To end the month of June, Vic hosted an office party at his trailer tonight. It was a potluck margarita mixer for office members+1 so I of course brought Kendall along! Since I had the day off yesterday, I made the fruit salad to bring (watermelon, cantelope, honey dew, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes), but I was in a major cooking mood which doesn't happen often so I took total advantage of it! I ended up in the end with a four-cheese lasagna, bleu cheese appetizer bites (Grandma Van style!), peanut butter-chocolate brownies, puppy chow, and the fruit salad. We had so much leftover fruit that we decided to make sangria when Kendall came home from work and we had the neighbor boys over for dinner.
Tonight was even more food than that with everything people brought! I love the fact that we can get together from ages seventeen through seventy and all hang out playing games or sitting around a fire simply having a good time. Aubrey and I played a horseshoes-type game against Darst and Dale and they joked that it was young people v. old people and I retorted with what Vic always says, "young v. mature" as opposed to old. The friendly banter of the game as the score went back and forth was lots of fun and then after dinner, we all just hung around by the fire sharing stories and inside jokes as if this life that we currently share is how it's always been.
I remember before I left to go to China which was even before coming to Colorado, I was starting to worry that I would fall in love with this job and never want to finish up the music degree. I'm afraid that has happened, but I know I will finish since I barely have any time left. This all just feels so right for me--like it's where I belong.
Barry has been nothing but complimentary to me, especially today (even with silly things like the new haircut). He pulled me aside in the office today and told me that he NEVER lets first-year employees have as many projects as I have going on in the office, but that I have a "gift" that he wants to be able to take full advantage of. Tonight at the mixer, he was mentioning something along those lines to Kendall too and how he was honestly quite surprised that I got hired.
Most people in my age group in the office applied through what is called the "steps" program which is for students so they have a higher advantage of getting a summer job. I applied that way, but since my transcripts said I was already a senior, it was sent back to me. Luckily, I also applied through USAJOBS.GOV. I guess through this way, you are alloted a certain number of "points" depending on answers to questions along with your resume. There are about 400 people that apply this way, in direct competition for the twelve office jobs. Barry told me tonight that I scored 100 which is lucky because he isn't even allowed to look past that to a 99. The fact that my score was exactly what it needed to be and he interviewed so many people that weren't what he wanted until it got to me makes me feel great. He also said that through the extensive background checks, every single one of my past employers bragged about how amazing I had been at work and how I go out of my way to look for things that need to be done and that I have a fine eye for minute details. I don't ever think of myself differently that others, but it's nice to hear that people say these kinds of things about me and that definitely helps me fall asleep with a smile on my face (not that it's hard to do that living here!).
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Nature's Mathematics
On Dad's last night here last week, we planned for him to pick me up after work (since he had my car) 
so we could drive to Bear Lake for sunset. As soon as we got near the lake, it started pouring like crazy so we just circled the parking lot and drove away. The rain had driven out most of the visitors so the roads were almost completely empty. I talked him into stopping at Sprague Lake and we walked around since it's just a 1/2 mile loop. Pretty soon after we started, the rain drizzled out until it stopped and the clouds lifted from the sky. It was nice to share that last sunset with just a couple fishermen who stuck out the miserable weather to enjoy the rest of the evening while the tourons hurried to the warmth of their hotel rooms or dryness of their tents.
Walking around Sprague Lake, we saw that the lake had one stream entering on one side and two exiting on the other. It's so crazy that despite what seems to be more output than input, the lake level stays consistent and the water never drops. The way that nature makes sure that everything stays the way that things are supposed to completely blows my mind. Something makes sure the streams that enter and exit the lake are at a particular level above the bottom of the lake so that it doesn't compeltely empty itself and the mathematics of nature regulate that level to keep it the same.
The same kinds of mathematics are true all across nature, even in the animal world. On my hike day, Dad spotted a mama ptarmigan with five or six baby birds scrambling around on the ground surrounding it. When the mother thought it was time to go, she got most of them in a line behind her and they marched away. Unfortunately for one of those little guys, he didn't catch the memo that they were leaving. He kept hopping around on the logs until he finally realized they had left him. He started running around, but then began chirping in a high-pitched voice to try and figure out what had happened. We watched as mama picked up his sound and sent back a much deeper single retort. Watching them communicate and locate each other through sound amazed us both, especially since they couldn't see each other. You can tell by the picture this guy was barely bigger than a weed.
Watching all the babies around the park right now is really fun, whether it be the playful moose from the other day, baby deer or elk, or even the ducklings that swim single-file behind their mothers. Now that the snow is finally melting, all sorts of signs of a late spring are coming out. The waterfalls are all running with the snowmelt and it's neat to see the moss-covered rocks baring the extra flow without losing a single bit of the green covering. Green seems to be the abundant color, especially mixing with the blues of the sky and the yellows of most of the wildflowers. That might be why the purples and blues in the flowers and birds are my favorites--they are just so rare up here!
Some of the wildflowers above treeline and on the tundra amaze me as well. Another mathematic equation in nature tells them to not grow bigger than a certain amount so they can withstand the
winds and harsh climate around the are they grow. The colors of these flowers are even more intense than the larger ones in the lower elevation levels which is surprising considering how small they are. It's these unexpected colors in the smallest flowers possible or the unexpected colors in the sunset following the heavy rain shower that you feel lucky being a witness too. Just like the bald eagle Kendall and I saw when we walked around the lake last night, it's almost as if there is some sort of a challenge and if you make it through the harsh conditions or weather than you too can see these fantastic, limited sights.
so we could drive to Bear Lake for sunset. As soon as we got near the lake, it started pouring like crazy so we just circled the parking lot and drove away. The rain had driven out most of the visitors so the roads were almost completely empty. I talked him into stopping at Sprague Lake and we walked around since it's just a 1/2 mile loop. Pretty soon after we started, the rain drizzled out until it stopped and the clouds lifted from the sky. It was nice to share that last sunset with just a couple fishermen who stuck out the miserable weather to enjoy the rest of the evening while the tourons hurried to the warmth of their hotel rooms or dryness of their tents.Walking around Sprague Lake, we saw that the lake had one stream entering on one side and two exiting on the other. It's so crazy that despite what seems to be more output than input, the lake level stays consistent and the water never drops. The way that nature makes sure that everything stays the way that things are supposed to completely blows my mind. Something makes sure the streams that enter and exit the lake are at a particular level above the bottom of the lake so that it doesn't compeltely empty itself and the mathematics of nature regulate that level to keep it the same.
The same kinds of mathematics are true all across nature, even in the animal world. On my hike day, Dad spotted a mama ptarmigan with five or six baby birds scrambling around on the ground surrounding it. When the mother thought it was time to go, she got most of them in a line behind her and they marched away. Unfortunately for one of those little guys, he didn't catch the memo that they were leaving. He kept hopping around on the logs until he finally realized they had left him. He started running around, but then began chirping in a high-pitched voice to try and figure out what had happened. We watched as mama picked up his sound and sent back a much deeper single retort. Watching them communicate and locate each other through sound amazed us both, especially since they couldn't see each other. You can tell by the picture this guy was barely bigger than a weed.
Watching all the babies around the park right now is really fun, whether it be the playful moose from the other day, baby deer or elk, or even the ducklings that swim single-file behind their mothers. Now that the snow is finally melting, all sorts of signs of a late spring are coming out. The waterfalls are all running with the snowmelt and it's neat to see the moss-covered rocks baring the extra flow without losing a single bit of the green covering. Green seems to be the abundant color, especially mixing with the blues of the sky and the yellows of most of the wildflowers. That might be why the purples and blues in the flowers and birds are my favorites--they are just so rare up here!Some of the wildflowers above treeline and on the tundra amaze me as well. Another mathematic equation in nature tells them to not grow bigger than a certain amount so they can withstand the
winds and harsh climate around the are they grow. The colors of these flowers are even more intense than the larger ones in the lower elevation levels which is surprising considering how small they are. It's these unexpected colors in the smallest flowers possible or the unexpected colors in the sunset following the heavy rain shower that you feel lucky being a witness too. Just like the bald eagle Kendall and I saw when we walked around the lake last night, it's almost as if there is some sort of a challenge and if you make it through the harsh conditions or weather than you too can see these fantastic, limited sights.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Call a Place Paradise and Kiss it Goodbye
Wednesday was another tailgate training day with Barry out back. Instead of sitting at the usual picnic table, we now have made chairs and a table out of tree stumps right on our back porch. There are seven chairs and we have been joking about naming them after the seven dwarfs because they are so small. Instead, I think we should name them after seven joe-schmo tourons: brainless, ill-prepared, clueless, annoying, bear-food, etc.
This week's topic was radio communication along with the seven Leave No Trace Ethics. (Maybe we should just name the stumps after LNT) Whenever he talks with us, he always ends up on completely random tangents and this week was about the word "HUH."
If you think about it, it really is a simple word. Three letters. Even spelling out the word in sign language is the exact same shape of your hand for all three letters, rotated. The tone of the person saying that simple word can mean so many different things though.
If we get people to say the "huh" word in a pensive manner, we know that we've made an impact. It's the pensive-huh that lets you know people are really listening to you and soaking in what you are saying. This engaged response shows the impact of the education you are providing in the backcountry or even in the office about fires, fishing, bear-canisters, etc.
The other way people say the "huh" word is more of a question where people don't know what you are saying nor do they really want to understand. It's the "what"-factor, the time when the things you are saying just flies over their heads. The tourons who visit our park flock this place and completely disregard rules about staying off the tundra because it takes hundreds of years to grow back to what it is now or not feeding the chipmunks and squirrels because they won't be able to find their own food and starve in the winter.
The Eagles have a bunch of great lyrics about nature and "paradise" in their songs, and one of my favorites right now is the line, "call a place paradise and kiss it goodbye" in partner with the Counting Crows lyric,
"they paved paradise and put up a parking lot." I've been reading some history books about the town and park that I borrowed from our office and the numbers of visitation before the area was a National Park more than quadrupled even in the very first year after it was named a Park, or paradise. The definition of a ranger is "the keepers of the royal land." That's a HUGE responsibility for people, but the education is what will help people still enjoy the Park while protecting it at the same time. That's also why we need to hear more of the pensive "huhs" rather than the questioning.
There's all of this magnificent beauty everywhere that people don't always truly appreciate. The colors of a sunset or the illumination of the sky during a thunderstorm or even the blue with white puffs drawn into the sky are just up above people but if they are too busy looking down at their feet all the time they will never see what's above them and vice versa. The whole picture is hard to take in, but you need to be willing to spend the extra time to see your whole surroundings rather than just the view that's directly in front of you. The people who come to the entrance gate and say they are "just driving though" and therefore shouldn't need to pay really shouldn't even come into the park. There are so many different levels and depths to the beauty of this area that I don't know if "just driving through" would really be worth it.
This week's topic was radio communication along with the seven Leave No Trace Ethics. (Maybe we should just name the stumps after LNT) Whenever he talks with us, he always ends up on completely random tangents and this week was about the word "HUH."
If you think about it, it really is a simple word. Three letters. Even spelling out the word in sign language is the exact same shape of your hand for all three letters, rotated. The tone of the person saying that simple word can mean so many different things though.
If we get people to say the "huh" word in a pensive manner, we know that we've made an impact. It's the pensive-huh that lets you know people are really listening to you and soaking in what you are saying. This engaged response shows the impact of the education you are providing in the backcountry or even in the office about fires, fishing, bear-canisters, etc.
The other way people say the "huh" word is more of a question where people don't know what you are saying nor do they really want to understand. It's the "what"-factor, the time when the things you are saying just flies over their heads. The tourons who visit our park flock this place and completely disregard rules about staying off the tundra because it takes hundreds of years to grow back to what it is now or not feeding the chipmunks and squirrels because they won't be able to find their own food and starve in the winter.
The Eagles have a bunch of great lyrics about nature and "paradise" in their songs, and one of my favorites right now is the line, "call a place paradise and kiss it goodbye" in partner with the Counting Crows lyric,
"they paved paradise and put up a parking lot." I've been reading some history books about the town and park that I borrowed from our office and the numbers of visitation before the area was a National Park more than quadrupled even in the very first year after it was named a Park, or paradise. The definition of a ranger is "the keepers of the royal land." That's a HUGE responsibility for people, but the education is what will help people still enjoy the Park while protecting it at the same time. That's also why we need to hear more of the pensive "huhs" rather than the questioning.There's all of this magnificent beauty everywhere that people don't always truly appreciate. The colors of a sunset or the illumination of the sky during a thunderstorm or even the blue with white puffs drawn into the sky are just up above people but if they are too busy looking down at their feet all the time they will never see what's above them and vice versa. The whole picture is hard to take in, but you need to be willing to spend the extra time to see your whole surroundings rather than just the view that's directly in front of you. The people who come to the entrance gate and say they are "just driving though" and therefore shouldn't need to pay really shouldn't even come into the park. There are so many different levels and depths to the beauty of this area that I don't know if "just driving through" would really be worth it.
Security Breach...Suspect: Badger
We have a badger living in our house and it's HUGE! We knew there was some kind of rodent living down in the garage/basement when we first moved in because the garage was covered from wall to wall with scat. When Christina moved into the basement, she swept that all out and sprayed bleach everywhere to eliminate any traces of the Hanta Virus since that is a huge problem around the park. Within the past week, we have noticed LARGE droppings all around the garage again and have been hearing loud banging noises down there, especially near the water heater.
A few days ago, the hole that is duct taped shut in the hallway near the bathroom was breached and it looked as though an animal had come into our upstairs through there. We even had signs of new teeth marks and uncovering of another hole in the bathroom, so we were already quite hesitant and much more guarded within the past few days than the rest since we have moved in. We were checking under our beds and in the closets before going to sleep, and Kendall's mousetrap under her bed still went off around five this morning but didn't catch the animal that ran away.
This morning began my four days off in a row and I was planning on sleeping in. Instead, I heard Christina run upstairs freaking out and then she called me when she thought I had walked to work. She saw a large furry creature downstairs and it ran towards the water heater in the back corner so she freaked and ran upstairs thinking it was a marmot or raccoon. We freaked out for a tiny bit and made sure all the doors and windows were closed and tried to figure out who to call about the marmot. She got her stuff together and headed out to go climbing when the large badger ran out from a hole under our house into the ditch on the side of our driveway. She screamed and I ran to the deck to see what the problem was and we saw the thing running away.
She took off and I hopped in the shower really fast so I could just get out of the house. I had my computer and books and laundry all ready to go so I wouldn't have to spend any extra time in that house. While I was in the shower though, I heard banging downstairs even louder than usual. As I got out, I heard the front door slam shut but didn't hear anyone inside. It ended up being a lady who works in the park who was there to drop something off. We walked around inside to see if there was anything there and then I took off and headed to the BCO so I could figure out who to call.
Kendall was in the BCO today for an observation/career enhancement day, so I was able to tell her everything that had happened this morning. Barry overheard and immediately got on the phone and alerted the heads of housing, resource management, and maintenance so we can get this fixed right away! I wrote down everything that has happened there since we moved in and we realized this might even explain the bones down in the basement!
Now, I have the day to explore around town and kill before I go pick up Kendall from work and we inspect the house. They offered us somewhere else to live for the next few days, but we really don't want to go through the hassle of moving. I really don't mind animals in the park and have been getting used to the moths and spiders in our house even (which for me is a BIG deal), and seeing a badger outside would be awesome!
It's just the fact that it's living IN our house that I'm way not ok with and hopefully that won't last much longer.
A few days ago, the hole that is duct taped shut in the hallway near the bathroom was breached and it looked as though an animal had come into our upstairs through there. We even had signs of new teeth marks and uncovering of another hole in the bathroom, so we were already quite hesitant and much more guarded within the past few days than the rest since we have moved in. We were checking under our beds and in the closets before going to sleep, and Kendall's mousetrap under her bed still went off around five this morning but didn't catch the animal that ran away.
This morning began my four days off in a row and I was planning on sleeping in. Instead, I heard Christina run upstairs freaking out and then she called me when she thought I had walked to work. She saw a large furry creature downstairs and it ran towards the water heater in the back corner so she freaked and ran upstairs thinking it was a marmot or raccoon. We freaked out for a tiny bit and made sure all the doors and windows were closed and tried to figure out who to call about the marmot. She got her stuff together and headed out to go climbing when the large badger ran out from a hole under our house into the ditch on the side of our driveway. She screamed and I ran to the deck to see what the problem was and we saw the thing running away.
She took off and I hopped in the shower really fast so I could just get out of the house. I had my computer and books and laundry all ready to go so I wouldn't have to spend any extra time in that house. While I was in the shower though, I heard banging downstairs even louder than usual. As I got out, I heard the front door slam shut but didn't hear anyone inside. It ended up being a lady who works in the park who was there to drop something off. We walked around inside to see if there was anything there and then I took off and headed to the BCO so I could figure out who to call.
Kendall was in the BCO today for an observation/career enhancement day, so I was able to tell her everything that had happened this morning. Barry overheard and immediately got on the phone and alerted the heads of housing, resource management, and maintenance so we can get this fixed right away! I wrote down everything that has happened there since we moved in and we realized this might even explain the bones down in the basement!
Now, I have the day to explore around town and kill before I go pick up Kendall from work and we inspect the house. They offered us somewhere else to live for the next few days, but we really don't want to go through the hassle of moving. I really don't mind animals in the park and have been getting used to the moths and spiders in our house even (which for me is a BIG deal), and seeing a badger outside would be awesome!
It's just the fact that it's living IN our house that I'm way not ok with and hopefully that won't last much longer.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Five Degrees of Separation
Father's Day was amazing and was in fact the first Father's Day where I received a gift!! Dad and I woke up to go to breakfast at Coffee on the Rocks and then I headed in to work and he hung out in the park and in Estes for the day. Afterwards we went to check out the Stanley Hotel and had dinner at Bob and Tony's Pizza before heading back home. I got him some things and a really sappy card, but then he came into my room that night with a book that he had written his own sappy
note in. The book is A Sand County Almanac and the back of the cover says it should be placed on the bookshelf with John Muir and Thoreau. He said my writing is reminding him of reading that book so I am anxious to read it myself!
Today was my first solo hike day, but Dad was able to come along. On the bus on the way to the first trailhead (we left my car at a different one so it would only be a ten mile hike instead of having to go all the way back), we talked with the bus driver and the only other person on the bus--a lady from Chicago who is a teacher. While talking, we found out she has good friends in Flagstaff and she made a comment about the five degrees of separation. I really think there is something to that...how each person is connected in a way to another. If you go with the whole Noah story or even earlier about the beginning, then we are all even more connected than we think but even without that, its hard to not see t
he links between people.
At a party at the guys' house next door (yes, we finally met them!!), Kendall and I met more people because it was a fire crew party and we hadn't met most of those guys. Even so, it seems like they are connected in different ways and I found out one of them who lives there actually was in my first forestry class last semester. Kendall and I have decided we are throwing something at our place on Saturday night, so hopefully we will be able to meet even more people.
We have been fitting in a lot more now. Girls are still a little hesitant, but we have been meeting lots of guys. Part of that might be because there is a shortage of girls in the park as Kendall said earlier, but we are even meeting guys from the YMCA camp which is really fun! We were going to have a movie night tonight with Connor and Shawn but changed it when we heard the plans for next door. Those two are lots of f
un to hang out with though and Connor actually got me to dance at The Rock on Friday night!
Tomorrow night is a BCO+1 staff party so I need to make fruit salad for that and then Wednesday night is bowling with the Y. This weeks theme is the 80s and we are going as the breakfast club with Connor, Shawn, Scott, and Patrick. If our costumes win we get cash prizes which are always welcome!
I am going to start reading the book and will update with thoughts I'm sure. Tomorrow morning Dad and I are going to get more cinnamon rolls before I work at 10am and I am sure that will completely make my day!
note in. The book is A Sand County Almanac and the back of the cover says it should be placed on the bookshelf with John Muir and Thoreau. He said my writing is reminding him of reading that book so I am anxious to read it myself!Today was my first solo hike day, but Dad was able to come along. On the bus on the way to the first trailhead (we left my car at a different one so it would only be a ten mile hike instead of having to go all the way back), we talked with the bus driver and the only other person on the bus--a lady from Chicago who is a teacher. While talking, we found out she has good friends in Flagstaff and she made a comment about the five degrees of separation. I really think there is something to that...how each person is connected in a way to another. If you go with the whole Noah story or even earlier about the beginning, then we are all even more connected than we think but even without that, its hard to not see t
he links between people.At a party at the guys' house next door (yes, we finally met them!!), Kendall and I met more people because it was a fire crew party and we hadn't met most of those guys. Even so, it seems like they are connected in different ways and I found out one of them who lives there actually was in my first forestry class last semester. Kendall and I have decided we are throwing something at our place on Saturday night, so hopefully we will be able to meet even more people.
We have been fitting in a lot more now. Girls are still a little hesitant, but we have been meeting lots of guys. Part of that might be because there is a shortage of girls in the park as Kendall said earlier, but we are even meeting guys from the YMCA camp which is really fun! We were going to have a movie night tonight with Connor and Shawn but changed it when we heard the plans for next door. Those two are lots of f
un to hang out with though and Connor actually got me to dance at The Rock on Friday night!Tomorrow night is a BCO+1 staff party so I need to make fruit salad for that and then Wednesday night is bowling with the Y. This weeks theme is the 80s and we are going as the breakfast club with Connor, Shawn, Scott, and Patrick. If our costumes win we get cash prizes which are always welcome!
I am going to start reading the book and will update with thoughts I'm sure. Tomorrow morning Dad and I are going to get more cinnamon rolls before I work at 10am and I am sure that will completely make my day!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Catching Up
Life has been just go, go, go lately and I've been having trouble finding the time to write. Part of that might be that I'm working on my China scrapbook from the two weeks before coming to Estes Park and RMNP, but that should be done by the end of this week! One of the most exciting things going on right now is that 
DAD'S HERE! He flew in Thursday night and is here until Wednesday and it's even better because tomorrow is Father's Day.
Thursday I got off work a little before five but didn't need to go pick up Dad from Denver until seven thirty because his flight was getting in at nine fifteen. Unfortunately, he had a seven hour layover in Salt Lake City, but I guess that's what happens when you have a free flight from frequent-flier-miles and don't get the biggest choices on your flight plan. Waiting for him to come through to the main section of the terminal, I had a fun time watching people. As they came up the escalators from the trains that bring them from the plane to the terminal, everyone looked exhausted, miserable, and irritable. The minute they saw the person waiting for them on the other side of the gate, their faces completely changed to the point where everyone seemed like they were glowing with excitement (or maybe relief to finally be done with traveling). Dad's face was no exception...until we waited at the baggage carousel only to find out his bag was still in Salt Lake City. We ended up having to wait for the next flight to arrive and didn't leave the airport until after midnight which landed us in Estes Park
around 1:30-2:00am.
Yesterday and today couldn't have been more perfect. There's something really magical about this place and I'm so happy I can finally share it with someone! Yesterday, we drove up to get the world's BEST cinammon rolls (I'm telling you...if you visit we will go there!) and then drove across the entire park. It got down to thirty-three degrees but the skies were clear blue with barely any clouds all day. We drove on a moose hunt since that's his favorite animal and found five throughout the day! At one spot, we saw a baby moose following it's parent in the most rambunctious manner. It was running and jumping and just living the carefree-moose life.
I love that animals that young (including humans) can live their lives without having to worry about the bigger things in life. Barry was talking with us during our tailgate training Wednesday afternoon about how kids have these huge thoughts and large brain spans with peripheral vision that goes forever. Through school, relations, and just growing up in general, blinders are tightened on more and more to shape people's thinking into the same patterns. We learn "right" from "wrong" and other things like that so that we fit into the stereotypical mold. It was fun to watch the baby moose jumping and running around without having to worry about being "moosely" just to fit in. Its mom just kept on eating as if everything were perfectly normal.
When we got back last night, we had chips and salsa with beers on the deck and then got into pasta action. Kendall and Christina were both home and we all sat around for the first time to have dinner together. As we were eating, someone walked along our back window that is in the dining room and it freaked me out. It ended up just being Joe and Brady (two of the guys who live in the house next door) to see if we were going out to The Rock and just wanting to come say hi. They stuck around for a beer then we all split up to get ready to go out.
The Rock is the bar where people our age, especially park and YMCA camp employees, go on Friday nights in Estes. There is always a live bluegrass band which is fun to listen to and everyone seems to know how to dance with each other. Inside is the bar and a bunch of tables with the stage and dance floor on the other end. There is a patio outside with bar tables and stools and a fire pit which is where we spent the majority of the night. Near the end, we headed inside where Christina and Kendall started dancing around individually then with some of the guys. I was much more hesitant but Connor got me out there by the end of the night. I was surprised to find out how easy it was to follow and I actually really enjoyed spinning around and just trusting him to not let me fall. Kendall laughed at me when it was over because I was both fighting it and completely smiling the entire time. It's funny how ther
e are so many directions you can be pulled over a simple situation such as dancing, not to mention real-world-relevant issues.
We got home a little after one and then I woke up this morning to go on a hike with dad a little before seven. We hiked up thirty-four switchbacks and over two thousand feet to the top of a mountain called Twin Sisters. They are fraternal and we summited the tallest one to have lunch before the afternoon thunderstorm hit. The hike was steep but the views were amazing and well worth it. Dad took a nap when we got home and I showered and got back to work on that scrapbook. After he woke up and showered we headed into Estes for a BBQ dinner and then walking around town.
I am loving sharing all of this and it's making me more and more excited for when Melinda and Meredith come for my birthday! I have been a total tour guide for his visit and I am surprising myself with how much knowledge I actually have about the park even though it's only been three weeks. We have driven about 200 miles since we got home from the airport the other night and I feel like I haven't stopped talking since then. Tomorrow is Father's Day and I have to work from 11-7:30, but we are going to get breakfast before and then I'll take him to dinner afterwards so hopefully it will be a great day for him!
DAD'S HERE! He flew in Thursday night and is here until Wednesday and it's even better because tomorrow is Father's Day.Thursday I got off work a little before five but didn't need to go pick up Dad from Denver until seven thirty because his flight was getting in at nine fifteen. Unfortunately, he had a seven hour layover in Salt Lake City, but I guess that's what happens when you have a free flight from frequent-flier-miles and don't get the biggest choices on your flight plan. Waiting for him to come through to the main section of the terminal, I had a fun time watching people. As they came up the escalators from the trains that bring them from the plane to the terminal, everyone looked exhausted, miserable, and irritable. The minute they saw the person waiting for them on the other side of the gate, their faces completely changed to the point where everyone seemed like they were glowing with excitement (or maybe relief to finally be done with traveling). Dad's face was no exception...until we waited at the baggage carousel only to find out his bag was still in Salt Lake City. We ended up having to wait for the next flight to arrive and didn't leave the airport until after midnight which landed us in Estes Park
around 1:30-2:00am.Yesterday and today couldn't have been more perfect. There's something really magical about this place and I'm so happy I can finally share it with someone! Yesterday, we drove up to get the world's BEST cinammon rolls (I'm telling you...if you visit we will go there!) and then drove across the entire park. It got down to thirty-three degrees but the skies were clear blue with barely any clouds all day. We drove on a moose hunt since that's his favorite animal and found five throughout the day! At one spot, we saw a baby moose following it's parent in the most rambunctious manner. It was running and jumping and just living the carefree-moose life.
I love that animals that young (including humans) can live their lives without having to worry about the bigger things in life. Barry was talking with us during our tailgate training Wednesday afternoon about how kids have these huge thoughts and large brain spans with peripheral vision that goes forever. Through school, relations, and just growing up in general, blinders are tightened on more and more to shape people's thinking into the same patterns. We learn "right" from "wrong" and other things like that so that we fit into the stereotypical mold. It was fun to watch the baby moose jumping and running around without having to worry about being "moosely" just to fit in. Its mom just kept on eating as if everything were perfectly normal.
When we got back last night, we had chips and salsa with beers on the deck and then got into pasta action. Kendall and Christina were both home and we all sat around for the first time to have dinner together. As we were eating, someone walked along our back window that is in the dining room and it freaked me out. It ended up just being Joe and Brady (two of the guys who live in the house next door) to see if we were going out to The Rock and just wanting to come say hi. They stuck around for a beer then we all split up to get ready to go out.
The Rock is the bar where people our age, especially park and YMCA camp employees, go on Friday nights in Estes. There is always a live bluegrass band which is fun to listen to and everyone seems to know how to dance with each other. Inside is the bar and a bunch of tables with the stage and dance floor on the other end. There is a patio outside with bar tables and stools and a fire pit which is where we spent the majority of the night. Near the end, we headed inside where Christina and Kendall started dancing around individually then with some of the guys. I was much more hesitant but Connor got me out there by the end of the night. I was surprised to find out how easy it was to follow and I actually really enjoyed spinning around and just trusting him to not let me fall. Kendall laughed at me when it was over because I was both fighting it and completely smiling the entire time. It's funny how ther
e are so many directions you can be pulled over a simple situation such as dancing, not to mention real-world-relevant issues.We got home a little after one and then I woke up this morning to go on a hike with dad a little before seven. We hiked up thirty-four switchbacks and over two thousand feet to the top of a mountain called Twin Sisters. They are fraternal and we summited the tallest one to have lunch before the afternoon thunderstorm hit. The hike was steep but the views were amazing and well worth it. Dad took a nap when we got home and I showered and got back to work on that scrapbook. After he woke up and showered we headed into Estes for a BBQ dinner and then walking around town.
I am loving sharing all of this and it's making me more and more excited for when Melinda and Meredith come for my birthday! I have been a total tour guide for his visit and I am surprising myself with how much knowledge I actually have about the park even though it's only been three weeks. We have driven about 200 miles since we got home from the airport the other night and I feel like I haven't stopped talking since then. Tomorrow is Father's Day and I have to work from 11-7:30, but we are going to get breakfast before and then I'll take him to dinner afterwards so hopefully it will be a great day for him!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Overcoming Obstacles
I got out of the backcountry around 3:30pm this afternoon and loved our trip. It got off to quite a slow start from the BCO folks since we had to meet over by the Fall River Entrance Station which is about twenty minutes from our office and we were late loading into the cars. Once we arrived at the Wilderness Crew's Cabin, we found out we were starting from a different trail head than we expected and had to go back to the BCO to grab gaiters and yak-traks for the snow. We finally got to the Bear Lake Trail Head, but had to finish repacking our bags because we needed to add the new gear inside.
During this whole time, our office was getting really frustrated because by leaving from the Bear Lake TH, we were going around the loop through the exact area that we warn vi
sitors against going through because there is a HUGE snow slide danger. (We aren't allowed to say avalanche danger because we can get sued for "predicting" avalanches or something like that.) The total mileage from the Bear Lake TH to the Fern Lake Patrol Cabin was about six miles and we saw no snow for the first mile and just patches for the next half. After that, we were never out of snow and it even snowed on us twice during the hike.
When we came to the elbow between the Sourdough and Odessa Lake campsites, we saw the exact areas we give the warnings about. What we realized though was that rather than a snow slide warning, we should be giving people slide warnings! The snow was melting/packed down hard enough that a slide wasn't the thing to worry about. The issue was that we were crossing on a slope that was at about forty-five degrees with nothing on the way down to stop us if we slipped on the ice. We were crossing in single file and it took everything I had to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
My number one greatest fear in life is falling. Most people think I'm just afraid of heights, but I will climb out on the edge of a cliff any day if there isn't a drop that goes completely straight down. It's the drops that don't look like they will ever stop that make me very anxious. In the
beginning of the snow patches, I slid on what I thought was a steep slope that was only a couple feet high and completely froze on the trail. John had to come back for me, but I wouldn't let him touch me. My goal was to talk myself through the problem and focus my mental energy to get me across the ice patch. The second time we came to an icy area, John lent me one of his hiking sticks to use if I felt like I was going to slide. I didn't use that and just kept my focus to get across. Even before the slide area, I was post holing up past my knee in some areas and landed on my butt once. By the time we got to the slide spot where there were drops at least fifty feet or more and snow fields that went up and around the corner, I was getting into a mental state where I would be able to handle the obstacles in front of me. I almost froze once, but made it all the way without needing help from Hannah or John (the rest of our hiking trio that separated from the other BCO crew) or even the three LE (Law Enforcement) Rangers who came by on their way from the West side of the park. The fact that I was able to 
overcome my mental block and tell myself that things were going to be OK really made me excited for hiking Long's Peak by the end of the summer. If I keep pushing myself, who knows what I will be able to accomplish.
We had lunch when we got to the cabin and went off with the group of about thirty for different backcountry training exercises. It kept periodically raining and/or snowing so the burrito dinner we all pitched in on really hit the spot. All sorts of bonding and hanging out happened in the cabin until people started going to bed so
Alissa (25?), Hannah (17), and I (the BCO girls) went out to our tent to rough it for the night. It snowed quite a bit as we walked out, but we crashed as soon as we got into our sleeping bags.
It was nice being able to sit around with all sorts of age groups and talk a little bit of philosophy last night. Something someone said that stuck in my mind as we went to bed was a conversation stemming off a discussion about Into the Wild. The thoughts went along the line of when someone dies, the world keeps on spinning and things go on in nature and in the big picture like nothing was changes. In the smaller picture though, the lives of the people the deceased touched at some point are noticeably altered and it's surprising the impact o
ne person can have on so many unrelated people.
This morning, we had an orienteering exercise where we got lost in the woods and used maps, compasses, and GPS units to get ourselves out. After lunch, we hiked out to the Fern Lake TH as a big BCO group of eight. I had a nice time hiking with Walt since we fell behind after speaking with some campers for a while. I took a lot of pictures at the site and on the hike back today. Often, I would just hold up the camera and shoot while walking and then look to see what came out and was really surprised. I also kept altering the colors--changing between color and b/w. It's funny how sepia seemed to be the perfect coloring for my China pictures but the b/w look fits better here. Maybe my mind has been influenced by Ansel Adams and his park photography, but it really does just seem to work.
Coming back out of the backcountry, I noticed all my bruises from my pack that I wasn't aware of when I was out there and took a nice hot shower to clean up. I talked to Dad and can't believe I get to see him from Thursday to Wednesday! Hopefully this will be a good Father's Day for him and I am just excited to have my first visitor to share this whole experience with!
During this whole time, our office was getting really frustrated because by leaving from the Bear Lake TH, we were going around the loop through the exact area that we warn vi
sitors against going through because there is a HUGE snow slide danger. (We aren't allowed to say avalanche danger because we can get sued for "predicting" avalanches or something like that.) The total mileage from the Bear Lake TH to the Fern Lake Patrol Cabin was about six miles and we saw no snow for the first mile and just patches for the next half. After that, we were never out of snow and it even snowed on us twice during the hike.When we came to the elbow between the Sourdough and Odessa Lake campsites, we saw the exact areas we give the warnings about. What we realized though was that rather than a snow slide warning, we should be giving people slide warnings! The snow was melting/packed down hard enough that a slide wasn't the thing to worry about. The issue was that we were crossing on a slope that was at about forty-five degrees with nothing on the way down to stop us if we slipped on the ice. We were crossing in single file and it took everything I had to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
My number one greatest fear in life is falling. Most people think I'm just afraid of heights, but I will climb out on the edge of a cliff any day if there isn't a drop that goes completely straight down. It's the drops that don't look like they will ever stop that make me very anxious. In the
beginning of the snow patches, I slid on what I thought was a steep slope that was only a couple feet high and completely froze on the trail. John had to come back for me, but I wouldn't let him touch me. My goal was to talk myself through the problem and focus my mental energy to get me across the ice patch. The second time we came to an icy area, John lent me one of his hiking sticks to use if I felt like I was going to slide. I didn't use that and just kept my focus to get across. Even before the slide area, I was post holing up past my knee in some areas and landed on my butt once. By the time we got to the slide spot where there were drops at least fifty feet or more and snow fields that went up and around the corner, I was getting into a mental state where I would be able to handle the obstacles in front of me. I almost froze once, but made it all the way without needing help from Hannah or John (the rest of our hiking trio that separated from the other BCO crew) or even the three LE (Law Enforcement) Rangers who came by on their way from the West side of the park. The fact that I was able to 
overcome my mental block and tell myself that things were going to be OK really made me excited for hiking Long's Peak by the end of the summer. If I keep pushing myself, who knows what I will be able to accomplish.We had lunch when we got to the cabin and went off with the group of about thirty for different backcountry training exercises. It kept periodically raining and/or snowing so the burrito dinner we all pitched in on really hit the spot. All sorts of bonding and hanging out happened in the cabin until people started going to bed so
Alissa (25?), Hannah (17), and I (the BCO girls) went out to our tent to rough it for the night. It snowed quite a bit as we walked out, but we crashed as soon as we got into our sleeping bags.It was nice being able to sit around with all sorts of age groups and talk a little bit of philosophy last night. Something someone said that stuck in my mind as we went to bed was a conversation stemming off a discussion about Into the Wild. The thoughts went along the line of when someone dies, the world keeps on spinning and things go on in nature and in the big picture like nothing was changes. In the smaller picture though, the lives of the people the deceased touched at some point are noticeably altered and it's surprising the impact o
ne person can have on so many unrelated people.This morning, we had an orienteering exercise where we got lost in the woods and used maps, compasses, and GPS units to get ourselves out. After lunch, we hiked out to the Fern Lake TH as a big BCO group of eight. I had a nice time hiking with Walt since we fell behind after speaking with some campers for a while. I took a lot of pictures at the site and on the hike back today. Often, I would just hold up the camera and shoot while walking and then look to see what came out and was really surprised. I also kept altering the colors--changing between color and b/w. It's funny how sepia seemed to be the perfect coloring for my China pictures but the b/w look fits better here. Maybe my mind has been influenced by Ansel Adams and his park photography, but it really does just seem to work.
Coming back out of the backcountry, I noticed all my bruises from my pack that I wasn't aware of when I was out there and took a nice hot shower to clean up. I talked to Dad and can't believe I get to see him from Thursday to Wednesday! Hopefully this will be a good Father's Day for him and I am just excited to have my first visitor to share this whole experience with!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Feeling Infinite
Driving around downtown running errands today made me realize how close to summer we finally are! It's been snowing/raining every day still depending on what the elevation is where you are standing, and I am ready for some more of this sunlight we've had yesterday and today! I went through the downtown area rather than taking the shortcut to avoid the cluster and couldn't believe the number of people walking around compared to the last few weeks and this was a Sunday which isn't one of the busiest days!
I've been trying to take the time to notice more things lately. Using another Format reference, "snails see the benefits...the beauty in every inch..." The whole experience with almost hitting a couple animals the other day and then hiking with Vic, etc. has been helping me to slow down my pace. Even in the office earlier in the week when it was just Alissa and I left, I was moving slower than usual but it felt really good to not rush everything. Dale actually got mad at me even earlier in the week for going too fast. He wasn't really mad I guess but it made me angry. He said I was going too fast and that I was probably making a bunch of mistakes. I know he doesn't really know me yet so he doesn't know how much of a perfectionist and fast-paced worker I am, so I asked if he wanted to double check everything before I was done. He said yes, in fact he would, and it made me go twice as slow. He never found a single mistake, and didn't make any more comments good or bad and it just frustrated me for the rest of the day.
Kendall and I went for our walk downtown yesterday and on the way home, we looked around our street a lot more than normal and commented on all the different things we saw that we normally just drive right by. The bright colors really caught our eye, especially the purple birds and flowers in the sea of green and blue. I remember a project Meredith did for school last semester where she had to rename the box of Crayola crayons for a specific state, and I don't think there are nearly enough shades to begin naming the colors just in the Estes area.
As I was driving downtown today, I noticed the bumper sticker on the very bottom corner of the car in front of me that said "The earth doesn't belong to people, people belong to the earth." Looking closer, I saw that the license plate (although it looked like the regular Colorado plate) was a Native American-specific plate which made sense with the quote. It made me start thinking about working last summer and learning about the different SW Native American cultures and traditions and the differences in view regarding ownership of the earth along with what I learned in the Native American ecology class last semester. I remember the Hopi views of Father Sky and Mother Earth. I find it hard to think that the sky and earth are two separate entities. Maybe that is there kind of trilogy so-to-speak, and that the two figures just embody the way that they work together in harmony. Perhaps that's also why one is a male figure and the other is female?
I really liked that quote from the bumper sticker though--the idea that earth really isn't anyone's property. It's like when I went to the table tonight and Kendall moved her feet off the chair for me to sit down. Later, we were goofing around and she made a comment like "fine, I'll move since you were here first" even though she was. The earth was here first though in the case of the bumper sticker quote. The idea that someone just was riding around in the west and came upon this fantastic area of the country just blows my mind. How amazing would it be to be the first person to see the untouched land? Wow. Then there are the signs you see about Private Property, yadda yadda. It makes me question the validity of that statement. I guess the buildings and material objects are private, but the signs that forbid trespassing and warn you to keep off the land seem completely contradictory with what should be allowed. How can anyone have the right to post a sign like that when the land doesn't truly belong to them?
In terms of paying attention and slowing down to notice my surroundings, Barry had some rocks made in the time between last summer and this one that line the path between the Visitor Center and our office. There are about ten that are sporadically placed along the walk with notable quotes carved into the faces. I have used one of them before in an entry, and I might have already mentioned the one about 3/4 of the way down the path that reminds the visitors to have their license plate number before they get to our office. One of the very last ones is a Huron saying that says, "Listen to the voice of nature for it holds treasures for you."
Last week I reread one of my favorite books, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and there are parts where the main character says he feels infinite. Being here in Colorado, I can completely relate to that. In the past two weeks I have been here (it seems like a LOT longer already and not in a bad way!) I feel I have changed a lot. I'm not sure exactly what the changes have been, but I know one big one is that I realize how I am fully capable of not needing anyone around and that I can live on my own in a completely new situation and turn out just fine. The other huge change has been in the strengthening of my faith just being in a place as magnificent as this. Last week when Kendall and I climbed to the top of Eagle Cliff Mountain, I stood at the top and looked around in a full circle and though the exact words from the book, "I feel infinite." There really is no other way to describe everything here.
It's the things like standing on top of a mountain and seeing endless beauty no matter which way you look or at the foot of a waterfall and feeling the mist dance off your face when the breeze picks up or even on our deck watching the sky change and the colors of the sunset take over the blues as the sun illuminates
the clouds that show me there's no reason to doubt any greater being that would make all this possible. Listening to a song in the car on the way to Boulder yesterday, I heard a line about there being no such thing as "God's graffiti" for people, but I really think I've found it. His signature seems to be on everything here and I think that's a big part of feeling so infinite.
I've been trying to take the time to notice more things lately. Using another Format reference, "snails see the benefits...the beauty in every inch..." The whole experience with almost hitting a couple animals the other day and then hiking with Vic, etc. has been helping me to slow down my pace. Even in the office earlier in the week when it was just Alissa and I left, I was moving slower than usual but it felt really good to not rush everything. Dale actually got mad at me even earlier in the week for going too fast. He wasn't really mad I guess but it made me angry. He said I was going too fast and that I was probably making a bunch of mistakes. I know he doesn't really know me yet so he doesn't know how much of a perfectionist and fast-paced worker I am, so I asked if he wanted to double check everything before I was done. He said yes, in fact he would, and it made me go twice as slow. He never found a single mistake, and didn't make any more comments good or bad and it just frustrated me for the rest of the day.
Kendall and I went for our walk downtown yesterday and on the way home, we looked around our street a lot more than normal and commented on all the different things we saw that we normally just drive right by. The bright colors really caught our eye, especially the purple birds and flowers in the sea of green and blue. I remember a project Meredith did for school last semester where she had to rename the box of Crayola crayons for a specific state, and I don't think there are nearly enough shades to begin naming the colors just in the Estes area.
As I was driving downtown today, I noticed the bumper sticker on the very bottom corner of the car in front of me that said "The earth doesn't belong to people, people belong to the earth." Looking closer, I saw that the license plate (although it looked like the regular Colorado plate) was a Native American-specific plate which made sense with the quote. It made me start thinking about working last summer and learning about the different SW Native American cultures and traditions and the differences in view regarding ownership of the earth along with what I learned in the Native American ecology class last semester. I remember the Hopi views of Father Sky and Mother Earth. I find it hard to think that the sky and earth are two separate entities. Maybe that is there kind of trilogy so-to-speak, and that the two figures just embody the way that they work together in harmony. Perhaps that's also why one is a male figure and the other is female?
I really liked that quote from the bumper sticker though--the idea that earth really isn't anyone's property. It's like when I went to the table tonight and Kendall moved her feet off the chair for me to sit down. Later, we were goofing around and she made a comment like "fine, I'll move since you were here first" even though she was. The earth was here first though in the case of the bumper sticker quote. The idea that someone just was riding around in the west and came upon this fantastic area of the country just blows my mind. How amazing would it be to be the first person to see the untouched land? Wow. Then there are the signs you see about Private Property, yadda yadda. It makes me question the validity of that statement. I guess the buildings and material objects are private, but the signs that forbid trespassing and warn you to keep off the land seem completely contradictory with what should be allowed. How can anyone have the right to post a sign like that when the land doesn't truly belong to them?
In terms of paying attention and slowing down to notice my surroundings, Barry had some rocks made in the time between last summer and this one that line the path between the Visitor Center and our office. There are about ten that are sporadically placed along the walk with notable quotes carved into the faces. I have used one of them before in an entry, and I might have already mentioned the one about 3/4 of the way down the path that reminds the visitors to have their license plate number before they get to our office. One of the very last ones is a Huron saying that says, "Listen to the voice of nature for it holds treasures for you."
Last week I reread one of my favorite books, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and there are parts where the main character says he feels infinite. Being here in Colorado, I can completely relate to that. In the past two weeks I have been here (it seems like a LOT longer already and not in a bad way!) I feel I have changed a lot. I'm not sure exactly what the changes have been, but I know one big one is that I realize how I am fully capable of not needing anyone around and that I can live on my own in a completely new situation and turn out just fine. The other huge change has been in the strengthening of my faith just being in a place as magnificent as this. Last week when Kendall and I climbed to the top of Eagle Cliff Mountain, I stood at the top and looked around in a full circle and though the exact words from the book, "I feel infinite." There really is no other way to describe everything here.
It's the things like standing on top of a mountain and seeing endless beauty no matter which way you look or at the foot of a waterfall and feeling the mist dance off your face when the breeze picks up or even on our deck watching the sky change and the colors of the sunset take over the blues as the sun illuminates
the clouds that show me there's no reason to doubt any greater being that would make all this possible. Listening to a song in the car on the way to Boulder yesterday, I heard a line about there being no such thing as "God's graffiti" for people, but I really think I've found it. His signature seems to be on everything here and I think that's a big part of feeling so infinite.
The Keys to Life
On one of our tailgate training days, Barry shared some of his philosophical ideas with John, Neil, and I. One of my favorites was his view that everyone is born with the keys to life but once they come out of the womb, they are thrown into a big pot, scrambled up, and distributed with other people all over. Throughout your life, your mission is to have relationships and dialogue with other people on different levels to find out if they are holding one of your keys to life so you can together unlock the meaning. He compared this to the Keys to Success which you are also born with in his opinion, but you hold on to these and use them whenever you need to unlock your next roadblock in life.
I really like that idea of relationships and dialogue to find the keys. This summer, I have been noticing a lot of those two concepts in and out of the office. I guess I really notice them all the time, but I have been paying more attention to them here. Darst (one of our VIP ((volunteers)) who is probably around 60) and I were talking Friday afternoon about the dynamics in the office. The range of ages in that little log cabin go from seventeen to over seventy, but the fantastic thing is everyone is a peer. No one really looks at someone else like they don't know what they are doing or that they can't handle something because they are too young or old. Everyone is held to the same standards of expectations, and everyone counts on everyone else when they need help.
I love that I am pretty much left alone at this point in terms of helping the visitors. When they come in to plan a trip, I am now fully capable of helping them get what sites they want or even to direct them around the park if they aren't sure what they are looking for. I know which sites are near lakes or rivers or mountains to help them plan the perfect trip. It's funny though because I had a question the other day (not the only one) and asked Walt (Darst's husband) if he could help me out and he in turn asked me a technology question later in the day. That kind of communal interaction is what is so great--the fact that the two different generations need the help from each other in order to make the office run as smoothly as possible.
Kendall and I have been getting out more to try and meet people around the town. Thursday night, JT came up from Denver so we went to dinner with him at a place called Chicago's and then headed to the Wheel Bar for the end of trivia night. That place is still not my favorite at all...it's kinda shady and the people there are usually lots older than us. Friday night, Kendall and I went to the Rock which we heard is the place to be for park staff on Friday nights. We loved it. There was live music, a bunch of people our age, and some friendly ones who actually started talking with us. We feel like the newbies still because everyone knows each other from last summer or more. When we walk in places, people look at us and wonder who we are rather than just coming up to meet us. We had a couple beers and talked with some guys who work at the YMCA camp down the road. They invited us to go bowling with them Wednesday night, so that should be fun!
Yesterday, we walked downtown and got coffee at a place called Coffee on the Rocks which is backed up against a really pretty pond with mallards and coy fish. After we walked back home (a couple miles) we showered off and headed to Boulder to run some errands. I got my China pictures developed and can now start the scrapbook!! (That's today's project since I have another day off) On the way home, we passed Aaron from my office walking up our street on the way to a party at the house of one of the Trails Crew guys. We weren't sure which house it was but we drove him down the road looking until we decided it was still too early. On the way home, we met one of our neighbor boys (Brady) and said we'd meet him at the party later.
The party was the same kind of deal as at the Rock where everyone had their groups going on and they just looked at us funny like we didn't belong. By the end of the night, things were much better and we were meeting lots of people. It's funny that guys are more willing to talk to new people than the girls are. It makes me sad that people can't just be nice to people and try to include the new ones because they too were once new.
Today is laundry day alongs with starting the scrapbook, but the laundromat always gives me a chance to people watch and observe that similar intergenerational communication.
I really like that idea of relationships and dialogue to find the keys. This summer, I have been noticing a lot of those two concepts in and out of the office. I guess I really notice them all the time, but I have been paying more attention to them here. Darst (one of our VIP ((volunteers)) who is probably around 60) and I were talking Friday afternoon about the dynamics in the office. The range of ages in that little log cabin go from seventeen to over seventy, but the fantastic thing is everyone is a peer. No one really looks at someone else like they don't know what they are doing or that they can't handle something because they are too young or old. Everyone is held to the same standards of expectations, and everyone counts on everyone else when they need help.
I love that I am pretty much left alone at this point in terms of helping the visitors. When they come in to plan a trip, I am now fully capable of helping them get what sites they want or even to direct them around the park if they aren't sure what they are looking for. I know which sites are near lakes or rivers or mountains to help them plan the perfect trip. It's funny though because I had a question the other day (not the only one) and asked Walt (Darst's husband) if he could help me out and he in turn asked me a technology question later in the day. That kind of communal interaction is what is so great--the fact that the two different generations need the help from each other in order to make the office run as smoothly as possible.
Kendall and I have been getting out more to try and meet people around the town. Thursday night, JT came up from Denver so we went to dinner with him at a place called Chicago's and then headed to the Wheel Bar for the end of trivia night. That place is still not my favorite at all...it's kinda shady and the people there are usually lots older than us. Friday night, Kendall and I went to the Rock which we heard is the place to be for park staff on Friday nights. We loved it. There was live music, a bunch of people our age, and some friendly ones who actually started talking with us. We feel like the newbies still because everyone knows each other from last summer or more. When we walk in places, people look at us and wonder who we are rather than just coming up to meet us. We had a couple beers and talked with some guys who work at the YMCA camp down the road. They invited us to go bowling with them Wednesday night, so that should be fun!
Yesterday, we walked downtown and got coffee at a place called Coffee on the Rocks which is backed up against a really pretty pond with mallards and coy fish. After we walked back home (a couple miles) we showered off and headed to Boulder to run some errands. I got my China pictures developed and can now start the scrapbook!! (That's today's project since I have another day off) On the way home, we passed Aaron from my office walking up our street on the way to a party at the house of one of the Trails Crew guys. We weren't sure which house it was but we drove him down the road looking until we decided it was still too early. On the way home, we met one of our neighbor boys (Brady) and said we'd meet him at the party later.
The party was the same kind of deal as at the Rock where everyone had their groups going on and they just looked at us funny like we didn't belong. By the end of the night, things were much better and we were meeting lots of people. It's funny that guys are more willing to talk to new people than the girls are. It makes me sad that people can't just be nice to people and try to include the new ones because they too were once new.
Today is laundry day alongs with starting the scrapbook, but the laundromat always gives me a chance to people watch and observe that similar intergenerational communication.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Tom and Jerry Windows
Today's work included a lot of training sessions that were mandatory, including a rundown of our backcountry overnight next monday-tuesday. As we loaded into the van, we realized the seven of us couldn't fit into five seats, so I drove with Alissa to the training. It was great getting to spend some time with her one-on-one since she's only in the office half the week and we began bonding over driving automatic, The Office, etc. She also stopped me on the way out to the car and said thanks for writing this. She found the link on my facebook and said that it really has helped her realize how she has changed since her first summer here (she's been here seven seasons and is a music teacher in Colorado during the school year!) and she wants to try and get it back to the same excitement when she started. That comment totally made my day. I don't really write this for other people. I know other people read it and I love the comments, but as I've said this is kinda my journal for this summer. Knowing that I can make that kind of an impact on someone without trying really puts things in perspective for me though and I really appreciated her saying that.
Last night while getting ready for bed, Kendall and I decided to go on a hike after work today and invited Christina (our new roommate who is super cool!) to come with us. Kendall met me in the office at 4pm when she got off and was able to change in our bathroom. When I got off at 4:30pm I did the same, and we waited for Christina since she got off at 5pm. We didn't hear from
her and sent her a message as we started driving towards the mountain.
Let me tell you about this hike. It's called Eagle Cliff Mountain. The whole thing is covered in trees except for the very top which is granite and looks like an eagle's perch. The other important fact: there is no trail. We drove towards the YMCA and through some resorts to park as close to the base as we could, made sure we had coats in our packs, and began the bushwacking. About an eighth of the way up (this thing seemed to go forever!) we saw a couple people who were in NPS uniforms and were obviously using binoculars and a GPS of some sort. We saw some elk beyond them and figured that was what they were looking at so we tried to move to the side a bit instead of going straight up. Instead, the man waved us over and let us look through his nocs at a white hawk nesting up closer to the peak. After watching that and getting warnings about ducking if we heard her making noises at us so we wouldn't be bloody by the time we got back down, we continued our trek up the side of this thing.
After many stops to catch our breath, we made it to the top and had a great 360 degree view of the area, including park HQ, Estes Park, mountains, lakes, roads...the works. We could see our house way down and some trails that go back behind our house that we are
going to check out soon too! We took tons of pictures, and every time I went to put my camera away, something else would catch my eye. The clouds were blowing around quickly in the sky, so the lighting kept changing. Just before we were getting ready to go, the sun shone through the clouds in a way so that you could see the beams the entire way down to where they touch the earth. Standing so high above everything makes that seem even more larger-than-life than it usually seems. We tried taking pictures, but gave up because that is just one of those things you can't capture on film. It reminds me of a line from a Format song: Pictures only prove you can't convince.
We finally decided to head down, and rather than go the gradual "pseudo-switchback" way we improvised on the way up the mountain, we opted for the "straight-down" method. We immediately saw my car at the bottom and that's when I realized I locked the keys in the car before we left. It was one of those feelings that just overwhelms you to the point that you are almost knocked down and you don't even need to check your bag because you know exactly what happened regardless of any reasons why you didn't realize you forgot them at the bottom of the mountain. We tore my bag apart looking for them, and then hoped they were just on the ground down by the car.
We went down in c
reative style ranging from two feet to down on all fives (butt included) which turned out ok minus one slip from Kendall when I tried pointing out a flower. As we kept going, the darkening clouds seemed to tell us we were about to be poured on and the mountain lion/bear warnings about the area began freaking me out as we passed some dry bones i
n a couple different areas. When it started flattening out near the very bottom, we found a family of deer that were frightened away and eventually made it to the car where there were no keys.
Our only real option at this point was to hike all the way to our house, so off we went. We were doing ok and still beating the rain when we came up to a creek. We just looked at each other and knew we had to figure out some way across it. Kendall opted for the stick that didn't look like it could hold the weight of a mouse and made it while I "rock-hopped" across some pretty submerged rocks.
After about half an hour, we made it home and got the spare key and Kendall drove us back to where I had left my car.
When we got home, we showered and made a big spaghetti dinner and just sat down to watch three episodes of The Office because we figured we deserved it. We also threw a batch of chocolate-chip cookies with extra white chocolate-chips on top into the oven because we figured we deserved those too. We still hadn't heard from Christina at this point, but she walked in at the end of the third episode.
She had been on a SAR (Search and Rescue) since 2:30pm this afternoon. Talk about an exciting second day of work! She's on the Wilderness Crew but they were called out to help with some fallen climbers. A group of four was out climbing some of the ice in the central area of the park when I guess something slipepd and the leader ended up with a broken ankle and the fifteen-year-old ended up hurting his neck. Both had to be carried out from the trail, and the misison seemed pretty intense. After hearing about her adventures with the rescue, ours sounded a little more childish, but as I said earlier, it's all about putting things in perspective.
All the windows in this house are set up with Tom and Jerry windows. You know the kind--Tom would get Jerry close by and pull the cord so Jerry would be wound up inside of the blind. I think about perspective every morning when I am getting ready and open my curtains and look out the window at the mountains. Every morning they are different yet the same and it just depends on the way that I am looking out. If I look at just the mountain, of course it's the same thing each day. If I take the whole picture into account though, the sky changes and cars on the road down by the park change, even animals through our yard can change. I guess everything in life is all about the big picture-little picture way of loking at things and it depends on the perspective you take that helps alter the way you see them.
Last night while getting ready for bed, Kendall and I decided to go on a hike after work today and invited Christina (our new roommate who is super cool!) to come with us. Kendall met me in the office at 4pm when she got off and was able to change in our bathroom. When I got off at 4:30pm I did the same, and we waited for Christina since she got off at 5pm. We didn't hear from
her and sent her a message as we started driving towards the mountain.Let me tell you about this hike. It's called Eagle Cliff Mountain. The whole thing is covered in trees except for the very top which is granite and looks like an eagle's perch. The other important fact: there is no trail. We drove towards the YMCA and through some resorts to park as close to the base as we could, made sure we had coats in our packs, and began the bushwacking. About an eighth of the way up (this thing seemed to go forever!) we saw a couple people who were in NPS uniforms and were obviously using binoculars and a GPS of some sort. We saw some elk beyond them and figured that was what they were looking at so we tried to move to the side a bit instead of going straight up. Instead, the man waved us over and let us look through his nocs at a white hawk nesting up closer to the peak. After watching that and getting warnings about ducking if we heard her making noises at us so we wouldn't be bloody by the time we got back down, we continued our trek up the side of this thing.
After many stops to catch our breath, we made it to the top and had a great 360 degree view of the area, including park HQ, Estes Park, mountains, lakes, roads...the works. We could see our house way down and some trails that go back behind our house that we are
going to check out soon too! We took tons of pictures, and every time I went to put my camera away, something else would catch my eye. The clouds were blowing around quickly in the sky, so the lighting kept changing. Just before we were getting ready to go, the sun shone through the clouds in a way so that you could see the beams the entire way down to where they touch the earth. Standing so high above everything makes that seem even more larger-than-life than it usually seems. We tried taking pictures, but gave up because that is just one of those things you can't capture on film. It reminds me of a line from a Format song: Pictures only prove you can't convince.We finally decided to head down, and rather than go the gradual "pseudo-switchback" way we improvised on the way up the mountain, we opted for the "straight-down" method. We immediately saw my car at the bottom and that's when I realized I locked the keys in the car before we left. It was one of those feelings that just overwhelms you to the point that you are almost knocked down and you don't even need to check your bag because you know exactly what happened regardless of any reasons why you didn't realize you forgot them at the bottom of the mountain. We tore my bag apart looking for them, and then hoped they were just on the ground down by the car.
We went down in c
reative style ranging from two feet to down on all fives (butt included) which turned out ok minus one slip from Kendall when I tried pointing out a flower. As we kept going, the darkening clouds seemed to tell us we were about to be poured on and the mountain lion/bear warnings about the area began freaking me out as we passed some dry bones i
n a couple different areas. When it started flattening out near the very bottom, we found a family of deer that were frightened away and eventually made it to the car where there were no keys.Our only real option at this point was to hike all the way to our house, so off we went. We were doing ok and still beating the rain when we came up to a creek. We just looked at each other and knew we had to figure out some way across it. Kendall opted for the stick that didn't look like it could hold the weight of a mouse and made it while I "rock-hopped" across some pretty submerged rocks.
After about half an hour, we made it home and got the spare key and Kendall drove us back to where I had left my car.When we got home, we showered and made a big spaghetti dinner and just sat down to watch three episodes of The Office because we figured we deserved it. We also threw a batch of chocolate-chip cookies with extra white chocolate-chips on top into the oven because we figured we deserved those too. We still hadn't heard from Christina at this point, but she walked in at the end of the third episode.
She had been on a SAR (Search and Rescue) since 2:30pm this afternoon. Talk about an exciting second day of work! She's on the Wilderness Crew but they were called out to help with some fallen climbers. A group of four was out climbing some of the ice in the central area of the park when I guess something slipepd and the leader ended up with a broken ankle and the fifteen-year-old ended up hurting his neck. Both had to be carried out from the trail, and the misison seemed pretty intense. After hearing about her adventures with the rescue, ours sounded a little more childish, but as I said earlier, it's all about putting things in perspective.
All the windows in this house are set up with Tom and Jerry windows. You know the kind--Tom would get Jerry close by and pull the cord so Jerry would be wound up inside of the blind. I think about perspective every morning when I am getting ready and open my curtains and look out the window at the mountains. Every morning they are different yet the same and it just depends on the way that I am looking out. If I look at just the mountain, of course it's the same thing each day. If I take the whole picture into account though, the sky changes and cars on the road down by the park change, even animals through our yard can change. I guess everything in life is all about the big picture-little picture way of loking at things and it depends on the perspective you take that helps alter the way you see them.
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