The Lady Ranger

Spring

2011-04-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

Seasonals Returning
Turkey Vultures Reappearing
Wind Increasing
Green Grass Peeking

Spring!

fall

2010-10-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Fall is a contradiction in a number of ways. I like it because it means that it is slowing down, visitation wise--or at least it usually does, this year, not so much. It is beautiful this time of year, and this year is one of those perfect examples--the leaves are jewel-like in their varying hues.

But it is a sad time. The main reason is that the seasonal employees are leaving. There is not enough visitation to warrant them staying here, and so they move on for the winter, for a couple of years, or some, forever. It is much like school where you part for the summer, and then are reunited with your friends mid-August (or September). Knowing the time is drawing near to say "see you later," only makes it that much more emotional.

Fall is here

2010-08-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Two night time lows of 49F in a row...

where did summer go

2010-08-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Already the first of August, and fall seems to be on the way. We keep having "monsoonal moisture" and the low temps are in the mid 50s. It is the time of year where it is harder to get out of bed, because the air outside is cold, and the bed is nice and warm.

The sunflowers have bloomed and are already dropping their petals. Grass is curing up.

Best of all, school will be starting soon, so it should be slowing down a bit before too long.

Spring

2010-03-07T15:45:00.001-08:00

It snowed again today, but it was one of those nice, wet "Spring Storms."

Soon the seasonal rangers will be returning, and "life" will slowly start getting back to normal up here. Hooray!

Spring is in the air

2010-02-28T07:14:00.000-08:00

Though we still have several feet of snow on the ground in many places, every once in a while, Spring gives us just a hint, a tease, that it is on the way.

This morning is a great example. Current temperature is 32, though it feels much warmer, about 35 or so :)

The air is wonderfully clear--you can see south for quite a ways. Far enough to see the squall that is to the south of us.

The light of the rising sun is different too, as it is moving Northward.

Patches of bare ground are growing larger (until the squall gets here that is).

Spring is a feeling as much as it is a date on the calendar.

snowing

2010-02-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

Landscape = white

Depth = feet

Temperature = cold

I know the groundhog saw his shadow, and I know not to expect it to warm up until the last part of April/first part of May, but this is getting a little old.

Christmas time's a comin'....

2009-12-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

Such a busy next few weeks...
Moving--back into the park!
Furlough--don't know for how long.
Christmas, New Year--and all the "joys" they bring
Back to work at some point...perhaps February.

TV

2009-10-31T06:43:00.000-07:00

Some people think that living in a park must be great. You are surrounded by Nature all the time. They come to the parks to get away from it all, but I am pretty sure they are happy to get back to their "conveniences" of home.

One of the things that I missed most while being a seasonal was not having TV. I know there is not a lot on most of the time, but still it is nice to have some idea about what is going on in the fictional world of your favorite series or have some frame of reference for current pop culture. I was quite fortunate that this year my sister decided I needed TV, and provided me with a little financial "incentive" towards getting it.

After waiting until my EMT-B was over and done with, and after weeks (or months) of looking at packages, I made the jump. Satellite TV, one of the larger packages, local networks and DVR. I am so glad I did! I have found out there are still a number of shows on that I have no interest in, but I have been mindlessly entertained for hours with some of the new series and educated by one of my favorite channels--the History Channel. The best part of the entire decision was the DVR. I work varying schedules and don't get to watch a lot of "live" TV, so the DVR is probably my favorite part of the whole thing.

And this is not just me talking. Numerous seasonals have spent hours in front of their laptops in WI-FI areas watching prerecorded shows, or frequent the one facility in the park that has a public TV (even just for the opportunity to watch the commercials).

Nature, books, hiking and movies by mail only get you so far....sometimes you just need TV.

Winter white wonderland

2009-10-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

No, not quite. Being from somewhat warmer climes, or at least an area where we have the good sense not got go out in this kind of stuff, I was not "exicited" about driving to work this morning--It had been snowing since about 2 am, anyway, and is currently doing so, at 10:22 am. I am sure I will be fine, however it is the "experts" that have 4-wheel drive, who think they can still go 65 mph that scare me. It is supposed to move through the area, so good speed to it!

Latest Halloween News...

2009-10-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

On a local network affiliate's website, one article posted a link to this year's top Halloween costumes and also had the following:

Plus: Find Fun Halloween Recipes For Kids

(trying to cut back, thanks)

Sometimes...

2009-10-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

...on a slow day I read.

I may read online newspapers, online books, paper books, magazines, online magazines, blogs, websites, etc. You get the idea...

Today I have ventured onto the National Parks Traveler website: http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/

There are some interesting stories here, and some lovely photos--I know it is possible to take a bad picture in the National Parks, but usually that involves human error of some sort.

I ventured into the site a little deeper than I usually do, and came across a list of blogs written about the National Parks. One, in particular, caught my eye--It was entitled, My Handicap Parking

http://www.myhandicapparking.com/

The author of the blog, Preston Filbert, has polio and so, experiences the parks in a different way than most visitors. The first sentence of the blog caught my attention: "National Parks make me think, which makes we write."

What a great statement. The parks have long inspired photographers and painters, but it was not often we saw an individual who was inspired by the parks to write (historical explorers and modern bloggers aside.)

The parks tell a story to anyone who will listen. The men who had the foresight to set aside these lands did so with the intention that everyone could enjoy them, not just the wealthy and elite as was the case in other countries. Mr. Filbert is just one of thousands of visitors who are able to experience the National Parks each day in spite (yes that is what I meant) of a physical challenge that just a century ago would have seen them abandoned or hospitalized.

In case you didn't know, the Federal Agencies offer what is known as an "Access Pass." The Access Pass is "A free, lifetime pass - available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States that have been medically determined to have a permanent disability - that provides access to recreation areas managed by five Federal agencies [National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service]." For more information about the Access Pass or any of the National Park Passes, visit:

http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html

And may you be inspired to think...

Approaching Winter (season)

2009-10-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

What happens to a park when all of the visitors leave, the employees start thinning out, and the facilities start to close?

It does not just go to sleep, I can guarantee that! Time keeps passing by, perhaps a little slower. The leaves continue to lose their soft, green clinging life, and begin the brown brittle journey until they lose the last bit of "strength" that sends them to the ground to be tumbled by the wind and whirled by passing cars. Grass and plants go from green to yellow to brown to gone. The animals which hid from the hordes all summer venture out cautiously, curiously until their presence becomes a constant. Life is settling in, settling down, preparing for the coming months ahead where white blankets the world and ice clings not only to the places where the leaves did, but all structures.

Human life takes on a different quality, a different atmosphere. Friends, roommates, coworkers leave for the winter months, in search of another job, another year of education, another life. Those left behind unite in a force that forges through the winter, the dark hours, the cold, the blizzards.

And then, just as every year, it starts to turn around. The days get a little longer, just a minute or two at a time. The nights are not quite as cold. The snow melts a little faster. The seasonal employees begin their migrations back to the park, in preparation for the migration of visitors. Yellow grasses turn slowly to green, shoots of new plants come poking up through the brown and red and black soil. Buds grow and grow until they turn into the green leaves or the white and yellow and pink and red blooms. Once fat bellied does, then graze cautiously watching the bouncing bundles of brown and energy and white and life spring through the canyons and across the mesas.

And so the cycle goes.

October? When did that happen

2009-10-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

So at some point it became October. I know it comes around eventually, yearly as a matter of fact, but did not realize it would be this soon.

I have harvested the garden--about 2 weeks or so ago, and the only thing out there still are two pumpkins. We have had some really cold nights--i.e. the 20s, so I got out there after it got that cold the first time and picked everything. I was still worried about the tomatoes, but they have ripened nicely, so I have been enjoying those and have other stuff put away in the freezer. It was a nice little garden for my first real attempt, and I am excited about next year.

The leaves this year have reflected the cool temps in fabulous ways. In my 5 years here, this is the best variation of color that I have seen so far. It is starting to fade a bit, and the oranges and reds and browns (a lot of browns) are starting to take over. The tops of the mountains around us are a different color all together---WHITE. I know it is a sign of things to come here, but I hope it is not too soon.

End of August?

2009-08-29T06:34:00.001-07:00

How can it be that this is already the end of August? I thought that the summers use to go by fast when I was having to go back to school, but this one has been even faster I think.

With August comes cooler weather--This has me a little nervous. My garden is doing pretty well. I have been getting beans, peas, and squash. Still to come are the tomatoes--I literally have like 100 tomatoes, but they are all green, green, green. I also have peppers that should be ready to pick soon. And there are some plants that I am pretty sure are pumpkins that are really starting to put fruit on. It has been fun. I have actually given most of it away, because it is hard to fix all that up for just one person. But I am looking forward to next year's garden!

Not sure if it is the cooler weather or "drought stress," but the brush in the area is turning. The sunflowers are dropping their petals, the jays are back...yeah, pretty sure fall is on the way.

School has started and so things have really started to slow down--not that it was really ever that busy this summer anyway. The seasonals have been leaving too--school, jobs, etc. It is that time...

Not a whole lot else going on up here in the world on top of the world. Not at all.

Garden

2009-07-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

So (knock on the proverbial wood), the vegetable garden is doing much better than the herb garden did. I have Squash!!! Very excited about this. Also the beans, peas, and tomatoes are blooming. There is hope...for fresh veggies after all!

The only thing that survived in the herb garden is Cilantro--ie 1 out of 11 plants from seed. But it has good days and bad days. Even the lemon grass, which I have had for a few years now and a basil which I was given, seem to be putting up a decreasing fight. Ironically, two cilantro (?) plants have decided to make their way to the veggie garden (still not sure how that happened) and are doing quite well. Well, except for the fact they are growing under the squash plant...

Not a very promising outlook for rain. We are now at a "very high" fire danger. I counted 10 fires around us this afternoon. As the plants around the park are drying and wilting, I look at my garden, which though I do not water it every day, is still green and fairly healthy. It is incredible that so many people were able to farm in this environment for such a long period of time (without the ease of faucets and hoses especially).

Plants

2009-07-18T06:42:00.001-07:00

The trip home was good. Left after work on Sunday and got back late Wednesday night. We wen to Bishop's Castle, which is near Rye--it was interesting. A multi-story structure of rock, concrete, and iron built by just one man.

When I got back it was interesting to see the change in vegetation--my garden seems to be doing pretty good! I have little-bitty (about the size of a quarter) patty-pan (the scalloped ones) squash, the beans are blooming, the tomatoes are blooming and the peppers look like they are just about ready. And a great crop of weeds.

The park was a different story. It is amazing how much things can change in just 3 days time. The vegetation looks dry, the wildflowers not as vibrant, and the bright yellow "HIGH" fire danger sign at the entrance was discouraging. As I came to work this morning, I noticed the smoke in the atmosphere, basically all around us. As it has been fairly "quiet," I can't help but wonder if this is going to be the year of "another big one"?

Weekend

2009-07-12T06:23:00.001-07:00

So in honor of a couple of birthdays this month--as in within the next 2 and 3 days, I am going home for the weekend. I am pretty excited, it is the first time I have been home in a while-since Christmas.

The summer is already starting to wind down...I was shocked the other day when I saw school stuff out on display already. Kinda glad those days are over.

People are funny. The other day, I had someone call the information line. They said they thought they would get a recording. I said, no, I am here. They said something to the effect of do you have anything I can listen to with information. I said I could answer any questions they had. They again asked about listening to a recording. Apparently some people out there DO NOT want to "talk to a real person."

One more thing....

2009-05-10T12:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

Wildflowers

2009-05-10T11:54:00.001-07:00

The past few weeks have brought warmer weather up here and so we are getting wildflowers.

Currently there are primroses, lupine, balsam root, and a few paint brushes blooming. And of course dandelions.

The bushes are also starting to bloom--cliff rose and service berry are going right now.

Some rain a few days ago made everything shoot up. Right now everything is nice and green. The day temps are increasing and the nights are still cool. Currently we are at a moderate fire danger, so we will see how that changes in the next few weeks.

Inspired by nature, I tried to start an herb garden...which you will notice, I said tried. Some are doing well, some were doing well but are still hanging on, some I think are done for, and some didn't do anything. If this is a sign of how a veggie garden will grow, perhaps I would be better to just visit the farmer's markets...

EARTH DAY 2009

2009-04-22T09:00:00.001-07:00

My job requires searching for various things, at times, on the internet. I usually use Google, since it seems to give me a better variety and more options for items. Last year at this time, Earth Day, I posted the Google Earth Day banner, as it was the best one that I had seen all day.And today, the honors go to....
It's just beautiful...I love the creativity, the colors, and especially the theme (I swear I should have been born near the ocean!).

Thanks Google, for the beautiful banner. HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

SPRING!!!

2009-03-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know Spring is officiallly a few days away still---BUT there's GREEN GRASS!!!

Living out of the park

2009-03-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

So, back to work. The commute is not too bad, so far. Seeing the sunrise every morning is kinda nice. Leaving home before dark isn't that great though...

Spring is on its way!!!Some of the deciduous trees in the area are starting to get a yellowish-green tinge to them. Temperatures are starting to warm up too (that is the best part). Gonna start getting ready to put a garden in soon--stores around town are putting their seeds out!

Winter cometh

2008-11-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all. The day was a quiet one-spent watching the snow fall (2.5 inches total to make for 0.97 inches of precip), playing on the computer, watching movies, and staying in doors, and that is about it.

Housing has finally been resolved, not in my favor of course...So I will begin the search for a place "off campus." Parts of me are sad, upset, thrilled, and can't wait. I can feed birds, have a garden, but have to drive up in bad weather (yuck).

Months go by...

2008-11-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

So it has been a while--a long, long while.

I have taken a permanent job! Well, permanent, subject to furlough--which means taking a "mandatory vacation" every year basically. Things are falling into place with the exception of housing--which is a circular decision apparently.

Here is a photo. Yes it snowed here on Wednesday--no not that much, it was taken a few years ago... enjoy!

More on the joys of living in nature...

2008-07-25T17:43:00.001-07:00

The days are cooling off and so are the nights. Every afternoon the clouds build up and sometimes dump rain and sometimes just lightning. Only a few fires though, so we have been lucky.

And then nature has been coming to our front doorsteps--literally. Two of the rangers had a mating pair of rattlesnakes hanging out on their poarch, and living under the apartment. I have been a little luckier and have only seen a bullsnake hanging out beside my apartment, but he maybe living under the building. Not a big fan of snakes, but I would definitely rather have the bullsnake than the rattlesnakes.

Turkeys

2008-05-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite like the sound of turkeys gobbling first thing in the morning as you are headed off to work, or as you're sitting around with friends in the evening. Nice to live in nature.

Spring

2008-05-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe, but according to the calendar this is Spring. Spring time in the mountains. This morning was not quite as "brisk" as yesterday--11 degrees Fahrenheit for the 24 hour low. We had a little snow day before yesterday too. It looks like the higher mountains around us have a fresh coating of new snow on them. The animals are starting to move. People have been seeing bears and yesterday someone saw a mountain lion. The wildflowers are starting to bloom too. Right now we have some Hayden's Gilia (Gilia haydenii) , arrowleaf balsam root ((Balsamorhize sagittata), and dandelions brightening the landscape.

Arrowleaf balsamroot from www.fs.fed.us

Sacred Planet

2008-03-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

"Get set for a 45-minute journey around the world to some of the most exotic and beautiful places that exist. From the comfort of your armchair, you'll visit the last remaining old growth forests of British Columbia, the glaciers of Alaska, the red rock canyons of Utah and Arizona, the tropical jungles and underwater mysteries of Borneo, the ancient ruins of Thailand and the remote deserts of Namibia." (Netflix synopsis)

Rated: G

This is a beautiful film. I have watched it twice and still have only actually heard bits and pieces of what is being said as I am so captivated by the images. It is visually stunning. Almost every second of film could easily be made into a beautiful photograph. It was shot in IMAX format which means the images are huge--they just feel huge. The message is fairly similar from all of the elders, but each one uses their own cultural references to say it. There is a lot of time lapse images in here--but is not the usual grass shooting up through the ground ones that are often seen in nature oriented movies/TV shows. The very simple use of speeding up the film and also showing normal speed speaks volumes to those who pay attention.

personal rating:

8.5 / 10 stars

Tis the time of rangers... seasonal ones that is...

2008-03-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

As spring draws near, just like the swallows of Capistrano, another phenomena occurs all across the United States. It is the annual migration of the seasonal national park employee. Due to visitation (and budget) most parks can only offer full services during the summer months. There are some exceptions to this--the Everglades, Death Valley--the places that are not exactly "user friendly" during summer months, which have greater visitation during the winter months. With the full services comes the need for additional employees, hence, seasonal rangers (and other park employees). The season of these employees is generally 6 months or approximately 1039 hours. So what do these people do the rest of the year? Many different things--some seasonal employees are students, teachers, retired, find another park to work at, or take the time off until the season starts again. Unfortunately seasonal employees do not receive any sort of benefits, but can accumulate sick leave, and annual leave (which can be paid out at the end of the season for hours not used). But it is an interesting way to spend a summer or winter, learning about different parts of the country, different parks, and different topics. The National Park Service is not the only one that offers seasonal employment. The Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and other federal agencies do as well, however one of the most common conditions is that the applicant is a US Citizen. Click on the USA JOBS link to look for openings by job, location, or agency.

10,000 BC

2008-02-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

The movie 10,000 BC will be out on March 7, 2008. Though the story line doesn't look terribly promising, the animals and CGI work looks very interesting, and well done. Will this be the Jurassic Park for 2008?

Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-20T17:36:00.000-08:00

Tonight there is a lunar eclipse, the last until 2011. On nights such of these, I wonder exactly how the ancient cultures perceived these types of events. Surely they saw it as a sign of some sort. It is very easy to see how it could have been a negative sign, but is it possible they saw anything positive in it?

Another new dinosaur discover announced

2008-02-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

Another new dinosaur species has been announced, this time coming out of Mexico. Velafrons coahuilensis, a duck-billed dinosaur with a "sail-shaped crest" on its head, made its home in the lush tropical environs of present Mexico around 72 million years ago. Paleontologists from the University of Utah and Utah Museum of Natural History, say this "beach bum" is the "most complete dinosaur ever found in Mexico," living there at the time that an inland sea divided the North American continent.

Source: Yahoo News

The Rockies

2008-02-12T14:41:00.000-08:00

Watched an interesting program on the National Geographic Channel last night about the Rocky Mountains. The show discussed the formation of each phase of the Rockies and talked about them from the Northern Rockies in Canada, down to the Southern most region of them in New Mexico, including the Rio Grande Rift.

Saw today that there is a new species of winged dinosaur that has been found-- Nemicolopterus crypticus. Looking at the skeletons, it was probably about the size of a modern robin, and lived in what is today China over 120 million years ago. One of the smallest pterosaurs, it had curved feet, like modern birds, indicating it probably lived in trees.

Source: Yahoo News / National Geographic

Welcome

2008-02-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to The Lady Ranger. What the title bar says is true. I do work for the United States National Park Service. In no way do my views reflect those of the National Park Service or other park service employees. I am using this as a chance to tell the stories of a ranger, express my thoughts and opinions, ask questions, seek answers, and see what other people think about things that affect you, me, and our parks. But this isn't just about the parks, but about our entire world. I can't promise that this will be updated frequently, but I will do what I can.

Who am I? I am a single female approaching 30ish, a college graduate with a BA in English and History {US, primarily SW}, MA in Interdisciplinary Studies (again English and History). I have worked for the NPS since 2003 as a Museum Aide, Park Guide, Park Ranger, and Dispatcher. I have worked in one park and one monument. I put some of that information in because it is who I am and it does indicate how I might see our parks and the park service differently than someone else. Along the sides I am trying to include links to sites that contain resources, information, and other blogs. Please feel free to leave our comments and I look forward to hearing from you.