Dear Friends, I was trying to think of a phrase to describe the past week or so — and the first one that came to mind was the mantra of our one-and-only ballroom dancing (samba) lesson instructor: Quick, quick, slow… Soon followed by the military aphorism, “hurry up and wait.” We put a lot ofContinue reading “Quick, Quick, Slow”
Category Archives: National Parks
snow, Snow, SNOW!
— our first two weeks in the park — Dear Friends, Already life in Pennsylvania and the crazy efforts to get packed and across the country seems like months ago. Our favorite camp site is reserved for us and most of the snow is already plowed off. After shoveling a stubborn ice & snow bank,Continue reading “snow, Snow, SNOW!”
“Continue on I-80”
We’ve had smoother starts to trips. 😉
Wildlife Brigade Part II – Animal Jams and Dispatch Calls
From the emergence in early March of male grizzly bears, through the elk and moose rut of the fall, until the last bear heads for their den in December, the animals of the park keep the Wildlife Brigade working seven days a week, from dawn until dark. Jams of All Sizes We may find ourselvesContinue reading “Wildlife Brigade Part II – Animal Jams and Dispatch Calls”
Wildlife Brigade — Our Volunteer Job, or What We Did This Summer
The adage that Time Flies While You Are Having Fun rings true for us this season. We have had wonderful experiences spread across Grand Teton National Park since May. Our tasks as members of the Wildlife Brigade are amazingly broad in scope. Over the next blog or two I’ll share the types of things that keep us busy.
True or False: Park Rangers Always Know Where Every Animal Is In The Park
True or False: Park Rangers Always Know Where Every Animal Is In The Park. False! True or False: All of the animals in the park “are chipped.” False again. True or False: Wildlife Management does not always mean just the four-legged kind. Absolutely true! According to many visitors that we meet on the side ofContinue reading “True or False: Park Rangers Always Know Where Every Animal Is In The Park”
Launch ‘Em! Embarking on Our Third Year as National Park Volunteers
A good friend recently asked how we felt about “getting back in the saddle” as we begin our third year as volunteers at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. So many thoughts came up I felt tongue tied! After our first afternoon working Dave and I laughed to think how very much returning here feltContinue reading “Launch ‘Em! Embarking on Our Third Year as National Park Volunteers”
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Red and gold sunrise over Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Birthday Surprises
For many of us, working on our personal holiday (aka birthday) is not a thing to be celebrated. However, yesterday I explored two park wildlife jobs that made for an eye-opening and memorable day. It began with the alarm going off at 5am …
This Is Not A Drill!
The Day We Earned Our Adult Beverages!! This morning we arrived for duty Sunday at String Lake at 8am. The smoke had drifted out of the valley, so the mountains were looking more perky and inviting than they had in a few days. Already, the first two parking lots were full! With the forecast forContinue reading “This Is Not A Drill!”