learning about this stuff when I was in elementary school; even then, I worried than in my lifetime that I would see this happen. In fact, I had totally forgotten that I had my own little "environmental club" in 3rd grade or something, I sent away for a kit in the newspaper. Now, it was only my sisters and maybe a couple friends in this "club" and we never did much but plant some little weenie twigs from the Arbor Day Foundation that all died... But it was fun. ;)

I'm hanging out at the Barking Dog Cafe in Lyons waiting for my awesome new Goodrich T/A KO tires to be put on my truck. I got them for a great price (but they're still expensive)... But maybe, just maybe I can make it up the driveway. At least I'm set to drive back to MI.

It snowed again today. Not as much as they thought - originally over a foot, but only got 3 inches maybe - but still, this snow is abnormal here. Actually, here's a good article about how even the Yoopers (residents of Michigan's upper peninsula) are noticing that there just may be something to this global warming thing.

Besides that, just hangin' with my pupper dog, drinkin' at the Rock, and hittin' the gym every day. Fun fun fun! Gosh, I can't wait til April and I can run a chainsaw again!

Happy New Year, I'm a slacker ;)

Let's take a look at the news. Everybody keeps calling and writing me wondering if I'm buried up to my head in snow. No, no, no. I'm just buried up to my @ss in snow. THESE people were buried up to their heads... and cars, trucks, and SUVS... in snow. There was an avalanche on the route - Berthoud Pass - that I take to drive from Estes to Granby/Winter Park when Trail Ridge Road is closed. Nobody died or anything but people were buried. It's always a really hairy section of road, even in June there can be crazy snowstorms along the winding, steep mountain pass. I almost applied to plow snow there, ha ha! Would have been a rich woman by now. ;)

We got another 1-1 1/2 feet of snow on Christmas Day. They didn't call this one a "blizzard" because compared to the 2-3 feet in the two previous storms, this was NOTHING. Bring it on! We're blizzard pros now! I'm posting some pictures, some of which are Dave getting stuck at Mark and Jen's on Christmas Day eve. He just doesn't know how to use 4x4. :P

Besides that, I'm learning that the stories of the "hurricane force winds" in Estes are NOT rumors. In face, I think the wind and blowing snow is worse than the blizzards. Blizzards are fluffy, friendly snow and usually falls very calmly. It's ok to shovel. It's ok to play in. These winds, which started 2 or 3 days ago, are just unbelieveable. I literally dug 3 trucks (including my own) out of our driveway/parking lot for our cabins on Saturday... and we hadn't gotten any new snow in days! It drifted so bad that Tim barely made it out on Saturday morning, but come the afternoon, I couldn't get out! It took some time and luck (and ruts from other people gunning it in and out of our parking area) and I shotgunned it out and haven't parked there since. It's absolutely rotten to be outside with the now-icy blowing snow pelting you in the face and literally blowing cars off the road. Ironically, it's a mostly blue sky and deceptively nice looking outside... And I dread leaving the coffee shop. ;) We even lost power for a few hours to the whole Park this morning. Fun fun!

New Years Eve I did end up working for the Rock Inn doing dishes. Tim realized that I-70 wouldn't open in time so him and his friend that drove with him stayed with his buddy in Kansas City. They drank expensive champagne and played video games. I was bummed he couldn't make it back! We vowed to do Chinese food and champagne for a belated New Years Celebration some time soon. I worked until 10:30, then went home to change out of my grubby wet clothes and look in on Logan, then went back and proceeded to do Jager shots and Jack and Cokes all night. I got one girl so drunk she couldn't put her jacket on correctly and she insisted she could walk home. Woops. Guess she just couldn't hang like the rest of us. ;)  Just lots of drinking and hanging out and I was in bed by 1:20 or so.

New Years Day, I watched that embarassing Michigan/USC football game with Tate and Tim got back later that evening... and got to meet Logan for the first time! He's great with dogs and Logan is really starting to like him. Hopefully not TOO much... he keeps joking Logan is gonna be HIS dog because he'll love him more! Ha ha, I'm not worried. Logan's a momma's boy! ;)

And really, I can't remember much of what else I've done this week. Got Tim a DVD player and Seinfeld season 7 for his X-mas/birthday presents, he got me a really nice sweater and I guess there's more stuff coming (probably DVDs) once my mom's other presents she got me comes in (so he doesn't buy what she bought me). Hung out at the Rock. Read books, watched movies. Played with dogs. Actually I just read a great book called "Arctic Daughter," a true story about a 23 year old girl and her boyfriend that decide to canoe up a river in Alaska to the Brooks Mountain Range, build their own cabin, and live off the land. It doesn't always go very well but catches the spirit of an adventerous soul that is searching out the wilderness experience.

Yesterday the 7th was Tim's 28th birthday! Oh I almost forgot, Tim shaved his beard, first thing he did before he even saw me and Logan! I hardly even recognized him! I joke that he looks like a frat boy (not really, but he was clean shaven and brought back some Tommy Hilfiger shirts from his parents' place) or a football player. But that's the last time I think he's going to shave again until... New Years Eve 2007. ;)  It's pretty scruffy and rough right now, can't wait til it's long, soft and FLUFFY again! Anyway, the Eagles made it to the playoffs so we went over to Bruce and Kerri's to eat Philly Cheese Steaks and chocolate caramel birthday cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream... The boys got schnockered in celebration, drinking Philly's own Victory Brewery beer and Jager shots, since they beat the Giants ("It's ok, we've got Akers!") and will be playing the Saints next Saturday. I brought Logan to play with Daisy, Sailor and Sun Dog and they all had a good time... though it scared the crap out of him at first when the boys started yelling at the TV and jumping up and down. He soon learned to ignore it much the way I do. ;)  Ha ha just kidding, I do my fair share of cheering!

So it looks like I might leave CO for MI on the 21st and get back to CO on the 3rd - gotta be back for the Superbowl Party! Since the Eagles are gonna go ALL THE WAY!!! WOOOO!! It's nice to have a good football team to cheer for. I love the Lions, in all their sucky glory!

I don't know if I'll bother watching Ohio State tonight. Because I hate them. But I want to watch them lose. ;)

Logan's getting bigger. His nickname is Pack Man, he chews on everything/everybody! Actually he's not THAT bad. Not yet. He's probably 26 lbs now. He can sit, shake, lie down, and stay for a few seconds (pretty good for a pup). He's so laid back he gets along great hanging out at the bar after closing and watching football. I didn't sleep well last night though and wanted to sleep in, and the little bugger kept dragging my new sweater (or my socks, or Tim's clothes) across the floor. So tired! No rest for the weary when it comes to puppies.

 

From Winter 2006-2007

Mad amounts of snow

Lots and lots of snow! Snow everywhere! Big fluffy piles of it! Yeah, I'm never getting my furniture out of Lyons. :P  But Logan and I had a great time last night in the snow! I walked to the Rock in the middle of the storm and they made me and Bob dinner before closing about an hour after they opened. Mark and Jen showed up for a beer, but since they were closing, they drove me to get Logan and up to their place for another puppy play date. Glad they picked me up, I don't know if I could have gotten anywhere - Mark had chains on his truck and he was still having trouble. Remind me to get some of those!

Dave came over to enjoy in the puppy fun and watch Northern Exposure, drink gin and tonic and eat Amish cheese and chocolate turtles. He went to leave and lo and behold, his truck was stuck in the snow, which was up to mid-thigh at this point. So I took pictures with my cell phone and laughed as he and Mark dug his Toyota out. Logan pranced around in snow drifts over his head. ;)  I'll send my cell phone pictures to my email and post them on here soon.

Logan had a vet appointment this day; he's a fine looking puppy, and the vet thinks he'll be on "the larger side of shepherds". Looks like I've got myself a big dog!

Tim is on his way back but I'm guessing he's not going to make it back very easily. The roads are close from Denver to Kansas; he won't be through there until tomorrow, but we are supposed to get MORE snow tonight and maybe through Sunday morning. I hope he can make it back for New Years!!

 

The boys and I taking a break at Beaver Creek. Tom's caption: "Goggles for all. Lisa wonders why the rum is always gone." More like Jack Daniels, but he's close. ;)

 

From Keystone, Chr...