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Published: June 25th 2008
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Silver Lake
This is at the beginning of the Caribou Wilderness Trail (which I haven't hiked yet...) Well forest fires are abound here in Northern California. It feels like war time, not that I would know how that actually feels, but we have firefighters everywhere. They are eating lunch behind our barracks and in our lawn chairs, not that I'm complaining... but it's just a whole different atmosphere to see people just lying around waiting to be told where to go and what to do.
Ok I know it's Tuesday, but I have about an hour before the library closes and I have so much to share and I just can't wait until tomorrow!
Well this was my first weekend of work. I found out last week my supervisor is moving to Idaho soon so Barbara is my new supervisor, but she went out to San Fran this past weekend and Dave went camping so I was pretty much doing whatever I want. Last week we did get two bins in at one of the campgrounds. We got some really great feedback from the public like, "well it's about time," so that's cool. I also put together an informative sign. Everyone seemed to like it but I wish I would have given it some more time
to edit before I lamented and stapled up 12 of em, but you'll always have second thoughts I guess. Whatev. I am working on another one that has less to read and is just pretty simple, but then it's like, people can read, I should offer something to learn. But the guys told me they're going to install the rest of the bins at a rate of about 3 per week, which is awesome. These things are beasts to install and we have like 21 of em, not to mention our sites aren't the closest places to the station.
Besides work, I had some fun this weekend. They had a microbrew and banjo festival at the town park Saturday. It went from 2-6 which I find to be bizarre hours for a community drinking festival. Oh small towns. I also didn't know bluegrass existed up here, which is AWESOME. I have uploaded a video that I recommend you all watch. It's from that festival and the dancing up here is nothing short of unique. Gosh was that great to watch. My roommate, Shannon (who's from Ohio), and I met a guy who first claimed he was from Ohio and
then told us he had never been there. I guess his dad was an orphan who grew up on Euclid Ave and then said something about Shaker Heights. He said Cleveland rocks and knocked me the rock. Sweet deal.
Sunday night we went to Drakesbad tavern or whatever it's called for dinner. One of those pictures I included is of the Swedish (that was our guess...) waiter who I said had macaroni penguin hair, but none of my friends knew what a macaroni penguin was. April, I know you're disappointed. He was a hilarious dude. He gave us our dinner and then very sternly said, "Enjoy It." The woman in the picture is one of my roommates Gaetha (at least that's how I can guess her name is spelled) and she was mad I didn't tell her I was taking the picture, but I think she looks fine. Afterwards we went swimming in the mineral spring water pool aka a giant hot tub. It was pretty awesome. The whole place is in a meadow and surround by mountains. Pretty darn cool.
Yesterday was my first day of driving gov't vehicles by myself because I now have my license.
Man am I badass. I went around stapling up my signs and I was getting back in my truck when I heard someone yell, "are you a Bearcat?" And I'm thinking to myself, "is he talking to me?" So I stall a little and he comes over to talk to me. I tell him I am a Bobcat (I was wearing an OU hoodie cause I haven't gotten my uniform yet, I guess that would explain this whole conversation, huh?). Turns out he was a Golden Flash, but he said it used to be a Silver Fox but the environmentalists got all up in arms about conservation of the species (oh those silly environmentalists 😊 ). He's from Kent, Ohio and he also admitted that OU is a much superior school to Kent State (sorry Uncle Mike and Sarah Bond, I win). He gave me his whole life story about how he went to school for 3 years, joined the military, took his last year, finished in 1946 even though his diploma says he graduated in 1948, and then moved to California. I'm telling you, Cali is a refuge for Ohioans.
Well it is very smoky here right now.
The sky is crazy. All these fires are from lightning because everything is so dry. I included a picture to show how the air has changed. The sky is just white. The air quality is very bad also and it just smells like fire. It is certainly a different place from Ohio where it's sopping wet 24/7.
I have finished 3 books in 2 weeks. My goal is a book a week and I am currently making my way nicely through the Barbara Kingsolver collection. Any recommendations, send up my way.
Peace.
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Phyllis Speirs
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smoke
Hey Leah, Don't breath to deeply with all that smoke. Sounds like your settling in and enjoying the sites. Hope the fires are not too close. What do the signs you are putting up say??? Later