My First Pacific Seafood!

Yesterday I spent very little of the day doing work...to balance the long Saturday. Instead I went to a crab (and clam) party at Penrose and then another Potluck at Belfair. It was wonderful to get to hang out with everyone (and free food...hmmm). Kelly: I played Infour :0).

Last night I had a dream that my guitar was stolen in an airport. Yikes!
Other bizarre dreams followed, reinforcing that I should not sleep in past my alarm or I will be very confused in the morning.

Today I was worthless. I read half of The Two Towers in the sun, and then went to Belfair; played, read, and caught up with a good friend.

Returned as the sun was setting over the Olympics, made dinner, and now am off to sleep. Janet and I are climbing Ellinor tomorrow!

Adieu

Tonight I had to say goodbye to a dear friend. My Park Ranger 911 Blazer was returned to the boys at Belfair, and I have inherited a new vehicle: a big white 4 wheel drive truck. I will miss my dear Blazer; her light bar cover and funky smell, her WA state parks shield and her tape player. Last week I received the neatest gift: Kelly sent me a mix tape. An actual tape. Titled Park Ranger 911. I have been listening to it in the PR911 for the last several days, and am sad to report that my new truck has neither a tape or a CD player. I listened to one final song (Yukon Sally) in the Blazer before I gave Ranger Steve the keys. The radio will give me a chance to catch up with Garrison Keillor perhaps, but I will miss listening to Fleetwood Mac, Paul Winter, and Sarah McGlachlin continually. I have quite the collection of tapes, and now nowhere to listen to them...and no room in the Accord to bring them back with me. I am sure in a day this new truck and I will be good friends, and we already have started to get along well, but for now I miss PR911; I know I can visit her at Belfair, but it won't be the same. This evening, she is in my thoughts and I dedicate this post to her.

Skylar

Two Jr. Ranger programs and two campfire programs. It was almost 90 today, which solicits pretty heavy heat advisories here. Weather was beautiful, and the day went pretty well. I am absolutely exhausted, and so will not here give account of my programs. At the end of the last program we had a sing-along which was a lot of fun. This 5 year old boy wanted to write a song, so he came up and stood next to me while I played "the blues." He called it "The Ocean is Blue" or "The Ocean Blues." He really was into it, and made everyone clap along, and at the end, gave me that sassy look with two finger-guns...or something. Anyway, he was a character.

The ocean's blue
there are trees and birds
oh the ocean blues...

I decided that the next song I write will be called "The Flat Hat Blues," a tale of the woes of an intern.

Rock on

Nerves and Nonsense

Worked at Penrose today. Talked with the camp hosts there about Junior Ranger programs, and about life. Both very sweet women who shared their experiences and wisdom and were eager to learn more. Hopped over to Joemma to post signs for a Jr. Ranger program and met the wonderful park aide there. Came back and worked through the campfire program that I am giving tomorrow. I am actually pretty nervous for it. If it were on trees or nature or anything like that I wouldn't be nervous, but it is on camp rules and how they are set to protect the park and preserve the resource that we have. and my boss, (who is not intimidating in the least and instead one of the neatest people I know) will be in the audience. so I can't screw up. :0) Well, I can't flop.

Got home late, and spent several hours out on the day use catching up with an old friend (via phone) and playing guitar. The weather is sunny and warm and low humidity. I take back everything I ever said about loving 95 and humid, and instead assert that 79 and no humidity is perfect weather. and also the mountains and trees. Their power is part of the weather. And part of the whether. Part of whether or not I want to leave this place ever. They’re there, in their beauty all around me. This is the part where I want to say, in regards to the weather, "suckers," but have a small pang of missing the home community that prevents me from really rubbing it in. So instead I will just assure all that I am wonderful here and thinking of you. Wishing to share with you there, their beauty they’re sharing with me here.

Speaking of you, is it inappropriate of me to ask who is reading? I am just curious to see who is following this...if you want to reveal identity, you can comment, or e-mail, or facebook. No pressure :0) This way, when I finally write the letters that I have intended to the whole time, I will know what has already been covered.

Also, apologizes for writing few to no letters! It seems that between this blog and, well, being a bum, I am neglecting another creative writing project and for that I apologize. I will try to remedy this soon. If Jason Mraz came into anyone's head, you are especially looked upon fondly at this moment.


<3

"Laughs and smiles, I could go for miles, in my barefeet"

Today I worked at home, took a nap, and then found some energy and finally cleaned a little. I am reading a new book which I have forced out of my fingers, and am about to go pick it up. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm, and saturday is going to reach 86! Oh boy, summer time :0)

*title from lyrics by Joy Ike

If Adults Were Kids...

Today I spent a wonderful day at Penrose; in the course of a meeting, I got to walk around the park, warm in the sun, and talk about my work. On a back trail, we stepped out onto the beach and suddenly, over the water, we could Rainier in the distance. She is spectacular!
This afternoon I took my guitar, book, and blanket out to the point and there I finished the first Lord of the Rings. Surprisingly good- I have done nothing productive in the last two days as I have been too invested in this stinkin’ book. I want to keep reading the trilogy, but I have other books on my list and not enough time to engulf myself for days once again.
I am seriously tempted to pick up that second book, but that could be dangerous. My house has fallen to pieces and I have been neglecting my music and my writing. Still, I am tempted by the tales of travel: On the Road, Travels with Charley, Blue Highways, The Fellowship of the Ring, To a God Unknown…the books I have read have either been about the road or about trees, or both. Perfect.
In other, more exciting, news, my dear friend Rachel will be coming to visit me next week! We drove 3600 miles together to get out here, and now she is coming back. I am quite anxious for her arrival, as I could seriously use her hug and her conversation, and this house could use her warmth and voice.
Until then, I am making plans for some more hiking/mountaineering/rock climbing and preparing for my first “official” evening program. Yikes!! If only adults were kids...

Fellowship

Whenever I start a Tuesday, I always vow to make it productive...and then I find a good book. Today I spent the day outside warming up and reading the Lord of the Rings (first time). This evening, I went out with Stacy, her fiance, and friend, for Chinese food. We went back and hung out, joined by two wonderful companions...their dogs. Wonderfully fulfilling day of books and people.

I Love Lower Lena Lake for Alliterative Awesomeness

Today Stacy picked me up and we met Michael at the trailhead for Lena Lake. In total, we hiked about 12 miles, gained 3200 feet in elevation, and were turned back by a treacherous stream crossing.













From the trailhead, it was three miles to Lower Lena Lake and after a short snack stop, we pushed toward Upper Lena. The next three miles were not nearly as nice; downed trees, muddy creeks, and snow fields. It was quite steep at times, but was overall a good hike. About a mile from Upper Lena we reached the stream; it was running quite high, and so we turned back. Back down a ways and stopped for lunch.






The hike overall was good but exhausting. I ache, but it was great exercise and wonderful to get out in the mountains again.
Twanoh (Stacy's dog) had the right idea after we got back, and so I took her lead.

Yesterday I worked at home. Around lunchtime I went with Stacy to visit a friend. Spent some time reading in my maple tree and watched the sun lower through the trees by the day use.

Tomorrow for my day off, I have planned a rousing day of sleeping in and cleaning house.

This will be long...

In the Mountains, there you feel free. T.S. Eliot

What Humbugs we are, who pretent to live for Beauty, and never see the Dawn! Logan Pearsall Smith

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain. Henry David Thoreau

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. Rachel Carson

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. Lao Tzu

The sun is the epitome of benevolence – it is life giving and warmth giving and happiness giving, and to it we owe our thanksgiving. Jessi Lane Adams

You shall, above all things, be glad and young. Cummings


Serious stuff.

Today I had the most amazing day. I thought I couldn’t top that day where the girl told me she’d remember that day forever, and then I decided to give three kid’s programs in a day.

This morning I woke up and solidified my Jr. Ranger plans. I gathered my bandana for Bat and Moth, got my cards for Animal Animal!, and donned my waist high green pants. I took my pre-program ten minutes to commune, readying myself to be nature’s voice.

No, that’s wrong. I’m not her voice. I just show the kids how to hear her own voice. We practice the skills we need to hear nature’s voice.

My first program was at 10. We started with some high energy games so that they learned that they can trust me with their time: it will be worth it. Then we relaxed a little and sat by a stream where we counted sounds. It was amazing to see a four year old intently listening for sounds, eyes closed, excitingly whispering to their parent each time they heard a new one. We had a short reflection time where we talked about the senses and then I deemed them official Junior Rangers. Program #1 seemed a success.

Program #2: I became quite nervous when, as I approached the cub scout camp, I saw one of the kids making questionable sounds with his armpit. When I came up, the leader rallied the troops and we all introduced ourselves. I immediately impressed them by (somehow!) learning their names right off the bat. Then we played the same two games that I did with the younger kids earlier. I had 7 scouts, ages between 6 and 10. After the two games we hit the trail. Their leader had planned the whole 1.5 mile trail for them, so I just added it to my program and got the practice. It was fantastic. After talking about one or two things on the trail, we played Sounds again. Each scout sat along the trail and intently listened. After, they excitingly shared what they had heard. The stream, the wind, a bird, a motorcycle, people talking, a car; “peace and quiet.” We stopped along the trail a few times, talking about old evidence of logging, tasting licorice fern and salmon berry, smelling Indian plum, feeling the moss and bark.
So basically this hike was incredible. These boys completely trusted me and were amazing watchers of nature. As soon as we had finished Sounds, as they were excited about birds, about four Creepers flew to a nearby tree. We were able to quietly watch as they crept up the trees, different from any other birds they had seen. The boys walked quietly, helping each other see them, and anxiously waited for me to tell them what kind of bird it was. I shared that I was so pleased; we had been such good watchers that the birds trusted that we just wanted to watch them and not harm them. “How cool is that?!”

We saw two garter snakes…an animal we had talked about earlier in our game. We found some neat plants and trees. Of course, the trail was long and a few started to get tired. As we climbed up a steep part, one of the boys audibly shared his exhaustion. I asked him if he trusted me and he said yes and I said it is worth it. And so he kept right up, asking and answering questions and watching.

I always like to remind myself, and therefore everyone I am with, that nature is not just in front of us. When we go hiking, we tend to think we are headed somewhere…to the top of the mountain, to the lake, to our campsite. At a couple of good resting points, I asked the boys to turn around. Suddenly, what had been a steeply inclined path became a huge forest valley. They were excited to show me the trail far below that we had walked on, and the snag that we had walked by with the woodpecker holes and the huge tree that started aaaalll the way down there and grew aaalll the way above our heads. As Don would say, “too cool.”

We made it to the top. Finding a group camp tent circle, we sat in a circle and played Sounds again. This time we heard the wind, birds, and absolute quiet.

I then wanted to try something. These seven boys had trusted me on the trail. They had followed from the excited stage to the physical and peaceful stages, and I hoped they would follow me to reflection. I pulled out some note cards with quotes like the ones above. I asked if anyone wanted to read something for me. The youngest shot his hand up, and so read, “In the mountains, there you feel free.”

“What does that mean?”

“That means that the air is fresh.”
“That means that in the forest, the animals don’t have rules.”

When I asked if we wanted to read another, eager hands shot up volunteering. We continued to have some really neat discussions, and they continued to ask for more cards…we discussed all of those quotes at the beginning of this entry.

I repeat, there were seven cub scouts ages six through ten. And I had them in the forest, asking me for Rachel Carson and Thoreau quotes. We decided that we need to take care of nature and that we are guests, and that she knows what’s best. We learned about the summer solstice and that the sun is part of nature we can admire too. I was reminded of the amazing intelligence of children, and the power of this incredible environment.

My third program was striking too, and I have been writing for quite some time, and I thank you for reading this far. I am still on fire from today, and am excited to document. I hope to go back and rework this for my personal memories, but I want to get it all out right now. Program #3: I had a good mix of kids; we played the same two games, and everyone was eager to do both. I then took them over to the salmon stream and we felt the water and talked about the smooth rocks. Then we found two tiny fish and suddenly my story of the importance of the river made sense.

We all gathered around a Douglas Fir and felt the thick, protective bark. Then we ran to the Maple and felt the Maple bark, and then the Alder. We talked about which one would be the best protection in a fire, and then I told the mouse story of the Douglas Fir cone. We reflected on the senses once again, and listed all the things we had seen, smelled, tasted, heard, and touched.

This evening I helped Ranger Edd with a Campfire program, and three quarters of the audience were kids and their parents who wanted to come back. I sat with some of the girls, and at the end we played guitar and sang some campfire songs. I was invited back to a campsite and spent time getting to know the parents and talking about the program and in general, teaching kids about nature. It was wonderful to have some company, some mom/aunt-like figures that I am seriously lacking out here.

Having kids run up to you to hug you after you have known them for forty five minutes is quite an experience. Having parents offer you a place to stay if you’re ever in their neck of the woods because you impacted their child so much is quite touching. Being able to recount these stories to another ranger and see him get the chills that you do…I just have no words and all the words at the same time.

I was told later that the kids went back to their campsites and talked seriously about how they were Rangers now and they had to take care of the park.

I remember the glint in her eye when I winked at Isabella during the campfire program, and the bounding skip of the girls that came up to say goodnight. I remember cub scout Todd coming up to me perfectly seriously: “I think we all have to tell you something: thank you.”

Most of all, I remember the group of boys, beseeching me to give them another nature quote so that they could talk about what it means to them. And when one of my junior rangers, when feeling the bark of the Douglas Fir tree, told us to “look up!” Suddenly I had ten children circled around the great Fir tree, realizing how small we all were compared to the 200 foot giant. “we are like ants.” one said. “we are so tiny.”

“We saw a fishy!” 5 years old

“I am just so excited I want to run all the way down the trail.” 9 years old

“Will I see you tomorrow?” 8 years old



“You shall above all things, be glad and young.” Cummings

"Sunshine, it's like walking in my barefeet..."

It topped 80 today; Juneuary has ended, as someone told me today. Worked at home through early afternoon and then visited Belfair to go over some interpretive programming. Actually was able to work outside for part of the day, reading and planning. Pay day also meant grocery shopping and on the way back I watched the setting sun over the Olympics. Just enough cloud to make the sunset vibrant. Tomorrow I am giving 3 Jr. Ranger programs and then helping with a campfire program. Will be a long day, but should prove fun. Rest now.

Sunsets*

he asked her if she ever watched the sunsets.

There she was. and had forgotten. The most wonderful place for living, and he said, "they've really been beautiful these last few days."

she was so concerned with enjoying alone that she forgot the days turned to nights outside too.

He, a different He, an old and comforting and wise He, bent over the stream, almost bending as if He knew that eventually she would seek Him. As if He knew when He was not so old, that she, that many, would need Him. He was worn there from those who needed Him before, but she felt He was meant now to be for her. So she climbed up.

The moss and needles made a cushion and she leaned against His hard shoulder.

Over the bubbling Stream she sat, watching the soft pink fade to soft navy between the Others standing along the bank. she turned to look behind to see from where the water came, would continue to come, and gurgle over the pebbles and under the bridge. she looked to see from where the water came and Indian Plum was there waving in her face.

A joyful laugh echoed in His boughs as her head tossed back.

"I see you too, you silly thing," she said, shaking Her leaves. she knew that She wanted to ease her loneliness and her spirit wispered "thank you" and Hers heartily: "of course, Honey."

Silence.

she looked up and outloud she reminded the Forest, and the plants along the bank,

"You're in charge, You know."

As she watched the water gurgle from where it came to where it was going, and saw Them guarding along the bank, and saw the shrubs, and the Soil, and the Sword Fern, she said to Them outloud, "this is all up to you."

Of course They knew, Their wisdom echoed in the soft blues and golds of the sky and of the leaves. and a tear formed in her eye and He held her, and she Knew that His seat was for her then. And she held His hand and and looked into his leaves and said "thank you."

The loneliness did not go away; she was for a minute full of joy and full of sadness, for she belonged but didn't. and They were there, trying as They could, as she sought more.

and all He could do was ask her

if she ever watched the sunsets.





*for Kelly

Scatterbrained People

Had an unproductive day off yesterday, but made up for it today with actually taking care of some house-type stuff. Worked with harbor Wildwatch today. Nothing especially noteworthy; got to play with moonsnails, sand dollars, etc. Here is the, i'm sure long awaited, me-working picture.



In other news:

We're still waiting for it to get warm! Or less cold...

I'm still searching for the perfect camera, but hopefully I will make that purchase soon!

Yesterday I watched a red-breasted sapsucker climb a doug fir and two stellar's jays make a ruckus from my livingroom. I am not sure if I mentioned it before, but we have a creeper nest at work and Jamie and I got to watch mama come and feed the growing babies.

I am almost sick of pasta. and zucchini. (Pittsburgh goes: *gasp!*)

Garrison Keiller has convinced me that Radio is a neat thing. Also, that the i before e rule is crap.

Scroll down for several more pictures (June 14)

Thank you and good night.

More from Monday

The mama and baby mt. goat














one of those is ellinor...

Today I climbed a mountain.

Last night at about 10, Stacy called me and asked if I wanted to join her (and her climbing partner) on a hike today. “Of course,” says I. This morning we met and she loaded me up with gear. Michael, Stacy, and I set out to climb Mt. Ellinor. Washington’s closest neighbor, she is a popular hike with a summit at 5944 feet. The hike was 6 miles round trip, elevation gain 3200 feet. About a third of the way up we began the ascent of the avalanche chute, during which there was a moment I thought my legs were going to give out. At some point I decided that I had faith in my crampons and wanted to lead the way…there was a parent-aged couple ahead of us that had created some good tracks, but it was still slow going. I was first to reach the summit and the three of us set in to devour our lunches. As we ate, I looked over and saw mamma and baby mountain goat coming along several feet below us (picture to come). The couple that had blazed the trail in the beginning thanked me for my tracks when they reached the top. After my high on the summit, I realized that, inevitably, I was going to have to loose about 3200 feet in elevation. We began behind Kathryn and Jim (the couple) and attempted to find the trail- a trail that was covered with snow. We were switch-backing our way down when we decided that the best way down was a huge snow chute. Not the one we climbed up, but still daunting. I was determined that it was, indeed, NOT the best way down. Kathryn was incredibly understanding, and had me look her in the eye and listen when she said it was “not that bad.” She showed me how to walk down; jab my heel in with a straight leg. As I slowly got the hang of walking down a snow-cliff-monster-the world is out to get me-hill, I discovered it wasn’t so bad, and that I actually had some control. It was encouraging to know that even the experienced climbers slipped every now and then, for I had a couple that nearly scared the shi* out of me. Michael was encouraging the whole time, making sure that I wasn’t going to determindly camp out on the mountain until the snow melted. I had mastered the walking just in time for them to throw another task at me: glissading. “You’re telling me I have to sit on my butt, slide down this mountain, and make myself stop before I ram into that tree? Yeah…okay.” So I did it.

And it was sweet.

It was perhaps the coolest, most exhilarating experience I have had. I was able to brake and had waves of snow shooting around me as I made my little mark on the mountain. After I sucked it up and took my first steps down the mountain, I was able to relax and completely revel in the fact that I was on the greatest sledding hill I had ever been on. We eventually found our way out of the snow (thanks to Stacy’s knowledge of the trail and Jim’s GPS) and back to the lower, more gradual, trail. As my knee began to forgive me and my muscles began to relax I thought back to what I had just done. And it was awesome. I don’t know if I have summit fever, but I definitely have some sort of bug. I came back and immediately wanted to tell everyone, so that is what I am doing! Stacy and I are now planning potential future hikes and I am still thinking about today. It scares me to think about doing that again, but at the same time the feeling of confidence and strength at the end is so completely worth it. I know I am with people who know what they are doing and have given me the gear I need, so I am excited to climb again!

*these pictures are from Stacy’s camera, but I have pictures of my own that I will have on my computer in a few days…

She said:

"i'm curious why the engineering was happening! how do people decide when to let nature take care of itself and when to, for example, remove a dike?"

A: Interesting indeed. The dike was put in years ago...man made. When it was built, the stream became a straight line next to the dike. Streams with bends and with woody debris create fast and slow moving places, trees on the bank keep the water cool and the dirt out of the gravel. Spawning salmon need areas of slow water to rest as they swim upstream, and the baby fish (fry) need pools to hang out in when they come out of the gravel. The smolts swim down the stream to the ocean and are a tasty snack if they have nowhere to hide. Only 2 of 3000 eggs will survive to be spawning adults and return to the same stream, and the salmon are running at record low numbers. Now the engineering is basically to undo the earlier damage; I guess it’s a start at undoing much of the damage that human interference has caused to the Salmon population. In regards to letting nature take care of herself, we do have strict rules about salmon streams. The stream in Twanoh is a salmon stream and there are very strict laws restricting bridge building, dam building, and messing in general. To put in or take out anything from the stream is a big no no. In that regard, they are putting faith in mama to find the right balance.

The Right Atmosphere

Today I traveled to Cape Disappointment State Park to speak with and watch an interpreter there. It was a beautiful park and a great afternoon. The sun got off the fence and decided to shine for a good part of the afternoon, the first time in several weeks.

flashback: Me to Kelly, Seattle: "Today was supposed to be partly sunny. Perhaps that is the part above the clouds."


A hike to the beach and then the three hour drive home. Caught up with several friends today and have some program ideas I will finally get to work on tomorrow.

Sitka Spruce grow in about a 15 mile wide band along the coast in a particularly conditioned fog forest. Red Alder are symbiotic with nitrogen fixing bacteria, and the Carbon cycle is neato. I should always have a precise theme and clearly articulate my goal to visitors. Meriwether Lewis was shot in the rear by one of his own men and only brought one pair of socks for each man in the Corp of Discovery.

Anadromous

Yesterday I went to Theler (the wetlands) and went running, got new books from the library, and did some grocery shopping. After my run I received the sweetest phone call from a ranger telling me to go visit his wife (who I know and already adore) so she could introduce me to some coworkers who were my age. I went over to the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group office and got to meet some of the people who work over there. Today I went back and volunteered for the day (which counted as work). We were moving salmon (and other fish) from downstream to further upstream so that a crew could come in and remove the dike and reroute the stream to provide better salmon habitat. Our goal was to protect as much of the fry and smolt still in the stream. We shocked the fish so that, stunned, they would come to the surface so we could scoop them up. Shortly after, most of them would recover and start swimming around. A couple of times I wore the 80 pound backpack that carried the battery and wires. I also took a load up the stream (over a mile upstream…we had a van) and put them back in the river in a nice pool.
We all worked very well together and it was quite satisfying. We had a crew of four guys and me, all working to catch fish that sometimes were no bigger than an inch. We had a few Coho smolt that were probably 7 inches. It was amazing to see these tiny fish in the early stages of their lives and think about all of the obstacles that they will go through before they come back to their (newly engineered) stream. It was great to be out in the field today, and I hope to continue volunteering there.
If anyone is curious about the program I am developing or why we did what we did today please ask. I have tried to avoid the science lessons for those that don’t want to sit through one, but I would love to see what anyone wants to know. Actually, questions in general would be a great way to work this blog, for I feel like my day-to-day can’t be very exciting. Although I love it. Absolutely.

Tomorrow I drive to the Pacific and back.

"What is your theme?"

This afternoon I met my boss and we drove to Deception Pass SP, north of Seattle. The park was beautiful, the drive full of good conversation, and the interpreter we met insightful and helpful. gathered tips on developing interpretive programming and learned about the geologic history of the area. Overall a good but exhausting day. I get to take tomorrow off because I worked on Tuesday, so I am anticipating sleeping in (I got home at 12:15 tonight) and doing some various tasks that have been long overlooked. I am off to the library tomorrow to return a mess of books and perhaps pick up some new ones for personal reading.

Animal, plant, bird updates for those keeping track (me primarily):

Sunday: cedar waxwing (new); tree, barn, and violet-green swallow; bald eagle, some sort of hawk, rufus hummingbird, black-capped chickadee, song sparrow, swainson’s thrush, yellow warbler, black cottonwood, willows, *

Monday: cormorant, *

Tuesday: a crow doing acrobatics in front of some sort of falcon (light post on I-5 toward Seattle), dark eyed junco, *

Wednesday: raccoon (new), eagle, rabbits (new), nuthatch with three babies (new!), goldfinch (new), black tailed deer (new), swallows, turkey vulture (new), s. towhee, dark eyed junco, *

*gulls, crows, and robins

On the road again

Kelly’s visit was wonderful. I wish I could write a glowing account of the whole time, but alas I am quite fatigued. The last two days have left me thinking there have been three, and I struggle to remind myself that she left only this morning. I need more energy to account our spirited visit.

Yesterday, Kelly and I took the ferry to Seattle. Visited the Experience Music Project, wandered in the Market, had soup, and explored Pioneer Square. After at least a week at work, the clouds hung up their rain hat and split for several hours in the afternoon. The sun was out just long enough for Kelly and I to stand on the end of the ferry and watch the city disappear while a rainbow in the distance was joined by rainbows in the mist of our trail. As we drove home from Bremerton, it became dark once again and we had real storms, an unusual event for the soggy Northwest. At 1:30 this morning we woke up and met Kelly’s shuttle about half an hour from here. I returned home, finished my book, and went back to sleep for several hours. Thus the challenge to believe it is still Tuesday.

This afternoon I drove back past Seattle to another park to take a class for several hours. The rig didn’t have enough gas in it because of some other work that I had done, so on the way back I decided to stop off at Penrose and fuel up…after the days of driving, that last 16 miles with the needle on empty sure tested my sanity. Indeed, I am home now and ready for bed, for tomorrow I have another 2.5 hr commute for a neat evening program. Time to refuel.

Trash Talk

Today was awesome. Worked 12 hours between researching, Jr. Rangering, and helping to lead a campfire program on trash and recycling. Picked up a Kelly who had spent many hours on a plane and over an hour on the tarmac in Chicago. Good day overall and made friends with some 8 year old girls. After a long day, I'm now going to go make friends with my inner eyelids.

Look What I Found!

At noon today, I was certain that this blog entry would be the first in which I recounted an absolutely dreadful day. I showed up to Penrose at 8:30, and, with slight exaggeration, by 8:37 my hands were frozen. I spent the morning searching the shore for sea critters to use in touch tanks, waiting for kids to show up, and standing in the bitter cold rain. We had one curious five year old with her dad, and one class came over for several seconds, but by lunchtime we decided to pack up early. As I was nursing my hands back to functioning health and talking with the Park Aid in the break room, she saw a school bus go by, headed for the Day-use. There went my plans of leaving early. I went back down to the beach, introduced myself to the teachers, and asked if I could hang out for the afternoon. Little did I know that 70 third graders and their parents would turn my day around for the better.

We went on a hike through the woods where I found a great snag/nurse log combo and talked with groups going by about the purpose of dead trees. The kids were perceptive and receptive. I joined the last group that came by and we held up the rear, talking about the plants and trees. Surprisingly, I was able to answer all of their (numerous) questions about identification! We then got out to the beach where immediately I heard a kid hollering about a sun star. The beach walk proved much better than the touch tanks would have been, and I was able to let everyone touch him/her (with wet hands!) and see the tube feet and count the legs (18). Right after, I hear a holler about a moon snail, and we pick it up and talk about its mucus and shell and, pretending to be a raccoon, I even showed them how it can fit its whole body into its shell when it thinks its getting eaten. We learned how to be good visitors while at the same time finding moon snails, moon snail egg collars, more sea stars, live sand dollars, shore crabs, red rock crabs, barnacles, muscles, oysters, clams of many types, sand worms, burrowing piddocks, snails, limpets, bull kelp, sea lettuce, snail eggs, shrimp, a bald eagle, sculpins, and lots of muck. The kids were super, calling me over to learn about what they had found and remembering to be careful with the critters on the beach.

This is a long entry because this is a simple example of how a young and curious mind can be all the difference. Its amazing how something that originally seems yucky (ex. A huge Moon Snail) can suddenly become wonderful and important when it can be found, watched, and touched in its own habitat. I was walking with two girls through a sand dollar bed when one of them reflected assuredly about the day, “I think, I think I will remember this forever.”

So will I.

It's Raining (&) Men

It took a cup of hot chocolate, a fire in the fireplace, and a big cashmere sweater for me to thaw after today. I spent the day in rubber boots, a raincoat, and at times the pouring rain, “exploring” the beach with curious and perhaps crazy elementary school kids. Saw some really neat creatures and actually got to hang out with some of the kids on the beach as opposed to standing by the touch tanks as I did yesterday. *note: the tide at the beach yesterday was a -4.3; there will be no tide equivalently low for another 26 years. The tide today was a -4.2.

Spent the evening warming by the fire while brainstorming ways to make rainsticks out of recycled material. Made one shaker/rattle and hope to buy rice and/or beans tomorrow to craft a few more. Three great men join me this evening. Enjoyed dinner over an episode of Aaron Sorkin’s Sport’s Night and tried my baking hand at cornbread which wasn’t a total disaster. Continued to work on the picking for I Walk the Line and will now retire with To a God Unknown and explore the creative and passionate mind of John Steinbeck.

This just in: Shovel replaces Pitchfork as Devil's favorite tool

My house and I are resting after a very busy and exciting week. Yesterday, Jamie and I went to Seattle and spent the afternoon walking around the Market and streets. My favorite parts were taking the ferry in the Seattle fog and talking recycled-goods instruments with a woman working in a music store. Up early this morning to drive Jamie to the shuttle...just found out she safely arrived in Philly...fourteen hours after we left my house this morning! I am sure she will be resting too.

Today we have probably 400 kids at the park...enough said. Time to settle in with a book.

Circumnavigation

After an exhausting work-week of staying up late, getting up early, and getting very little accomplished in between, Jamie and I got up at 5 yesterday to prove that we are young and invincible. After packing the car with field guides, lunch, blanket, music, money and all other things we could potentially need, we set of down the road toward 101 North. We stopped at the elbow of the Hood Canal to check it out at low(ish) tide and I fumed about not having binoculars (will borrow some soon from work).

Our journey yesterday took us around the entire Olympic Peninsula: through several reservations, in and out of logging country, in and out of the national forest, in and out of the national park, by tons of state parks, through stands of Douglas Fir, through stands of Sitka Spruce, along the Sound, along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and along the Pacific Ocean. We stopped at LaPush, near the upper corner, and hiked a little less than a mile and a half through some amazing forest to the Pacific. Played in the water, checked out the erosion on the beach, and looked up some interesting plants that we had found on the hike.

The journey was an interesting and dynamic one. Once we woke up after several hours, we continued some of the conversations we have been having throughout the week. Unfortunately, the ceiling was quite low, lifting at points when we were most distressed to show us some snowy mountain, only to settle back down. I am working on the “journey” and not the end result, so it was a good way to force me to watch the patterns in the forest that we were in, as opposed to continually looking in the distance for something cooler than what we were passing.

A little over twelve hours after we left we returned. I promptly settled down with some music and then a book…and then before 9, fell asleep. Today we are planning to go into Seattle. Of course it is raining, but we’ll find adventures I’m sure.

June is bustin' out all over

Unfortunately, June has yet to establish itself as the warm and carefree month that I had anticipated. Still mostly overcast and chilly, but I still am loving this environment. This morning I started off working at home, and then took Jamie over to Penrose to check out another park where I work. We went running on some of the trails that I had not had the chance to check out before. They were quite beautiful; through the woods and following the shore line. She got to meet the aides and Dan. Dan and I brainstormed about some programming that I am working on, and I think I finally have a good visual representation idea for my Salmon program. I have a lot to do this summer, and my first official program is at the end of this month. Ahhhh!

This evening we came back and made pasta with shrimp and vegetable alfredo sauce and strawberry shortcake, basically undoing the positive effects that our run had hopefully produced. There is nothing like good food (and wine) to satiate the slightly hungry and cranky ladies that this long week had produced. Wonderful conversation, and now we are off to bed "early" so that we can get up at 5 and drive around the Peninsula. This is a part that I have not seen so we will be discovering Washington together!