Settling into Utah

Climbing to the top of a red sandstone ridge, I peered over the top and took in the vast expanse of red cliffs – needles and arches and amazing geologic features stretching as far as the eye could see. Just a month ago, I would never have imagined I would be at Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. Due to an unusual set of events, I found myself accepting a position in Ogden, UT, just north of Salt Lake City for a three-month summer stint. Struggling with real estate and missing the great outdoors, I began to peruse job postings when I came across an opening that intrigued me immensely. It was through the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the same agency that I worked for three years ago, and would involve working with sensitive birds and mammals, particularly flying squirrels and pikas, and would also involve horseback riding. It just sounded too cool to pass up, so I sent a letter of inquiry and my resume, and before I knew it I was being offered the job. I talked it over with Nate, and we both agreed that this was something I needed to do, so I accepted, and the next thing I knew, I was on my way to Utah.

We left on Friday June 27th, heading west on I-40 and swinging north on old Route 666 up through Shiprock, NM and Cortez, CO. We stopped for lunch at Burger King and then continued north, passing hoards of bicyclists, many of whom had camped out at a high school in Cortez. I suppose there was some sort of biking event, probably from Moab. We eventually crossed the border into Utah, but weren’t even aware when it happened because, apparently, Utah does not welcome us. We didn’t even realize we were in the state until about 18 miles in! Our destination was Canyonlands National Park, the only Utahan national park we hadn’t yet visited. We entered through the easternmost route and spent the day trekking four trails, looking at things like potholes (holes in the rocks that support rainwater and all sorts of aquatic life), some amazing canyons, old cowboy ruins, and needles: huge stalagmite-shaped rock formations that tower over the desert. I was beat after the 2.5 mile trail, attesting to my lack of shape. Real estate doesn’t really keep one fit and trim, I must say! It was good warm up for my job, though!

After our visit to the park, we headed up to Moab, land of the outdoorsman, and decided to eat dinner at the Moab Brewery, since Nathan loves his beer, and we’re both intrigued by a brewery in Utah! The food was typical brewpub fare, which isn’t stellar, and the beer sampler, which was supposed to include nine microbrews, only came with seven, but Nate had a good time. The décor suited the area, as the walls and ceiling were covered with rafts and tents and people climbing rocks. This is truly an outdoors person’s dream.

From there, we headed over to the miniature golf course across the street. It was pretty scary, actually. The entire course was old, and all the trees had dropped seeds and leaves all over each of the greens. It was getting dark, and the aging course had no lights. The greens were also very warped, so that added to the challenge. The craziest part was when we had to cross over a wooden bridge that spanned over the go karts. All the wood was rotting, and they had a few unsecured reinforcement planks you were supposed to walk across to get over. I thanked my lucky stars once I got across, and fortunately the return bridge was a little less questionable.

That night, we stayed at the local Motel 6, and what a Motel 6 it was! We usually stay at Motel 6s because they’re mostly identical…no surprises. Well this one was A-1! All the rooms were accessed from the inside, which was unheard of, and the rooms were spacious. Plus it had wifi, which I guess isn’t as unusual as I’d thought, but it was free! The only downside was the sewage-esque smell outside the place. Bleh.

On Saturday, we went back to Canyonlands, this time entering through the north entrance. I’d been told you need at least two days to see the place, and it’s very true. If we had four wheel drive, we could have taken even more time, since we couldn’t access the west side of the park without it. Nathan really wanted to do the giant loop trail around Upheaval Dome, a geologic formation that no one seems to know the cause of. Theories include shifting salt, volcanism, and a meteor. We found out it was over 8 miles long, not counting the trek into the crater, and after less than a mile, I had to veto the endeavor because it was going to be over 100 degrees out, and I was already dying as it was. Instead, we doubled back and did the shorter overlook trails, and honestly I wasn’t all that impressed with this “dome.” It was essentially just a craterish bunch of tall cliffs. From there we did a few more interesting hikes including one to the end of the Island in the Sky, which overlooks the vast wilderness of the park. It was an amazing view with snaking canyons and incredible geologic formations. Words and pictures don’t really do it justice, so you’ll just have to go there for yourself!

After an exhausting and very hot day, we headed up toward Salt Lake City. We drove through vast unpopulated stretches of east central Utah. It’s so desolate, but I’m sure the stars are incredible at night! We stopped for lunch at the Taco Time, a northwestern chain, in Price. I got a quesadilla that was fried up like some sort of greasy pastry. It was really disgusting. Nate wasn’t too happy with his nachos, either. Oh well. Then we continued up toward Ogden, driving through some incredible green mountains and past a brush fire being fought by a helicopter. It’s always so crazy to see them tackling a huge fire with a tiny bucket, but I guess it works for them! We arrived at I-15 right past Provo and headed north from there. I swear, the Salt Lake City metro area has to be the LONGEST metro area yet! It’s at least 80 miles from Provo to Ogden! Phew! So after another hour of driving through Salt Lake and vicinity, we finally arrived at our Ogden exit.

We followed the directions given to us, heading north on the frontage road and west on an unassuming road that took us through the town of Clinton. I followed the road along the curve and headed north again before turning west one more time in the town of Hooper. We arrived at the Ogden Bay Wildlife Management Area around 7pm and found our way to the cabin.

Set amongst a series of work sheds and Val the groundskeeper’s home, our silver cabin awaited me. Other than a ding from a car collision and a few dead moths caught in the screen door, it didn’t look TOO scary. My boss Kevin had warned me about the insects, but I was more worried about the spiders, which I had yet to see. Upon opening the door, you enter the living room, complete with a tv, two couches, and a chair. To the left is an office of sorts, just an extention of the livingroom. Behind that is my bedroom, which has two access doors, one to the office, and one to the hallway in the back. I was lucky enough to get a bunk bed, closet, and some shelves to myself! It had been rumored that I would have a roommate, but Megan, whom I met at this time, was kind enough to move out into the double bunk bed room so I could have it to myself. That really made my day.

So Nate and I started unpacking a bit of my stuff before heading out again. We test drove the route to my office, and then we scoped out Rooster’s, another brewpub. Again, I was very unimpressed by the food, getting pasta that left me extremely garlicky, but Nate enjoyed his beer, and that’s really all that matters. Then we decided to call it an early night and checked in to another nice Motel 6. This one actually gave us a huge room! It was easily twice the size of the typical double bed room – it must have been the VIP suite or something! It was nice to have a bug-free place in which to sleep for the last time in a while.

On Sunday, we had quite a bit of time to kill before Nate’s flight, so we headed out in the morning to find some things to do. On our drive through Salt Lake, we’d discovered a number of places we wanted to visit, so we decided to head back down and see what could be done. Our first stop was a fun center way south in Lehi called Liberty Land. When we drove past the first time, we noticed this place had a roller coaster that wasn’t listed on the Roller Coaster Database. I was pretty excited to come back and get the first pictures of the place (even though it is now listed, it’s still picture-free). Well, it wasn’t to be because, like most things out here, it was closed on Sunday. So we’d driven the 60 miles for nothing! We headed back to Thanksgiving Point, a touristy area with shops, a dinosaur museum, and the world’s tallest manmade waterfall, but that was closed too! I was starting to think that this state is imposing funless Sundays for all of us! Well, we luckily noticed a Cabela’s outdoor shop pretty close by, so we decided to go there for lunch. As much as I don’t agree with hunting, I really REALLY love elk meat, and I knew we could get some here. So I had an elk sandwich, and Nate had a buffalo burger, and they were both great! Then we decided to check out Timpanogos Cave National Monument because we knew that would be open. So we drove the 10 miles out there just to find out that the cave tour takes 3 hours, and Nate had to be at the airport in the next 2 hours. So instead, we took in the beauty of the park, driving through the lush forests, perusing the reservoir, and taking a short hike. On the drive back, we noticed that Boondocks, another fun center, was open, so we stopped and did a quick 18 holes at the mini golf course. I actually beat Nate this time, which is a rarity! It was a nice way to top off the trip.

From there, we had to go to the airport, so we rushed up there, got Nate checked through, and parted. It was sad to see him leave, but I knew he would be back in about 3 weeks, so that’s something to look forward to. Ahead of me lay the daunting act of meeting my roommates and settling into my new home.

When I got back, my roommates were no where to be found, but June, the local stray tabby was there to greet me, looking for food. I sat on the pavement and gave her some attention. She was so lovey and reminded me of Dot to the point that I was in tears. Eventually I had to pull myself away and run to the store to pick up any necessities. Once I returned, I met Kacie, my second roommate. My first impression was that she was incredibly loud and brash. Though she didn’t look it, she sounded exactly like a sorority chick…actually, if you watch Saturday Night Live, she sometimes talks like that annoying character that plays with her hair and always tries to one-up other people with her stories. She doesn’t do either of those things, but she talks the same way! I immediately thought this girl would be hard to get along with. Well, I found out that she enjoys sushi, crossword puzzles, cats (she’s the one that feeds June), and we have a lot of other things in common. It’s so weird! Anyway, I made some phone calls that night and claimed the top bunk in my room. I slept surprisingly well, despite having to get up at 3:30 for work. I did notice a gigantic wolf spider on my floor, and I hope that’s not a trend.

My first day at work went pretty well. I met Kevin, my boss, at the Division offices and also met Chris, a volunteer birder who would come along and help us do our breeding bird surveys. We were out until 11am, stopping every half mile along a transect and identifying birds. I did all the recording, as I am not very good with bird ID’s, but I had a great time being out in nature and doing something biology-related again. Chris was a whiz with birds, and it would be interesting to learn more from her. Kevin seems like a nice guy, and it turns out that he’s also new at the Division, having started about 6 weeks ago, so that lowers the pressure a bit. I think he’s a bit ditzy, but at least he’s nice. We’ll see how this goes.

Tuesday, we spent the day releasing a Great Basin rattlesnake and hiking to the top of a waterfall. It was only 1.2 miles, but it was quite steep and exhausting. Kevin’s luckily just as, if not more, out of shape as I am, so we took some nice breaks on the way up. Once there, we scouted for black swifts, though we didn’t see any, and got to enjoy the refreshing spray from the waterfall. It was an enjoyable day.

Wednesday we started early again. I was picked up by Kevin and BLM employee Tracy at 5:15, and we headed up to Brigham City to meet with Kurt, another Division worker. He was gracious enough to take us on a tour of Box Elder County, the northwestern most county in the state. We drove for hours, mostly checking out sage grouse sites, and even crossing the border into Nevada a bit. We saw lots of cows, a few actual sage grouse, and some antelope. The landscape was very dry – a desert without cacti, actually. There were lots of rolling, treeless hills and vast expanses of wilderness. It was really interesting, but a bit draining. We were out until after 8pm! But now I know all I need to know about NW Utah. And more!!

Upon returning home, I met my third and final roommate Mike, who had been house sitting for the last few days. I was deep in conversation with Kacie when he walked in, but when I got a chance, I introduced myself cordially and, to make conversation, I told him I’d heard he was from WI, and I asked where. He said he went to school in Steven’s Point, and I was all, “Oh, cool. I’m from Illinois!” and then he got grumbly saying how he lived in Hoffman Estates for a year and hated it. I got the distinct impression he dislikes Illinoisans as many Wisconsiners do, and while I can’t blame him (I know a lot of rotten Illinoisans), I felt a bit offended! Well, I’ve talked with him a bit since, and he’s a rather quiet guy (as I’d been warned on before), and I think maybe he was just being sarcastic or something at the time, but he seems ok now.

Thursday things were pretty easy. We just did important work around the office, getting necessary equipment and getting ready for next week. So far, it’s been a fun job, and I’m hoping it gets even better. We’ll hopefully start the pika and flying squirrel work soon. Kevin is so supportive about bulking up my resume, too, and is willing to let me work on any sensitive species project that interests me. Some possibilities are boreal toads and kit foxes. I can’t wait!

As for this weekend, on the Fourth of July, I woke up around 8:30 and spent the morning doing a hike around the property, checking out the 11 mile loop. It was enjoyable – I didn’t see another person the whole time, and I saw a plethora of waterfowl including cormorants, great blue herons, and avocets. I also saw a stag with a huge, velvety rack that leapt over the fence only 20 or so feet from me. I hadn’t even seen him and fumbled for my camera, but by the time I snapped the picture, he was quite a ways off. It was great exercise on a lovely day. The clouds obscured the sun, so the temperature remained tolerable. If I do that more often, I’ll be in shape in no time.

That evening, I drove down to Taylorsville to visit with my friend Trish, whom I’ve known for about 16 years. She was having a BBQ at her house and kindly invited me to join them. I had a wonderful time visiting with her and her family, meeting some great new people, and catching up. I also got to meet Zoe, their golden retriever puppy, and all of Trish’s rats, who were so cute! We enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner, followed up with fireworks that they set off themselves. I enjoyed it from the safety of my car, as always. It was wonderful to see everyone again, and I’m looking forward to seeing them again since I’m back in town.

Saturday I drove around town, going to the mall and the library. Sunday, I drove up to Logan and saw the UT State University campus, saw S&S Power (roller coaster and ride manufacturer), went to the zoo, saw the world's largest fishing fly, went to the mall, and just tooled around town. It's BEAUTIFUL up there, nestled in the mountains. And it's a big bio school. I could get my PhD and Nate could work at S&S. Hah, yeah right. That night, I met up with Kevin around 7pm and we drove waaay out to the West Desert in preparation for bird surveys the next morning. We didn't get to bed until 12:30, and he thought we could get up later than I thought, but he's the boss...and we were totally late for bird surveys. Ugh. We did what we could, though, and racked up the hours, but it was a dud. We did have two juvenile antelope approach us pretty closely, though. That was magical.

Oh yeah, and the whole way up, he insisted on listening to "Soft Sunday Sounds" on the radio...religious stuff and any time a good, upbeat song came on (when we couldn't get a certain station), he'd change it. Oh well.

On the way back, we stopped for deep fried chicken gizzards. Isn't that the grossest sounding thing?? You know me, though. I have to try everything. It wasn't QUITE as cartilage-y as I'd have expected, but it was pretty bad, anyway. Still, I'm glad I can say I've tried it! Bleh!

Tuesday, I worked EIGHTEEN HOURS! No joke! I got to work at 8:30, and we went out to Bud Phelps Preserve up near Logan, and saw all sorts of restoration habitat. We left work at 2:30, and I had to go down to meet Kevin, Kim (his counterpart in SLC), and Tracy (whom I met on that tour of Box Elder Co. - she's totally cool and works for BLM) for batting out of SLC. I left at 4pm, and I didn't get back until 4am!! It was an exciting night. I usually dislike batting, mostly because I hate mist nets, but with the four of us, we set things up just fine - four separate ones, but it worked well. We caught 2 birds and 19 bats! It was insane! Plus, a raccoon stole Kevin's box of cookies. It was pretty funny, but frustrating, too because that was going to be my dinner for the night.

So yeah, overall I really like my job. There is so much variety, and no jerky people to work with, and it's been one adventure after another. It's like a biology sampler. Hehe. I'm looking forward to flying squirrel work, as I'm more of a mammal person than a birder (by the way, we're doing burrowing owls today!) but the pika stuff is kind of daunting - it sounds dangerous! I hope I survive the summer!

On Wed., I had the day off due to having already worked 33 hours by Tuesday. Phew! I came into work and charged my phone. Then I headed off to Nickelcade, the local arcade, and had a blast playing video games and winning tickets. It's much like the Nickel City in Albuquerque in that lots of the old games don't work or eat your nickels, but it was still lots of fun. Then I went out to the Eccles Dinosaur Park and enjoyed walking amongst the life-sized dino replicas and perusing the museum. It was a great way to spend my day off.

So let's see, what else...guess I'll tell you about the peeps I know out here. Kevin's my boss, and he's really down to earth and nice. He's LDS, which I was hoping for because most LDSers are laid back and don't have a temper. Based on our conversations last night, he thinks I work too hard, so I guess that isn't a bad thing. ;) I feel bad because we do work insane hours and there are times he just wants to take the day off and see his family or whatever, and I am psycho about racking up the overtime so I can take off when Nate comes into town or when I go to OH in a few weeks, and I almost never let him leave. Lol. Well, I'm glad he notices I'm a hard worker and doesn't think I slack, which is always a fear of mine.

Then there's my roommates at the cabin. They're all interns, making $20 a day. Eep! I first met Megan, who's from NH and is pretty quiet and friendly. Then there's Kacie who is loud and brash and talks like a total valley girl, but we actually have a lot in common. They're both 22. Kacie has been letting me use her phone charger since the one I got from Verison is a piece o crap, but I HATE relying on other people...plus, she's out of town through Friday, and we'd agreed she'd leave the charger with me, but she forgot, and now I have to come into work to do it. I tried to get a new one, but for some reason they needed the original receipt from my purchase of the phone to get me a new one and had no record of me, so I may need to BUY it, which is just rediculous. Ugh, I hate technology...and don't get me started on that computer of mine! It, too, is having charging issues...

Finally, there's Mike...the guy from Wisconsin. Well, he's ok-ish...quiet, though. Except that, over the weekend, when it was only the two of us at the cabin, I was still in bed, and I heard him use the restroom...he didn't shut the door, but the WORST thing was that he DIDN'T WASH HIS HANDS!!! Ewwww! So now I'm grossed out to touch anything in the cabin, thinking that his penis germs are all over the place. Sick! I am NOT amused. :P

So on that happy note, I'll leave it at that...I may actually get my PNW story on here sometime soon. It's completed. I just have to make it to the library when my computer has a charge so I can get it uploaded. Yay!! So that's life 'til now. Next up: Burrowing owls!

I'd Never Have Guessed

If you would have told me a month ago that I would be hiking the sandstone out in Canyonlands National Park right now, I would have probably laughed out loud. I mean, I just get back from a major trip to the PNW, and now I'm back in Utah?? What gives? Well that's just what I did yesterday - Nate and I are spending two days out at Canyonlands, exploring the only park in the state that I have never experienced, and then we're on our way up to Ogden so I can start my new job on Monday! I'm a bit nervous, a bit psyched, and a bit wondering what the heck I was thinking. I'm going to miss Nate a lot, but the adventure and experience should be something to remember. I have a lot of concerns...trapping over 12000 feet when I am so sensitive to altitude change, living in the same room with who knows who in a supposedly "buggy" cabin, working with only one other person who, if he's a jerk, will make the process rather annoying (so let's hope he's not!!). Other than that, no worries! I've done this before and will be fine.

Well, we're off to the park again. I'll be in touch!!

Exhileration

So much has happened in the last few days, I don't even know where to begin! I guess we can start with today and work backwards...I spent the day catching prairie dogs with Prairie Dog Pals, the local relocation service. After having turned down the opportunity to do this as a part time job, I still wanted to help out. What a day we had!! It was so cool because we trapped by foaming the critters out of their burrows and catching them by hand - a huge difference from the tomahawk trapping we did in Utah. Talk about a rush when you catch one! We caught about 15 throughout the day, including two at a church that were going to be poisoned if we hadn't caught them. What ever happened to religious people respecting all of God's creatures? What a bunch of hypocrites. It seems like churches around here are notorious for that sort of thing, and it's really disturbing. At least we rescued those two - supposedly that's all that reside there. The entire day, I couldn't help but wonder what the heck I'm doing in real estate...this is what I love doing! Sure I sat on some cactus spines and nearly burned my behind on the hot sand and used muscles I didn't remember I had, but it was so wonderful! Knowing you're helping a good cause and being out in nature is fantastic...it's what I'm meant to be doing! I'm so glad I participated, and I hope I can do it again before I leave. Oh, and for pay, Paul let me take home a prairie dog skull they'd found. A nice addition to my skull collection.

So once I had my plans for Utah mostly hashed out and I've set my mind to it, I had mall duty last Thursday, thinking "What am I doing here?" Well, nothing happened until the last 10 minutes...a guy came up to me with some questions - he needed to buy a house in a week or two! We hit it off so well, and he was incredibly impressed by my prompt subsequent emailing that he wanted ME for his realtor! NOW! When I'm leaving in a week! Why is it that things happen that way - nothing happens until you decide to do something else?? So I have to figure out what to do about that. He's the ideal first client, too - a new home buyer, so easy to get along with, and so confident in me! I almost wish I'd taken the prairie dog job so I could do this thing. Maybe I can at least muster a referral...

Hmm, what else. Well, when I last saw Jeanine, she brought down my Atari, NES, and N64, and I just started really playing come the last shipment from my mom which included some great games! Nate and I have been doing the whole Mega Man series, and I completed Clash at Demonhead last week. Today, I was so close to finishing Milon's Secret Castle when I somehow managed to revert back to stage one with no saved memory...talk about frustrating!! It's an awesome game, though - I was reading some reviews, and it appears that gamers today are such wusses - most people complain that it's "too hard." That's what I love about the old games - they were so challenging and often quite unique...it seems like games today are just clones of one another and really dull and almost easier than the old standbys. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but nothing beats the trailblazers. As soon as I get over the shock of losing my status, I'm going to finish that darned game once and for all...and then it'll be on to the next one! Yay NES!

So yeah, I still haven't written my PNW report...too busy with the games. I think I need to go to UT to get away from it! I can't believe how soon THAT'S coming up!!

Ahh, to Be Wanted...

So I've been having many conflicting feelings about this whole real estate gig, mostly because I don't really like the realtor/home investor relationship. I've found myself almost embarrassed to admit what it is I do, whereas I am always proud to tout myself as a biologist. So, on a whim, I decided to apply to a number of jobs, just to see what would happen...and right now, I'm being courted by THREE places!! One of which I didn't even apply to! My pal Paul is working with Prairie Dog Pals - the local P.D. relocation service, and I was going to work with him part time...until...two of the other jobs wanted me. One is a ranger position down at Elephant Butte Lake, waaaay south of here. That's probably the one I wanted least out of the five that I applied for (one of which already had someone hired, and the other two I have yet to hear back from). The other job was just too cool to pass up. It's a summer research position up in Ogden, UT, through the UT Division of Wildlife, for whom I've previously worked. They were amazed that, with my credentials, I would want such a position and practically hired me on the spot (I had to explain that there are NO suitable bio jobs in NM). Soooo, I'll be studying flying squirrels and picas, as well as some woodpecker and wolf work...and Kevin (my boss to be) is in charge of all of UT's sensitive species and said if any of them interest me, we can focus on that too!! AND we'll be riding horses!! Super cool!!! Plus, it'll give me a chance to explore NORTHERN UT this time, and the surrounding states...maybe even go to Yellowstone at last!

I was worried about breaking it to my real estaters, but they're fine with it (I'll be back again in September, and in the meantime have my license semi-active in Blue Cow, which means I can still do referrals)...now to break it to Paul...

Beyond that, I just got back from my vacation in the Pacific NW! I haven't even STARTED writing about that yet...but it'll be here soon enough!! Sit tight!

Adventures in Colorado

I really haven't felt much like writing lately, and I'm still rather in my slump, but I thought I should at least talk about the latest of my crazy adventures. Over Memorial Day weekend, I met up with my college buddy Jeanine for a girls weekend out, and we had a whirlwind time in the great state of Colorado.

We met up on Friday afternoon, in CO Springs. Our first order of business was to see the new Indy movie. I grew up with Indiana Jones, and those are some of my favorite movies of all time. I always aspired to a life of adventure like that, so how could I not see the latest in the series?? Well, it was certainly entertaining, although I took issue with the poor CGI and cutesy animation (George Lucas at work, I s'pose...maybe the next Indy'll have a Jar Jar character or something...). Plus, don't even get me going on the waterfall scene. But I digress...I enjoyed the story line, particularly because it covered a lot of the things I've been interested in for a LOOOOONG time. I'll leave it at that so as not to spoil it for anyone.

After the movie, we headed over to the M Lazy C dude ranch to secure our cabin, and then we were off to dinner. I REALLY wanted to go to the tiki bar, but Jeanine (rightfully so) didn't want to have to drive all the way back to CO Springs (we were staying 35 miles west). Well, upon finding no other sources of food, we wound up at the tiki bar - The Castaways. And BOY were we lucky!!! The atmosphere was wonderful, the staff was great, the drinks were delish, and the food was A-1! I guess the chef is German, so that was his specialty...nothing like having weiner schnitzel at a tiki bar!! I must say, his mashed potatoes were out of this world!! Oh, and Jeanine was so impressed she suggested we make a habit of meeting here every Memorial Day weekend!

So that night we got settled into our cabin, which was freezing. I actually slept quite well, surprisingly, and was excited to get to sleep in without one of my kitties trying to wake me up...well, come 6am, what do I hear?? "MEOW!! MEOW!!" right outside our door! This adorable, long-haired grey and white cat was trying to get in to wake us up!! It followed me down to the bathhouse and watched me get ready for my day. Too cyoot!!

Once we were ready, we headed down to breakfast at the dining hall. It was a 10 minute walk in the most gorgeous country! They've filmed movies (and Cowboy U) out here, and I can see why. We had our brekkie amongst other dudes, and after a lot of trouble, we were able to get an hour long trail ride put together. We headed out with Katie, and this would be her first trip as a guide! She did such a splendid job, and I have to say, I would love to have had a summer job like hers when I was younger (I guess I could still do that, seeing as how I don't really have a career or anything these days...lol). We rode through some amazing forest, occassionally glimpsing Pike's Peak in the distance. It felt so good to be back in the saddle, too - it's really where I am meant to be! I would often make my horse Chester stay behind so I could trot up to the other two. When Katie asked if we wanted to go faster, SOMEONE declined, which is too bad. ;) At least I was able to trot a little bit, though!

After that, we went for a hike to kill time before our gun slinging lesson (the main reason for our trip out here...we wanna learn how to shoot!). Unfortunately, the place was having a huge event that was taking up time in the shooting range, and we weren't even sure we'd GET to shoot that day. So Jeanine and I wound up taking three hours to explore the national forest. It would have been wonderful had it not been for all the inconsiderate four wheelers. At one point, we decided to "off road" it, but that just got us turned around...thank goodness we had a map, but it was still confusing! Then, I somehow managed to lose my camera and had to backtrack up a steep hill, only to discover it was at the bottom of the hill. Oh well, good exercise!

Once we got back, we still heard the gunmen shooting, but we were able to arrange it so we could shoot in the next half hour. So we headed out to the range and met up with the ranch owner's son and some other dude who gave us the low down on gun care and usage. Unfortunately, none of the guns were clean, so they had to go back and get a cleaning kit and do that, which took a while. FINALLY we were able to shoot - Jeanine started with the pistol and did alright, and I did pretty good, too - I really liked the pistol. Next up was the rifle - Jeanine got ALL her targets on the thing, wheras I could barely hold the thing up - it was way too big for me!! My arms were shaking, and I just fumbled all over the place. PLUS, I'm so dumb, I was using my left (but GOOD) eye to focus, despite being right handed. DUH!!! No wonder I couldn't hit anything!! Well, I guess now that I know what I'm doing, I may be better next time...especially if I have a smaller rifle. It was fun and empowering and I can't wait to try it again!!

From there, we had to motor in order to make it down to Trinidad by a decent hour. Jeanine's friend Deb was expecting us at 6, but there was no way we were going to make it. The drive down there would take 3 hours, and it was already well after 3. The drive down was a challenge, too, as the wind wanted to knock my car off the road, and Jeanine's car was struggling with the hills. I also got sunscreen in my eyes, but luckily Jeanine called to see if I wanted to stop for dinner just as I was about to ask her if we could pull over so I could cry! Haha! We wound up at Pizza Hut with the SLOWEST service ever, but it was good to have some food, as we didn't do lunch. Then we headed on down to Trinidad!

We got to Deb and Peter's house around 7:30 and spent the rest of the night talking to them. Deb used to be a paleontologist, but she's worked EVERYWHERE and is so interesting. She's currently running an art museum in Trinidad, which is supposedly haunted. Peter is a geologist and is also quite interesting. We had tons to talk about all night long!

That night, Jeanine and I shared the small guest room. I decided to sleep on the floor the first night, and we'd switch the second, but I swear they had such a comfy floor that I didn't want to give it up! I can't explain why, but it felt like the most cushy bed. Go figure!

Sunday, not knowing what to do, we let them decide for us. We wound up having the geology tour of southern CO, and it was so fascinating! Our first stop took us to the K-T Boundary site, one of only a few places where you can see the band of iridium in the rock that shows where the dinosaurs were killed off (K-T standing for Cretacious-Tertiary...the letter C was used for something else). We climbed up to it and touched its shininess. Then we headed out to see the site of a house that exploded due to methane emmissions, followed by some incredible overlooks up in the mountains. We ate lunch in a cute little mountain town, and then headed back down, doing a circle tour. We witnessed the Spanish Peaks - two mountains created by underground magma, and being entirely flanked by dikes - hardened rock that was pushed into being by that magma, too. Finally, we stopped at the Ludlow Massacre site where women, children, and striking miners were killed by the mining company. For being such a morose place, it sure was decorated with cheery red, white, and blue - it felt like an amusement park! Yikes! Strange place, that...

From there, we headed back to Trinidad where Deb took us down to the art museum. It was a really fascinating place, housed in an old department store that aged well over 100. We saw every nook and cranny of the place, including the basement catacombs and storage facilities. I can see not wanting to be there alone at night, but with others around, I really wanted to see one of the rumored ghosts! No such luck, but it was a really neat place to explore.

From there, we had to decide on dinner. We wound up going to Rino's, this fancy restaurant in which the owner and hostess (and most of the staff) serenade you with music from MY era (read, the 1950s). It was a hoot!! I'm definitely taking Nate back there sometime!

After all this, it was getting pretty late, so we went back to their house and sat around talking some more before bed. On Monday, we got up early and motored out to NM to see Capulin Volcano National Monument - one of the few I hadn't seen yet in the state. It was way out there, and we saw a bunch of antelope on the way, which is a rare treat. While there, we did the rim tour, driving way up to the top of the volcano - it felt like being in an airplane, we were so high up! The hike was nice, though we were bombarded by hemipterans (tiny true bugs). Then we did a trail down below, viewing the charred remains of some desert scrub that had succumbed to fire. Finally, we headed back to Raton, NM where we had a nice lunch (I had a great frito pie!) before I bade the three of them farewell and headed on my way back down to Albuquerque. It was an exciting weekend, full of adventure, and I'm so glad I made it!! Next up: The Pacific Northwest!!!

One Whole Year!

It's so hard to believe it, but Nate and I celebrated our one-year anniversary yesterday! I really don't know where the time went, but it must be true that time flies when you're having fun. I don't know how I managed to find the most wonderful guy in the world, but I did (sorry ladies). We are just so darned compatible with similar senses of humor, many of the same likes and dislikes, and such well-suited personalities. I truly like the person I am when I'm with him, and he is one of the few people who has seen the real me. I'm so grateful to know him!

We celebrated this weekend by camping out on Saturday night. We stayed up in the Jemez Mountains, near Fenton Lake and the Valles Caldera. Unfortunately, we got a late start due to open houses, but we made it to our campsite around 6pm. We found a remote spot, which was tough because the grounds were nearly full, and set up our tent and gear. Then we went to Amanda's Convenience Store (my old hangout when I was on the hanta crew) and got Mississippi Mud ice cream bars. MMMMM!!!! We snacked on s'mores and junk food around our fire, and indulged in a bottle of wine. It was really a nice night. Unfortunately, I didn't sleep well because my sleeping bag, which is supposedly good up to negative 30 degrees, was sapping all my heat and I froze all night! I must have gotten about a half hour of sleep total. It wasn't fun, but that's camping for ya - you never know! In cool news, I could hear elk bellowing in the distance!

On Sunday, we spent the day with Nate's mom up in Los Alamos, which was nice, though I was out of sorts from having a bad night. We got some sandwiches and did a picnic out at Fuller Lodge, the site of our wedding! It was windy and the leaves hadn't leafed out much yet - we really lucked out last year! The weather had been perfect, the trees were leafy, and in some cases, bloomy, and everything worked out. Everyone had a perfect day. I guess there were no weddings there this weekend, but it seems like the weather wasn't conducive for it anyway.

For our anniversary, Nate and I went out for lunch at Two Fools Tavern, near UNM. I had one of their dreamy cottage pies (shepard's pie). Sooooo delish!! Nate tried the scotch eggs, but they were "meh." It seems like, in most instances, British food is as bad for you as you can get, but it never tastes good! If it's going to be bad for you, at least make it flavorful! Haha!

That evening, I somehow managed to fit into the white dress I wore for the rehearsal dinner - it was originally going to be my wedding dress, were the ceremony to be even less formal. It reminds me of something a wood elf would wear if it were in shades of green and brown. Anyway, I got all decked out, and Nate and I went to Seasons in Old Town for dinner. It was one of those typical "trendy" places that experiments and overcharges for not-so-great food, but oh well. It was an experience. We even ordred a whole bottle of wine! Then we walked around the plaza at Old Town before heading over to Hinkle to play a round of mini golf and some arcade games. We tied at golf and won about 260 tickets. Then we came home and watched our wedding ceremony dvd. It was a fun night!

So that's life 'til now. Hope all is well with y'all!!

Just When I Thought...

Just when I thought I had finally made (sort of) a decision about my real estate career, something has to come up to make me second-guess that decision. I hadn't planned on going in to the office today, really, instead focusing my time on my writing, but for some reason I was compelled to go in and get a few things taken care of (faxing my publication to my mom, getting materials for my open house this weekend, etc.) I wound up running into Susan and talking with her for well over an hour. We had gone so far as to even discuss starting up our own businesses when we finally decide real estate was a bummer of a career. I really hope that things start looking up for her - she is such a good person and a hard worker and so dedicated, yet she deals with even more flakes than I do! Plus, she's got more expenses than me, lives alone, and has all manner of medical issues. Every time I start feeling sorry for myself, I think about how much more she has to face, and how she almost always has a "never say die" attitude (today notwithstanding).

So just as I was about to leave, I ran into Rosie, my qualifying broker (QB). To my concern, she asked me to come into her office and sit down. Eep, thinks me, because they've told us that the only time they'll have us really meet with them is if they wonder what's happened to us and are concerned about our progress. WELL, turns out that my future QB Connie actually asked her if I could transfer to her office now, before I even have my graduation qualifications completed!! I guess it's extremely rare for them to do something like this, and Rosie decided to ask me my thoughts on the matter. The two of them are extremely impressed with me and have really high confidence that I'm about to break through for some reason. I didn't know what to say! I mean, if they had any idea how conflicted I've been feeling about this whole thing lately, I don't know if they'd be so confident in me. That and the fact that I'm so burned out at this point that I really don't think I'm living up to the expectations they have for me. I am really good about being positive on the surface and seeming like I'm putting forth more effort than I think I actually am...maybe I really do, or maybe I'm a good actress! Regardless, I'm flattered about their high view of me. I decided to decline the early transfer because I feel so comfortable at the training center (heck, I'd stay there with my pals forever, if that were feasible), and I feel that jumping ship too early would be detrimental in the long run. (Plus they have all the free brochures and stuff there...hehe.)

In other news, the reason I wanted to just write today stems from a very memorable dream I had last night. It was one of those weird ones that actually has a start and a finish and plays just like a movie...so much so that I decided it could actually BE a movie! It was really bizarre...about a bush baby named Kinkajou (go fig!) that steals people's eyes. It had a twist ending and everything! I probably wouldn't go see the movie (unless I actually shot it myself) just because I'm so grossed out by eye scenes, but I think it could work, as a short film at least...maybe a comedy! So working on that on top of actually reading my multiple screenwriting books and writing up my other ideas (so many ideas!!), I have my work cut out for me!! Hopefully they'll be decent works. Screenwriting is so awkward compared to prose. Still, I think I can make it work!!

And that's life 'til now!! I'm going to try cooking a full meal tonight for my second time EVER!! Let's hope it goes smoothly!! Talk to you later!!