6/17/09 Wednesday, Jun 17 2009

            It has definitely been a while since my last post but I haven’t forgotten much.  The last several days have been super busy.  Saturday started off fun with an eight hour canoe journey down south.  We had to go pick the Ranger up at the Polaris hospital so we decided to take the canoe with us so we could hit a lake on a state park near the shop.  The journey was pretty awesome.  We spent most of the time paddling through the swamp areas in the back of the lake.  We managed to sneak up on an alligator also.  I tried getting a picture failed, sorry.  When all was said and done we had paddled 8 miles in two and a half hours.  What a workout!  I was already sore from an awesome workout on Friday so this just added to the soreness.  On our way back I found out I was leaving on a plane at 5 to come home for the rest of the weekend to Tuesday. 

            The trip home was bitter sweet.  It was really nice being home and seeing everyone and I definitely didn’t want to leave but I had to.  The funeral was also very nice and I could tell that the loss didn’t hit me until I got back.  I guess being down in Louisiana just isolates most of your emotional connection to homely business since I can’t be around them. 

            Getting back to work is a good way to pass the time but it is getting so hot down here.  The two a days also suck because the days don’t go by nearly as fast as they did before.  But, only one more down until the midway point.  That is hard for me to believe because I feel like I just left home.  Hopefully the next six weeks will go by fast as well.  Coming home for the weekend has definitely made me miss being home more and want to come back, which I knew it would.  

            I am going to a jubilee thing this weekend with Forest and his buddy.  I don’t know what to think about it but hopefully I won’t regret it.  As long as the music is good, it should be a fun time but some of the music Forest listens to is a little boring for me.  We’ll see how it goes.

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6/12/09 Friday, Jun 12 2009

            It’s been a while since I last posted.  When I said I was going to scale it down, I meant business. 

            This work week has been filled with creatures.  We have come across multiple snakes each day, but only rat snakes, and all kinds of other wildlife.  Yesterday morning we were standing at a cavity tree just before sunrise and we hear a rustling in the woods.  We both heard it and stood in suspense to see what it was.  After a few tense minutes we see an opossum nosing it’s way around the trail.  It was funny that he didn’t even notice we were there.  He was just going about his business looking for some food.  I also had an encounter with an awesome bird today.  It started off as one of those days that just don’t want to go right.  I left my lunch at home, the ranger blew some bearings, the bulb broke on out EMP, the chains on the ladders just would not cooperate, and so on.  I could tell it was going to be a ruff day.  So I had to climb the 83’ today and on the way up the bulb to the light somehow broke.  I didn’t notice until I had got to the top, which is where it probably broke on the sketchy part where the limb crushes you against the ladder and all slack is lost in the belt around the tree.  Well I had to sit up there while Forest went back to the Ranger to get another EMP.  I shifted myself around and climbed up on the limb that probably caused the mess and took a break.  It felt good to sit there and dangle my feet knowing how high I am in the tree.  So I’m sitting there and I here a buzzing off to the right.  I first think that it is some huge hornets that have been at my feet all day.  I don’t know why but they sure rubbed me the wrong way.  When I finally catch a glimpse of it I see a hummingbird chilling about four feet away from me just a buzzing.  It was awesome and made everything totally worth it. 

            Today I also went to the gym to work out.  It is such a good feeling after not going since April.  I would compare it to smoking for other people.  I’m doing this trail at Snap Fitness and really like it so hopefully I can go regularly because my biceps are pleading me to go. 

            I have also got some big plans from the week two weeks, coming home for a couple days and then off to a blues festival next weekend with Forest and some of his friends in Jackson, Mississippi.  I am excited to come home and everyone but it is a bitter feeling coming back for a funeral.  I’m just trying to be as positive as possible about, yeah positive I said it, and rejoice in the life not the death.  I’m also going canoeing down south tomorrow for a while, so that should be fun too.  I’m thinking we’re going to see some gators tomorrow. 

            It is getting hot down here, hot and humid.  It only gets down to around 75 at night with saturated air so it sucks the sweat out of you whether you like it or not.  I am also going to try my all natural approach to deodorant again, like Matthew McConaughey.  He never wears deodorant and how awesome is he so I figure my awesomeness crossed with his deodorant tactics makes for a whole lot of awesomeness.  “When I start getting smelly, I stop being smelly and start being awesome.  True story.”

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6/9/09 Tuesday, Jun 9 2009

            Happy Birthday Mom!!!  So it has been a really long start to the week so far and it only gets worse.  Monday wasn’t horrible but it was still a long day.  We went out early for our fledge check and then went to our weekly meeting with the Crowell guys.  After that we went and met some loggers and showed them the boundaries to the protected foraging habitat for the RCW’s.  It was awesome watching the equipment.  The machinery cutting the trees was on the other side of some pine regen growth so it was crazy to watch.  It looked like the trees had come alive.  The machine grabs them at the base and then cuts them and once it has been cut, it can move the tree where ever it wants.  All I could see was the tops of trees moving on the other side of the regen area.  It was just like the Ents in Lord of the Rings.  If only Tolkien could have seen this. 

            We also saw a huge rat snake today.  It was about 6’ long and had some girth to it.  We watched it for a while then continued on our way.  It’s funny how we will mess with a coral snake but leave a rat snake alone. 

            To date I have only have one person send a response to the sit and observe thing I asked people to do.  She didn’t publicize it but I’m glad someone feels similar to the way I feel.  It got me thinking about how awesome God is.  I said I have been reading some in an evolution book.  I’m hoping to look at the issue from the two sides and see how they compare.  I already know what I believe and it is different from both sides, we’ll get into that later, but I feel that being in the science field and already having extensive lectures on the subject, I should inform myself of the issue.  But going back to the response I got, it got me thinking.  If anyone ever has doubts about God and his existence, look outside and see what he has created.  The response said it made them said when people say that is was all just one coincidence and it does the same to me.  I can sit and look at the RCW’s and wonder what makes them like they are.  How did they come to be so different from a Hooded Warbler?  Why does a woodpecker feel the need to nest in cavities and have the ability to chip away bark and climb up the side of the tree?  And why does the warbler have that distinguishable call and the bright yellow colors with a black hood?  How could to things so similar evolve to be so different?  It just doesn’t make sense to me without a creator at heart.  So I thank-you for your response and encourage more to do the same.

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6/7/09 Sunday, Jun 7 2009

            So sorry for not posting the last couple days.  It hasn’t really been busy but it has been tiring.  I have realized that most of my daily journals posts consist mostly of work, and a repetitious theme, so I’ve decided to post less often but with more of the newer stuff I have done.  I will definitely include an update on the work side of my journey but this way I will be able to have more substance and make it less of a chore to read….

            The end of my week was consumed with work.  We have begun fledge check, so it means an early morning every morning.  It also means that we have to go back out into the field before sunset too.  Wow, it sure does suck the life out of you.  I have found myself to become dependant on my 3 hour naps every afternoon.  I feel like it is a waste of day light but they are so awesome.  I have also been watching more of How I Met Your Mother.  I have only made it through the first part of the second season so it is holding up pretty well.  I do feel bad because I haven’t been reading as much as I should but hopefully I can balance them.  I really do enjoy the reading.  We never made it to the Crowell party because we had to go on an evening follow so that sucked and I never got up with the minister from Calvary so that sucked too.  I am still planning on meeting with him this coming week, so not all was lost.  Forest and I did make it to an Aces game though.  We went to the double header on Friday night and both games were amazing.  The first game ended in extra innings with a double that scored a man from first, in favor of the Aces.  The second game was even better because it ended in the bottom of the 7^th with a walk-off 3 run shot.  It was amazing.  I was thoroughly confused the rest of the night because the first game went 8 innings and the second game went 7 innings.  I understand that this is the Deep South and the learning curve may be just a bit under the standard of North Carolina, but I was positive that baseball rules were universal.  I went back last night to watch the last game of the series and started talking to an old black guy of about 65 years old.  We were both by ourselves so it was nice to talk some baseball with a stranger.  He informed me that both double header games were to be 7 innings so then it made sense to me.  He had a good laugh at my expense because I couldn’t understand why the games ended when they did.  It was a good time.

            When I returned from the game I found something in the apartment that was not expected; Forest had the T.V. on.  It was the first time in 4 weeks that I had watched any television.  He left to go to a jazz show and I stayed and watched some SNL.  It was weird to me at first but then I remembered how much T.V. I use to watch and I then decided that I’m not turning it on.  I realized how much time I have wasted watching shows and down here is my break from that.  I can watch my shows when I get home. 

            I made it to church and Sunday school this morning and both of them were the best messages I have heard in a long time.  Sunday school was lead by a guy in Seminary that works at one of the local college campuses with a program similar to Campus Crusade.  I had a good time talking to him and he was from Knoxville so he actually knew a little bit of the Raleigh area.  His message was from Lamentations and it was surprisingly good.  He did talk about Kripsy Kreme doughnuts for a while so that held my interest.  The locals seemed to disagree when we both said that they were much better than Shipleys, the local doughnut.  Service was also amazing.  The music was top notch today and the song choices ran hand and foot with the message.  The message was on Going Green and Christian’s responsibility to the earth so the songs were all nature based.  The sermon was from a guest speaker but it was really good.  I’m pretty sure the have them posted on their web site so I’m going to try to link it when it’s up.

            As for the rest of today, maybe some laundry…maybe.  I will probably end up going to the park and laying down to absorb some sun.  My arms are nearly black from work but the rest of my body is struggling so I need to do some work on that.  I’ll probably end up taking Walden and reading some more of that due to the inspiration from the message.

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6/3/09 Thursday, Jun 4 2009

            So the early mornings are starting to get annoying.  I don’t mind the waking up early and stomping through the woods at the butt crack of dawn but every morning is getting ridiculous.  I think we should just net these guys when they fly out of there cavity because this going to follow them and then loose them and have to go back 2 or 3 more times kind of sucks.  I guess the cabinet man is showing through in me, maximize your effort and time with minimum amount of energy expended.  We did get back around 11:30 this morning so that wasn’t too bad, but we still worked a 7 hour day. 

            After a nice 3 hour nap today, I was delighted to hear that our evening follow that was planned got cancelled due to the heavy thunderstorms coming through the area.  It sure is nice to sit here and listen to the rain falling.  So I spent the rest of my day farting around on the computer and reading some more of my evolution book.  I promise I will go into that with a separate post one day but I’m just too tired right now and have to wake up extra tomorrow morning.  The rain is going to make a mess on the trails so we might have to winch through some of the puddles, awesome. 

            We are planning on going over to Dan’s house tomorrow because he is cooking for a lot of the Crowell guys and us.  It should be really fun so I’m definitely looking forward to that.  I am also planning on getting together with one of the ministers from Calvary one day this week.  We were planning on Thursday but that day looks full.  I am excited though because it will be nice to have some intelligent conversation.

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6/2/09 Thursday, Jun 4 2009

            Today seemed to fall into what a normal day is for me.  We had an early morning of running through the woods after some RCW fledglings and then did some nest checking.  The rest of my day consisted of 4 hours of How I Met Your Mother and a snack run to Target.  Nothing really excited happened.  I just hope the excitement of work continues on so I don’t get bored.  I kind of feel off my reading the last couple days, I guess when you have the first two of the greatest show on T.V. it’s easy to get distracted.  I am going to try to get back into a book.  I started a book about evolution the other day so I’m hoping that will strike interest.

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6/1/09 Monday, Jun 1 2009

            What’s up June?!  Yeah I made it through May, only two more months.  May sure did go fast so I wonder how quick June will go.

            Today was pretty awesome.  Even though we had to start decently early, 5:00, it wasn’t a bad morning.  We had our first of many fledgling checks, which consists of arriving at the cavity before sunrise and then following the fledglings to ID them and then sex them by their plumage.  It is going to be the first of many, but its ok, the early morning don’t bother me any more.  After the birds flew off ten minutes before, still don’t know why they were out that early, we headed over to another cluster to band before we BURN!  Forest did the banding this morning because he had an injury occur to one of the two nestlings when it was extracted from the cavity.  The leg on the nestling broke so we had to splint it with scotch tape before we could band it.  Poor thing, he was not happy. 

            After banding we headed to our weekly meeting with Crowell and all the big guns were there today.  We briefly went over the results of last weeks work and then got a confirmation on the burn.  I was pumped but Michael Crowell told me that I need to stick close to someone because of my inexperience.  I guess that was just for peace of mind for the other big wigs because I soon as we got out there I had a drip torch in my hand.  It was so much fun.  We burned 100 acres.  Some spots did burn as nicely as we had hoped but others did wonderful.  Working with all those guys is awesome too.  It’s like hanging with the Blue Collar Comedy Tour guys.  I was tearing up on several occasions from some of the conversations.  We were at it about six hours today and it wasn’t too dangerous.  It did get a little sketchy when Michael, the fire boss, told Dan and I to go get the Ranger after we had finished our strips.  Dan and I were running back strips to lessen the run of head fires when the wind picked up and we got the call “6 (Michael) to 96 (Me), go get that Ranger and take it to the road.”  We had parked it in a raked area under one of the cavity trees, so it was safe from fire but we had to cross a few back fires that had caught a little wind.  We came up to the strip and Dan is like, “Awwh, just keep thems feets a movin’ an it won’t git yus too bad.”  I was like, “Yeah, sure, high knees right.”  So we made a dash through it and it got a little toasty for a moment but it was a rush. 

            After all the blocks had been lit, I had a good time sitting around with them and cutting up.  It was a welcomed change of pace today and it was awesome that I got to help as much as I did.  I sure wouldn’t mind doing some burning for a while.

            When I got home from the 12 hour day, I took a shower and then took a 3 hour nap.  It was Niiceee!  I then wrote this so my brain isn’t fully functional yet so sorry for the grammar.  Tomorrow is another early day and long day but hopefully I can get the pictures of the fire up then.

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Sit and Observe activity Monday, Jun 1 2009

                So I feel that while I have always had a great appreciation for nature and the many miracles that occur, I am not sure others see it the same way, or at least as intensely as I do.  I challenge everyone that reads this go outside and sit, preferably somewhere as far away from distraction as possible.  Go to a park and find a bench, take a towel and walk down a trail and maybe veer off the beaten trail.  Some of my favorites are the Rose Garden at NCSU, Lake Johnson, Bond Park, the Hemlock Bluffs, North Cary Park, or Yates Mill Pond.  I challenge you to go, sit, and observe nature at its purist form.  Listen to the birds or the water.  Watch the trees sway in the wind and hear them moan in there old age as they resist the bend of the wind.  The purpose is to escape from all the human dimensions of the world, so no cell phones or music, and let your mind observe what is being offered.  Try to connect with the area and listen to its story….

 

             I then hope that some will respond in what they saw or felt or heard.  Be as specific or vague as you want.  But please try.

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5/31/09 Monday, Jun 1 2009

             Today proved to be a…comfortable day.  I went to church and ventured to the college for Sunday school.  I feel bad leaving the 20’s class but I’m just not ready to be that old yet.  The college class was pretty good.  The Bible study was pretty good and had some good depth to it.  I was still able to figure out the may point of the study three verses in, but it was still intellectually challenging to some points.  I wanted to break in and tell him what I thought and answer some of the questions, but I hate to steal thunder.  I guess since I’m not a huge fan of being interrupted, I hate to do it to other people.  That is why, Mr. Locklear, I only answer your questions when you call on me.  The service was only pretty good but my mind was occupied early in the sermon due to a pen malfunction in my hand.  I noticed the ink on my hands after I had already handled the pen for a minute or so, so I was in constant wonder if I had smeared ink all over my face. 

            The rest of my day proved to be as previous weekends spent here.  I did some reading and some internet surfing until my brain could no longer focus on anything constructive.  I then decided it was time to begin an adventure through the season of my favorite T.V. show, How I Met Your Mother.  Oh how I have missed that show.  Hopefully season four will end soon and be released to DVD so I can watch it.  I went and got the first two seasons today and spent around two an a half hours watching some of the first episodes. 

            After I could take no more of my stomach’s grumbling, I headed to the Walmart for some needed nourishment.  As I was walking out of the store I realized amazing the sun felt on my skin and how it warmed my body down to the core.  Spending the better half of my weekend inside seemed to suck the energy out of my and I felt that the sun had just revived something deep within.  I hope I can find a beach on a nearby lake or a pool or something where I can lay and absorb the sun, natures all-natural energy bar. 

            I have spent most of my reading time in the Lord of the Rings, but I have decided to let that rest for a while and begin a quest for knowledge through my reading.  I have begun reading a book on evolution.  You should see more about this in another post so I will leave it at that. 

            My weekends have been pretty slow, though I may dislike it during the day, at the end of the day it is refreshing.  The upside is that we are burning 100 acres tomorrow……AWESOME!

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5/30/09 Monday, Jun 1 2009

            I began yesterday as if I was awakening from hibernation.  I laid in bed for some time deciding whether or not to start my day and the what the contents of it should be.  After some time, I did the Will Whipple stretch to loosen my muscles that had become dormant in the long sleep.  Since indecision was inevitably on the brain, I figured a Pop-Tart was the best medicine.  I then spent quite a few hours on my computer surfing here and there on the internet, when the connection allowed, and playing games upon games of spider solitaire.  I have become a master of the beginner difficulty but still, I am unable to master the two suit level.  I guess it will come with time and practice.  When my eyes felt they could no longer focus on a screen and my body could no longer lay motionless on the couch, I knew it was time for exercise.  I have devised a Rocky Balboa workout plan that consists of push-ups, pull-ups, curl-ups, sit-ups, and some running with a station of inverse push-ups at a railing in my route.  I usually do two sets before my run and my run is around 2.5 miles.  It feels so good to exercise, but it takes its toll on the next two days.  My knee always feels great during the run but so tender the next day, especially to pivot on.  I went and got some calcium supplements at the Walmart today, so hopefully it will heel before I return home, as long as I stop running, so the late start of my wakeboarding season may commence.  There are still two in-state competitions in October that I may be able to enter, if I feel comfortable enough with my knee and my riding performance. 

            I also went to the mall for the first time yesterday.  It is a nice mall but I expected it to be more crowded on a late Saturday afternoon.  I went and had Chick-Fil-a for the first time since I was down here and it was awesome.  I then walked through the mall and noticed how bare it was.  My mind was also taken by the fact that they had carpet throughout the walkway.  I only explored half of it, I think, and went into two stores.  I first went into Sam Goody’s, which is like an F.Y.E., and they had a good selection of movies on CDs, so I might have to go back when my eyes are tired of reading.  I also went into one of my favorite stores, PacSun.  Oh how I miss the v-neck tee.  I’m bummed I can’t really buy anything though, because I just barely made the weight limit with my suitcase coming down here.  Maybe I can buy stuff and mail it back.

That was it for yesterday.  I watched the Underworld: Evolution and spent the rest of my time messing around on my computer.

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