A sea of cows

Well, I’m here. Now what?

*********************

Actually, as I’m sitting in the living room of the bunkhouse typing this, thunder grumbles menacingly and lightening strikes the mountain tops surrounding the valley I now call home.

I’m also wearing my fire uniform – green Nomex pants, with my yellow shirt close by – and sitting on the edge of my seat. Thunderstorms mean smoke and/or fire… which means that I could be called out at any minute.

Exciting! A little scary!

Did I mention that I am 50% of the fire engine crew here?

And, by the way, I’ve never worked on a fire before?

Bring it. ;)

At least these fire pants make my ass look good.

**********************

Let’s backtrack a little bit. (rolling thunder and lightening flashes every 2 seconds… nervously waiting…)

The drive to Montana from Michigan was annoying. This is coming from me, Xena the Road-Warrior Princess. While passing through the flat expanses of boring South Dakota, a black nasty thunderstorm like none I have ever seen loomed straight ahead. Then I think about flat… like Kansas… Kansas gets lots of tornados…. South Dakota is flat… What if I get stuck in a tornado!!

I’ve never seen a storm somewhere so flat that the entire system surrounds and bombards you with lightening from all sides. I love thunderstorms, but this one was pretty severe and I got a little freaked out after it passed and suddenly the winds were practically pushing my car off the road. (rain is pouring… where’d my boss go??) I was almost convinced a big ol’ twister was gonna come down and sweep Focus away!

I made it through alive, but got caught hours later in an even worse storm. Needless to say, I was done driving for the night – hours short of my planned stop and I knew I’d be running way behind schedule the next day. Murdo, South Dakota. Get a decent room and take my bike off of my car to bring it in. No problem. Right?

“Hey, you aren’t bringing THAT thing in here are you?!” said the hotel keeper.

Yes, he raised hell about my bike. It was going to ruin his entire hotel. Grease and mud and oil EVERYWHERE! I didn’t even stop myself from laughing at his exclamations.

(YIKES! HOLY SHIT! Lightening just struck something right outside!!)

You probably can’t imagine the anticipation it is to be sitting, watching every lightning strike as a potential fire that you have to go and put out… when you’ve never done it before!!

Anyway, I yelled back at him in exasperation that I had to leave my very expensive bike outside to get stolen and I even cleaned it off with a towel. This old, stern man looked disgusted but when other people told him he was being ridiculous and that hotels never want people to leave valuables outside, especially not bikes! I had my way.

Of course, when I woke in the morning and brought my bike out, another hotel employee – another stern @sshole – looked at me like I was walking out with the TV. He gave me hell and I just laughed at him and sassed him good. These country folk just don’t know how to handle a city girl like me. ;)

(Uh oh, now we just lost our satellite cable signal, and my boss still isn’t back. He’s probably running around in the rain, looking for a reason for us to get in that engine!)

Blah blah blah, Focus usually gets around 30 mpg but with the bike on top, going up and down mountains - but Focus doesn’t like to multitask and I’m afraid she’ll explode if I go uphill at 75 mph with the AC on, plus the strong winds and the drag from the bike… I got 20 mpg! Which means my car only got 200 miles per tank. That’s a helluva lot of gas fill- ups.

Did I mention after spending 2 hours at a boot shop, trying to find fire boots to fit my feet (most places don’t carry fire boots that small, since it’s mostly men that buy them), I finally go to pay and the credit card company FINALLY decides to block my credit card for suspicious activity? I mean, I love that they notice strange charges and that would help in case it was really stolen, but at this point I had already gone through 6 states and spent hundreds of dollars. Subsequently, it took the clueless girl behind the counter and I half an hour to talk to the credit card company and prove my identity. But at least I was finally verified and it wouldn’t happen again.

It happened again. And I went through another 10 minute interrogation.

But alas, I finally reached… Bozeman. Then West Yellowstone. The last town I would see for over an hour.

Down a long, winding dirt road I drove. And drove. And drove.

And then I stopped. Huh, funny. There seems to be cattle blocking the road. I’ve never been stopped due to a cattle-jam. 28 miles of cow.

(Lightening has calmed a little and Gator is back. Guess I’m not going anywhere anytime soon?)

I finally reached the refuge and, simply, it is postcard beautiful. Miles of lakes and wetlands, blooming wildflowers, and surrounded by mountains on all sides. I drive up to a few small log buildings.

Home!

I went to my boss’ cabin and was invited to stay for homemade blueberry yogurt with him, his wife, and their friends. I was delirious from driving, chugging Red Bull, and devouring Twizzlers, but I smiled and nodded and kept my drooping eyelids open.

After a while, he brought me to the bunkhouse. Welcome to my new life!

(the photo is of Heather, Steve and I at Jeff's for my going-away party on Saturday. I do remember this picture being taken, hee hee!)

"But why is the rum gone??"

"How was the party??"

Uhhh... I don't remember?? I think that means it was good. :)

Let me put it this way - I think I was drunk when I woke up this morning. Ugggghhhhh. If anybody sees Amadeo, please tell him I am infinitely thankful and that he should go climbing with me in Montana.

Now, it's time for me to find a nice dark corner to go and die in. Thank you Jeff for sending me off in style!

All smiles!

Isn't it great when life gives you an unexpected break??

Birds chirping, blue sky, warm weather... haven't packed a damn thing yet... but feelin' so good! Especially because I don't have to forfeit my chance for that full time job I thought I was leaving behind! It will be waiting for me when I return from Montana (if I return, of course)!!!!

I called the guy back and told him my situation and he was all excited for me and said he spoke to the city manager and arranged things so that I can take the agility test and interview when I return... and they were going to fill 3 spots, but instead they will fill 2 and keep that last spot open until October! He said he was impressed with my credentials (I stifled a laugh at that - my credentials are good if you're looking for a one-woman circus act!) and said I'm one of the top people on the list. I don't think you can imagine how unexpected and funny this all seems to me. Maybe it's cuz I'm a chic and they wanna "diversify", because I don't know how I did so well on a test about installing sewer pipes, water valves, paving, and construction.

"When installing a sewer pipe, do you place it: A. upgrade with the bell up B. downgrade with the bell up C. upgrade with the bell down D. downgrade with braces..."

Is the answer Jesus? (sorry, just a quote from Slap Shot)

In the meantime, I've had the phone stuck to my ear all afternoon trying to locate some fire boots. Yeah, Michigan has a lot of demand for wildland firefighter boots (sarcasm). I mean, I can get a pair when I get there but it's gonna suck because they won't be broken in - which I heard is hell on your feet.

Yesterday, my old pals Steve and Chuck went out for a brew at the Post Bar - Going Away Party #1. Then Saturday Jeff is throwing me Going Away Party #2. Heh heh. Always count on Jeff to celebrate and keep everyone drunk as a skunk and poor as a pauper!

The best part is that when I come back in a mere 2-3 months, we can celebrate all over again - "Welcome Home!" We all know that's why I really move - the parties. ;)

In the meantime, Steve put down an offer on a house near MSU - this thing is sweet! It needs a little work but it's got a huge wraparound porch and a nice yard that I would gladly be "contracted" to fix up for him!

(The map shows where I will be - in the middle of BFE! Yeah!!!)

landscaping

Just some photos of the flowers I planted earlier in the season. Stupid rabbits keep eating my coreopsis and pansies! And my Artemesia got HUGE! 

roll with it

I'm all excited and nervous about this whole "moving to Montana" thing, but it's gonna be fun, right??

Until everything you've been told has been contradicted in the direction you didn't want it to go. (Furrows eyebrows)

See, it might not have been so bad if I had known certain things from the get-go, but this sudden big change has got me more worried than excited. Example: Don't get my own bedroom, one phone-line for 8 people, and the only option for internet access is that one phone line. I was under the impression I had my own room, plus internet and cable if I want. I can cope, it's just way under-par from what I was expecting!

Those are just a few things. But I am stubborn and still moving! Adapt to the unexpected!

But it gets better. I took this test for a city job the other day, I was one of 50 people and the ONLY FEMALE. Yeah, it's a labor job and most of the guys were much older and tougher than me. Find out today - I was one of 6 to be invited to the next step - agility test! And they are filling 3 spots!

The catch - I'll be in Montana when they are doing the test. There's probably no way I can come back for it.

I begged and pleaded - as professionally as possible - if there was any way to take the test before I left, or when I get back, or some other time, but I have to call back later when they discuss it. Sigh. I'd hate to think I am missing an opportunity to do full-time work that I can actually tolerate at the expense of a seasonal whim - but I've wanted to do fire for so long that I know myself, and know I have to entertain this whim or it will never go away! And who knows, maybe I'll love fire and make it my career. In any case, I was having doubts about going but my instincts say "LEAVE!!!!"