The Funny Farm - Meet the Chicks

Since we moved to our quaint little mobile home surrounded by well-manicured acres of raised-bed agricultural fields and have only carrots for neighbors, it seems fitting that we have cultivated our own little Funny Farm in the mere 6 weeks that I have been here.

I kept telling Tim I wanted chickens. But I didn't know much about chickens. His coworker, who keeps about 40, raved about how simple it was. In fact, many of his coworkers have chickens. It's no big deal; it's like having dogs or cats - totally normal. Remember, I am from Detroit. Chickens have NEVER been a normal part of my life. Though, at least I did own numerous birds - cockatiels, canaries, budgies, and zebra finches - so it can't be that different, right??

Tim wasn't as enthusiastic as I was. He never said no, though he would be the one to care for my girls while I am at the Academy and away on fires. So once he brought home a Murray McMurray catalog and I started looking at all these crazy looking chickens, I felt inspired. I asked the lady at the feed shop about them. I realized that these babies were going to live indoors for probably 2-3 months before they were even moved outside; once outside, if I come up with a clever coop design, I wouldn't even have to "tuck them in" and close the coop at night. Feed and water bowls hold food for a few days. If they were totally fenced in, I wouldn't have to worry about predators.

So when I saw the "Baby chicks have arrived" sign at the feed shop, I stopped. Not totally impulsively - I went ahead and bought a heat lamp and chicken feed, "just in case". I went into the feed shop alone and came out... a farmer?? Or, at least, as a momma hen. :)  All for less than $38 - $8 for feed, $2.25 per chick, and the rest was for a cheap thermometer and the infrared heating lamp. You can even apparently just use a regular light bulb (Tim's boss just keeps a candle lit in a mason jar) but I figure they wouldn't want bright light 24-7.

In the feed shop was a low round metal bin with a large heat lamp and uncountable numbers of fluffy chicken nuggets. Most were not all yellow - some were reddish, some were all black, some had black and grey stripes, some had yellow and black stripes, and some had reddish and black stripes. I thought the ones with racing stripes looked pretty cool, so I grabbed two feisty chicks that were eating heartily and peeping loudly. Alas, as they had all just arrived from Arizona, some chicks were fading fast and on their way to the big barnyard in the sky. Mine seemed tough and spunky. The shop employee had no idea what type they were. That's ok, I like surprises... as long as they are female and make me breakfast!

The 30 minute drive home actually seemed to stress them - they need to be at around 95 degrees heat their first week. Each subsequent week, you reduce the heat by 5 degrees (more or less; just watch the chicks, they will be obviously hot or cold and it's pretty intuitive). So they were a little chilled despite cranking the heat so high that Logan and I were both panting.

I set them up in a cardboard box with pine shavings and one peanut butter jar lid of water, one pickle lid full of food. They peeped loudly. Apparently loud peeping means chicks aren't happy. Eventually we worked out the height of the heat lamp and bought a better waterer that keeps the water cleaner. At a good temperature they make chickee noises but not loud peeping. Plus, they got used to being away from their 100+ fellow chicks.

Day 2

Day 3

The first night, I was nervous. Nugget (the reddish/black racing stripe one) seemed listless and fading. She was laying down but putting her head on the ground. Um, birds aren't supposed to do that right? I didn't think she'd make it, but I resisted the urge to stress her more by messing with her. I saw her eat and drink, all I could do is hope that she could recover. I was so happy to see her scratching about the next morning! And ever since, these babies just keep growing and growing!

When I got them, they didn't have "real" wing feathers, just fluffy down. Then, real feathers started popping out. Soon, they had beautiful patterned primary and secondary feathers - like what you collected when you were a kid, "real" feathers - that helped me figure out what breed they might be. Peeps - Wyandotte. Nugget - Ameraucana, aka the Easter Egger.  They quickly started acting like real chickens - scratching, pecking, preening. They are messy eaters and instead of pecking, they peck at the food and then toss it right out of the lid. They eat constantly. I went from one handful of food the first day or two, to two handfuls of feed... now it's like 3-4 or more.

Day 7??

Then, their nubby tails started sprouting something almost resembling feathers. Ugly spires with little feathery strands here and there. They are beginning to look better. Every day, more down is lost and more feathers sprout up. Their feet are huge! (Picture is of 1st appearance of feathers on the chicken butts)

Best of all, Logan LOVES them. He watches them. He sniffs them. He wants to check on them with me when I go into the other room. It is the cutest thing ever!

So as of today, they are approximately 11 days old and at least doubled in size. They now can perch on my finger and flap their wings. I don't know how much longer I can get away with a cardboard box. Feed store lady keeps her chicks in a dog cage until they are old enough to go outside. Other people use cardboard boxes the entire time. They poop a lot but if it gets too dirty, cardboard boxes are free. Maybe when they are 5 months old, they will start popping out eggs!

I'm sure more people are excited about the puppy... yes, I love puppy. But, I didn't want to go out of order. This is how funny farm started. Logan, then our two chicks. This whole time, we kept watching petfinder.com and visiting the shelter...

 

Tim and his little girl, in the next entry!

Racking up the miles on the ol' truck...

I have now been in California for just over a month... and this is the first journal entry I am writing? LAME.

It's probably not even worth it, but here's a reader's digest version of the past 2 months.

I MOVED TO CALI.

Now if you care to indulge in more details, read on. Which at this point the only people who would want to trudge through the details are my mom, my sisters, and maybe Bruce and Kerry. ;)  December was a stressful blur of final exams, term papers, packing, moving and truck repairs. Somehow I made it through and had a little work get-together at the Rock one night, which was as close to a going away party as I needed or had time for! I was so happy my friend Kim and her boyfriend were in town to visit from Portland literally during my last few days in Estes. Although I was up to my @ss in alligators (homework, packing, broken truck), Kim always cheers me up and helps me relax and have fun! This included an awesome night at Jerry's cabin for the most unique White Elephant exchange I have ever seen and too many margaritas at Ed's, and of course hanging out at the Rock. I ended up leaving a day later than I had hoped (which was a week later than I originally planned... stupid final exam schedule), with Kind Coffee in my mug and after a big hug from Kim. I walked around in the snow, looking at the Rocky Mountains and enjoying the high altitude air... Really really miss it there, 5 years in Estes! Miss the town, miss my friends, miss Bruce and Kerry and the Rock where so many good times were had... But, time to move on to the next stage in life ya know?!

I left Estes and drove not West, but East... all the way to Detroit to see the family for the holidays. This would be the last time I was within semi-reasonable driving distance from my family, so I wanted to bring Logan, have a car to drive during the day (otherwise I'd be stuck at their house!) and be able to bring some things to my family, as well as take home x-mas presents. I was incredibly busy visiting family and friends, as well as taking plenty of time to decompress from the whirlwind month of December. Stephanie (friend from Estes) was on a road trip of her own, from Texas to the east coast to Niagara Falls, through Detroit and up to Wisconsin, and she and her boyfriend stopped by for a night. Neat to see a Colorado friend in Detroit, that's never happened before! It was good to be apart of our huge 50+ person family X-mas eve party, gotta love it when the families all get together to exchange dollar store gifts, eat lots of Polish food and cheese fondue, drink Kahlua mudslides and tease each other. It just was not the same without my 29 yr old cousin Greg, who died in October. The presentation of an engraved stone bench in Greg's honor to his parents and wife touched us all; but he was there in spirit with us and we will always remember him. On the other side of the family, they had their own sorrow - my dad and stepmom's dog was dying on X-mas day. So Christmas was a little sad but it's always good to be with those you love.

Saw lots of friends here as well, Amadeo's birthday party and sushi with the Gole sisters, one on one with many of my BFFs like Beth and Donna, the Mount Family, Jeff's party... I can't even remember everything I did! But one of the highlights was going to the Red Wings/Colorado Avalanche hockey game on New Years Eve with my sisters and brother! Despite the Wings taking a dive in success this season, they still beat the Avs - nice coincidence that, considering the 2 teams play only a few times a year, I was in Detroit at the same time as the Avs. GO WINGS! I think my brother was a little embarassed by his hootin' and hollerin' sisters, but he takes it in good stride. ;)

Skipping lots of stuff because I have ADHD and bore myself easily. Ha ha!

After the New Year, hit the road right away to drive in the completely opposite direction, back to Estes. I put all my stuff in storage and had to swing back up to get the essentials to take with me to Cali. The rest of it, well.... we will see when I have the time and money to get a uhaul. I want my motorcycle BAD though! These sweet twisty roads and warm temperatures are taunting me! Anyway, I digress. Blew through Estes after a quick bite at the Rock and from then on, it was Cali or Bust!

Uneventful drive west, took about 18 hours from Estes to Greenfield, where I sit now. Tim moved from right outside Pinnacles National Monument to this mobile home - it was cheap compared to everywhere else, allows dogs, and is owned by his boss. Unfortunately, he now has an hour commute...but at least it's a nice drive!

We still don't really have furniture - 2 camp chairs, storage containers used as tables, and a bed. ;)  It would be nice to have a futon or couch, but hey we are making it work. Our mobile home isn't pretty but we are on a plot of land with a nice empty home that belongs to our landlord's aunt. Other than that, as I told my mom, our only neighbors are carrots! Surrounded on all sides by agricultural fields. Which I just found out isn't very good for our well water quality, don't worry we bought a filter (which doesn't do much for the nitrates but I try not to think about it). It is actually quite windy in Greenfield, which is part of the large valley extending north and south, bordered on both the east and west by mountains. Weather has been 60-70 degrees almost every day, with incredible amounts of rain at times. Amazingly, there is snow in the mountains to our West, which probably aren't more than 3-4,000 ft tall. Apparently that is NOT normal and locals have told me I must have brought it with me from Colorado. ;)

I was in culture shock for a couple days until I began nesting in the weird way that I do - I leave home and explore the towns nearby. Tim takes care of the home stuff... I explore the "new frontier". :)  I hit the visitor welcome centers and find the coffee shops. I try to find the best, most eco-friendly, charismatic locally owned cafe... I'm still not impressed with my options compared to Kind Coffee! Unfortunately, up until this week we didn't have internet at home so I had to drive 1 hr roundtrip just to get to a cafe with internet (which is important because I am in online courses to finish my masters degree). After AT&T providing the worst customer service EVER for a month, canceling orders or getting them wrong, putting me on hold for 2 hours and disconnecting me... They tell me they don't offer DSL at our house. My head almost exploded when they told me that, after a month of telling me they DO have it. Our ONLY option was satellite (which has a 2 YEAR contract and is expensive and not that fast) or this wireless broadband which is working out pretty well. Life is so much easier now that I can look up stores and businesses and get directions at home, as well as doing homework whenever I want without interruption!

Salinas is actually a pretty decent city with a nice old downtown and I've found the places I need in my life - the gym (still working on those physical fitness requirements for work...3 pull ups down, 2 more to go minimum!), the pet shop, and internet cafes. I LOVE going to the ocean in Monterey or Carmel, but finding parking for the cafes in Monterey is a nightmare!

Our weekly treat is taking Logan to the dog-friendly beach in Carmel. Hundreds of dogs running free along the coast! He was scared at first, running from the surf as it washed in and out. Now, he finds the biggest driftwood he can carry and retrieves it from the crashing waves until he is exhausted! He is usually one of the biggest dogs on the beach and has been THE largest German Shepherd (and there are SO MANY shepherds out here!).

In a few weeks I will start work 4 hours away, up in the mountains near Arnold. I have free housing in the bunkhouse, but am checking out a sweet 900 sq ft A-frame cabin with wood stove up in Dorrington next weekend. It would be great to have my own place so people can actually visit me (not allowed in dorms) and I can have Logan. I'm kindof over the whole "living in a small room with bunkbeds and sleeping/working with coworkers 24-7" thing, like my space and my privacy as well as my visitors and pets!

My official date for the academy is April 4th, which means I will be stuck in Sacramento/McClellan for my birthday. Required to live there but if I get this cabin, Tim can bring Logan up and we can stay in the cabin on weekends.

I left tons out but I'm long winded and this is long enough. NEXT ENTRY: CHICKENS! And... Tim's new puppy?! WTF?! PUPPY?! 

Oh yes. And we just might name her another X-Men name. BWA HA HA.

As my mom would say, "Welcome to the funny farm!" (Though I know she's excited to have grand-chicks and grand-puppies on her grand-farm... since there won't be any grand BABIES any time soon!)

In case you didn't know, I'm moving!

I'm moving to California. :)

This really shouldn't be new news to anybody since I accepted the job in September, but I still get a lot of questions. I should have written this post months ago, but school doesn't leave me much desire to type any more than I have to. Quite a shame, I used to really enjoy writing for fun! I only have another couple weeks left so perhaps I can write a good one about my recent trip over Thanksgiving week to visit my future home.

What, When, Where and Why: Lisa's New Adventure!

What: Permanent wildland firefighter with the Forest Service
When: Moving to Cali probably by early January; job starts March 1st.
Where? March-April at the Academy in McClellan, CA; then Stanislaus National Forest, Hathaway Pines
Why? Permanent job, closer to Timmy!

I probably wrote in an entry once or twice or even five times that I didn't want to move out there. Tim has been out there since July, which has been about as much fun as long distance relationships can be (in my book, NOT fun!). The options to make things work were not particularly attractive on my end, as I was hoping the next time I move would be to either Alaska or even back to Montana. I was "stuck" in Colorado for at least a while, to finish my Masters degree at Colorado State. So we either continue long distance (boo) and he agreed to move where ever I want after I graduate in May (although I doubt this would have happened, he has a great job out there) or I find a way to move out there.

I applied for term and permanent wildlife jobs with the federal government; mostly Forest Service, as those are the closest job to Tim besides the park he works at. Unfortunately, Pinnacles is small and does not hire many terms or permanents, so it was unlikely I would land anything there anyway unless I wanted to be stuck as a seasonal yet again. Since the park is fairly isolated from other federal lands, the closest jobs I could find in any case were at least 2 1/2 hours away.

I figured since I was trying to move to Cali, I might as well put in for a couple fire jobs. I mean hey, the state burns like crazy every year, lots of overtime and hazard pay, job security... Why not? So I put in for a permanent fire job. Although fire wasn't the direction I had planned to go - especially considering I am finishing my 2nd degree in wildlife - I do well in fire and really enjoy it.

Out of the jobs I put in for, I was offered... the permanent firefighting job. Surprise!

There wasn't even an interview. The lady in charge called my old bosses and they gave raving reviews; was left a completely unexpected job offer in my voice mail in September.

Here's the deal: Permanent wildland firefighter on the Stanislaus National Forest,which borders Yosemite National Park to the north. It is HUGE - about 900,000 acres (compared to Rocky Mountain, which is about 245,000 acres). It is one of the oldest national parks in the country.

But it's not just a normal permanent job. It's part of the Wildland Firefighter Apprenticeship (also known as "Jack") Program. Which has its own... quirks, compared to a normal permanent job.

The job starts March 1st, and I will generally work March-October, 6 months permanent season. I am excited to have winters off still! While I am in the program, my job consists of formal training as well as rotations doing different wildland firefighting duties. This year, around mid-March, I have my first month of the academy - this year it will be basic academy, next year is advanced. We take a bunch of fire classes, have physical fitness requirements we must pass when we first get there, as well as daily PT. I live in a dorm and the academy is in McClellan, CA at a converted air force base. Mid-April, I will be done with this. My first rotation is on a Type 3 engine out of Hathaway Pines, CA for 2010. In 2011, advanced academy is also a month; my rotation that summer will be on a helicopter crew. It will be either on the on-forest helicopter, or on Yosemite's helicopter. I will be "graduated" March 2012, at which point I will switch to a 12 month year-round permanent somewhere on the forest.

I told them straight up that I'm trying to move to Alaska, and they said they would help me do this once I'm done with the program. The "golden goose" of permanent status with the feds means "STATUS" - eligibility for jobs that you can't apply for without status. It means that next time I move for a permanent job, all of my moving expenses are paid! I won't have to sell everything I own in order to move to Alaska! Yay! Another nice surprise is I was rated at the highest grade offered for this position; it is lower than I am making working for special projects at Rocky, but it is higher than I would be ranked on a "normal" fire crew because I am not a squad boss yet. Yet another thing that worked out in my favor is credit for my previous experience: the program goes from either 2-4 years, with those extra years needed for folks to work on a hand crew, an engine, and a helicopter. I had enough previous experience, I was given almost full credit for 2,000 hours of previous experience, so I don't HAVE to work on a hot shot crew. This made me happy. :)

So it is a pretty nice gig. Not without some downsides though: The biggest part is that in order to take this job, Tim has to take Logan for a while. While I am required to live in the dorms, I obviously can't have a dog for a month. Once I move to Hathaway, I can get my own place and have him with me... but, working fire, I need to be flexible to either stay out late chasing smoke or actually fighting fires on the forest, as well as being dispatched where ever they send us. We will see how this works out, but Tim will probably have Logan for most of those 6 months. Also, I am now "owned" by the government. If I don't finish the program, I theoretically have to pay back the costs they spent on my training. I am also required to work for the feds for at least x number of years after the program. I am NOT required to stay in fire after I am done. So I may still be able to do wildlife, either in the "off" season during the winter, or after the program is finished.

I can focus on whatever I want within fire when I am there: fire ecology or aviation management for example. No, I do not get to FLY helicopters or airplanes. I would love to do helirappel (descending from a flying helicopter from a rope) but they don't do it on our forest. I'd probably sprain my ankle anyway. ;)

I originally was a little nervous about what I am getting myself into... I mean, I'm going to be 29. A lot of people from federal, local or state fire agencies participate; many of the folks are scrapping young men in their early 20s. I had wanted to make fire a career when I was 23 and in Montana... but when the funding for my job went away and I found another job elsewhere, I figured I would stick to once-a-year fire dispatches, with a different career focus. But you know what? I'm good at that stuff. It's a gorgeous area. It's a permanent job. I will miss my Rocky Mountains, but at this point, I am SO excited! Still a little nervous, and Tim will still be about 4 hours away. We will see how it goes.

Oh, and I'll be finishing my masters degree online, so add a few classes onto the complexity of my spring. Yikes! I have enough credits overall to graduate... but I didn't fill certain requirements. I had not planned on moving when I started the program, so it wasn't a big deal. BUT my advisor helped me make it work so I would be able to move.

So that's the scoop. I am finishing classes the next 2 weeks, packing up my stuff from my downtown Estes apartment and putting it in storage; driving to Michigan for Christmas and hang out for a couple weeks; and then heading to California. Tim found a new place to live, which is far from his work and I feel kindof bad... but it's affordable and he can take Logan. So I'll be moving in with him when I get out there, near Greenfield, Ca. I am not sure if I am spending New Years in Michigan or Colorado, but it probably won't be in California. I will definitely be in Cali by January 7th - Tim's birthday!

Hopefully that answers everybody's questions. I have a paper to write now, guess this was a good warm-up. :)

Tim's move to Cali; sitting and sweating

Greetings from sunny, ridiculously hot California!

Why am I in California? Here's the long version:

Two weekends ago, Tim and I took a sweet hike through the Mummy Range in Rocky Mountain, his last jaunt in the North Fork before becoming a California boy (again); leaving the Chapin Pass trailhead at 4:00 am, we were already blanketed by clouds overhead. Fortunately, the 3:00 am rainstorm ended just as we began our hike, and didn't reappear as a vicious thunderstorm until after our peak bagging. We skipped Chapin to save on time, and get to the top of our final peak before the afternoon (when daily thunderstorms are to be expected). Got to watch a nice sunrise between Chapin and Chiquita... only to be socked in by a thick cloud, which sat on top of us, bringing with it some COLD weather, winds, and 20' visibility. I know better, but pulled an alpine faux pas (is that the spelling?) and didn't bring a warm hat or gloves. It was cold enough that I couldn't move my hands. At least I was wise enough to bring self-heating hand warmers so that I could at least unzip my backpack with my frozen claw-hands!

We summited Chiquita (13,069 ft) and Ypsilon (13,514 ft) in these conditions. As we decended into the saddle between Ypsilon and Fairchild, the clouds lifted and we could see for miles! As a bonus, the winds died down and the sun warmed my cold hands. Which was fortunate, because the hike up Fairchild was some serious rock scrambling, over both small and huge boulders. Brutal on one of my knees, to the point that it is still bugging me today. In any case, the last 500 feet elevation gain up Fairchild was fairly easy and the rocks were more forgiving and not nearly as steep; Fairchild was at 13,502 ft.

This is when the thunderstorm started rumbling from the west. Our goal to include Mummy and perhaps Hague's Peak in our jaunt was "cut short" - though I'm not sure you can call a 12.5 mile hike up 3 mountains as "cut short" in the first place! (I bought a snazzy fancy-pants watch that gives elevation, distance, heart rate, etc... seems fairly accurate, but can't be positive it was 12 miles.) Besides brief gropple and rain, we were able to decend down from Fairchild, down the broad saddle, past Crystal Lakes, and literally unlocked the Lawn Lake Ranger Cabin just as it began to rain. And rain. And rain. We lit a fire in the wood stove and relaxed at 4 pm. 12 hours of hiking! It's no surprise we were alseep by 6 pm. ;)

The hike out was a comparatively easy 6.6 mile downhill. Mummy Mountain will have to wait for another day when Tim comes out to visit.

Tim packed and we had a little party at the Rock Inn; it was a whirlwind of activity last week before we left. I had to work, since I already don't have enough time saved up yet to take off this entire week to be out in Cali; no rest for the weary!

With Tim's belongings packed neatly away in a 14' Uhaul, towing his truck behind us, we set out last Thursday in the evening. We learned quickly, from our drive up Trail Ridge Road, that a 14' Uhaul does not have much towing power up the mountains. Which kept our progress slow the entire trip; Berthoud Pass, Eisenhower on I-70, all the ups and downs in Nevada (apparently it's not flat along US 50), and Yosemite... Snail pace. Made it as far as Grand Junction on Thursday night and stayed with a former Rocky traildog, Conrad. I didn't even get to see him! We arrived at 2 am and then he went to work in the morning.

We plowed through Utah's heat and arrived at Great Basin National Park in Nevada on Friday evening. Unfortunately, we missed the cave tours for the evening and had a dilemma - camp out and lose time on our travel, without the guarantee to get into a cave tour in the morning (and not have any camping gear easily accessible in the Uhaul... there was talk of pulling out the mattress and sleeping on that...), or skip the awesome-looking caves and keep going. The less-stress option was to keep going. We stopped at 2 gas station in Nevada, neither of which had a Nevada road map; however, they had California, Oregon, and other random places far far away. Which was weird. We ate at the worst, strangest McDonalds ever with super space cadet girl getting our order wrong 4 freaking times... and some 15 year old girl looking like some 50s farm wife with her old fashioned hair and man, I felt like I was living in that HBO series True Blood with the way those people talked and acted in Ely, Nevada... I was convinced there were vampires nearby and we needed to find a place to hole up for the evening. Made it to Tonopah, which was just as bizarre as everywhere else. I am sorry, Nevada, I don't like you.

Saturday, made it through Nevada without any other freakishness and finally saw the lovely snow capped mountains in Mono Lake, California. By the way, the road between Mono Lake and Yosemite National Park is a HOOT! Like being on a rollercoaster. They made an otherwise straight and boring road, that much more exciting with its abruptly undulating dips and hills. Just goes to show, Nevada has no sense of humor with their even-terrained flat roads!

We breezed through Yosemite, although a day ahead of schedule, Tim wanted to get to Pinnacles and relax. The valley between Yosemite and Pinnacles - the valley where a lot of the big Cali cities are - was flat and boring, as I had been through there before on the way to and from wildfires. Agriculture. Yuck. Was happy to see another mountain range - although without any snow on its ~2-3,000 ft "peaks" - and drive into the oak savannah.

We may be out of the city, but are certainly not out of the heat. It's killin' me, folks. Seriously. I'm melting.

So my first and lasting impression is, Pinnacles is a nice place to visit...but sure as hell wouldn't want to live here. At least, not in July and August. I'm pretty sure today it was already 90 degrees by 10 am; supposed to be 105 degrees or so. I'm taking refuge in a coffee shop in Hollister, about 30 minutes away.

Pinnacles is a neat little park. Strangely, they have a pool at their campground. I enjoy the little lizards running around but have yet to be unpleasantly surprised by a rattlesnake. Intead, the reservior in the park was the waterpark for snakes of all different sizes. I told Tim, all I have to do is show my mom photos of these snakes (which I am going to do) and she'll tell me not to live there. ;) I did a 5.3 mile hike yesterday morning; hoped to get an earlier start, but didn't make it on the trail til 9:45. HOT. But I'm stubborn. It was a nice hike, steep climbs up steps carved into the rock were interesting... but I needed to make it quick. Managed the hike in 2 hrs 15 minutes by running nearly the entire length of the Condor Gulch Trail downhill. Good thing too, I am not used to this heat. Came out pretty well, barely a sunburn. ;)

We did take a quick trip to Trader Joe's in Monterey, my how I have missed Trader Joe's! It's amazing that it is actually almost COLD, with that ocean wind blowing. I'd much prefer that climate, but there's so many freaking people. Is there no happy median in this state!?

Lots of stereotypes have come true - such as the hotshot jackass crotch rocket riders that pop wheelies for no reason, almost get in accidents around curvy roads, and shooting up between lanes wrecklessly. I told Tim if he acts like that, he's yesterdays news. ;) Also, the ads in the local arts/music paper including things such as SmartLipo, face lifts, and EAR RESTRUCTURING! Seriously, they are EARS people! Ears! Ears do not need improvement. Sigh. But, the tee-hee bimbo blondes with fake boobs and bikinis are nowhere to be found, even on the ocean... it was probably 65 degrees, guess they keep to southern latitudes, and far from the interior heat. I wonder if fake boobs have an optimal temperature range??

Well, time to be hit by that oppressive heat and head back to the ranch. Literally. Tim is living/house sitting for his former boss, whom owns a nice chunk of sizeable property adjacent to the park. She owns a horse. Since she isn't around, I don't know the horse's name, so I just call him Horse. The house stays pretty cool, but I still found myself tossing, turning and sweating. Although the nights are much more comfortable, I still miss my 60 degrees or below Rocky Mountain evenings.

Tim's settling back in very easily, since he used to work here. I don't see myself willingly moving here, but the soonest would be January, if I can find a way to finish my degree at Colorado State either online, or something. Only have a couple classes left after Fall semester. Well, anything can happen between now and then. I hate long distance enough as it is, but did I mention Tim doesn't get cell phone service or internet at his new place? Guess it's back to courier pigeons and the pony express.

PHOTOS galore:

From Mummy Range Peak Baggin'

Mummy Range Peak Baggin'

From Tim's Going Away Protest

Tim's Going Away Party

From Cali or bust!

From Cali or bust!

The Move

Has spring reached the Estes Valley??

It's warm, it's windy, it's sunny, and we haven't had snow (and not just any snow, 3 FEET of snow) in 2 weeks. And there's a dandelion outside the coffee shop window.

Plus, I start work in 2 weeks. MUST be spring!

My term job, which I have been on furlough since October, expires in a couple weeks also. Is it weird that I kindof want to celebrate? I'll be making MUCH better money as a seasonal maintenance worker, with a lot less controversy and headaches. Look for me driving the military hi-low and replacing wood picnic tables with 1300 lb concrete tables! Ahhh, living the dream, ha ha!

I had one final exam this week, a big presentation to the Open Space advisory board for Fort Collins tonight, and my last final next Wednesday. I still have a big public relations plan to develop for my correspondence course (BLEH! worst distance learning course I have EVER taken) as well as my paper on paleohydrology to be published for Park Break. So, I don't quite see the home stretch yet!

I'm excited for classes next semester; Wildlife Disease Ecology, Evolutionary Ecology, and Wildlife Field Studies. Sadly, my internship playing with baby squirrels and raccoons ends next week also. The picture is of my fellow intern, Ali, feeding a squirrel with a syringe. That's when they were sweet and cute! Now they're little terrors, their razor sharp nails drawing blood. My hands look like I got into a fight with Edward Scizzorhands! The baby raccons are the cutest things EVER. Even when they were tiny, they are strong and stick to your clothes/skin like velcro. They are too young to pee or poop on their own (like baby kittens) and we have to rub their privates to get them to go... and once they start peeing, they totally relax and start making little cooing noises, while they just saturate tissue after tissue! It sounds gross but seriously, they depend on mom (in their case, on us pretending to be mom) to help them relieve themselves, so I'm sure it's the best thing ever when they finally get to go!

The biggest news, which is really BIG news, is that Tim is moving up in the world... up, and West! He snagged a rare permanent trails supervisor job at the park where he used to live, Pinnacles National Monument. It's great for him, but I have no desire to move there; I also don't believe in long distance relationships in most cases, unless you are married and there's no other comprimise. I'm very happy for him, but well you can see the dilemma this poses. He leaves in July. I have a good job and school for the next year here in Colorado, and I don't like the hot weather, no snow, too many people, too much pollution, and living on an earthquake fault line. I'm trying to get back to Montana, or Alaska. Hell, even Canada! It's a very small park and opportunities are limited for me. So, what does this mean?? No easy answers here! Will I end up in Cali?! Or is this the end of a 3 year relationship?! Dun dun DUHHHHh (dramatic music)!

Well, needless to say, I'm a little cranky. :P