I'm pretty fired up about going down to the gulf to help (under the aegis of USFWS). Most people in the office are deploying, and some of them have come back already and have stories to tell.
It's likely I'll be doing field work, given that I'm a USFWS biologist, and have field experience. They station you somewhere (you don't know where until 24-48 hours ahead of time), and then you work 14 days straight, usually 12 hour days. On the upside, you are fed, housed, your linens are changed, laundry done, etc. And you get time and a half overtime. Whoa! That's a trip to Europe I think. If you are doing wildlife operations (likely for me), you go out in boats with locals and zoom around all day looking at birds, capturing birds, bagging dead bodies, and other wildlife-related things.
Next week I'm doing three days of hazard training, which hopefully won't be as mind-numbing as it sounds (I think it will be though, especially for me since I can't sit still for very long). Even my supervisor recommended that I bring a book. We're doing it at the Forest Service training center on McClelland in East Sac. Hopefully I don't get lost trying to find the damn place. I'm already dreading 8 hours for 3 days in a row of sitting. Maybe I'll bring my bike so I can ride during lunch.
Super early on Thursday I'm going to Vermont for a wedding, to return Monday night. In anticipation of all this sitting around I'm flogging my body with workouts. Still doing the cross-training class, which I'm super psyched on - it makes me so sore! I love it! Then climbing at Mayhem, and then perhaps the leap to do lots of pitches. Hiking too.
Early August I'm heading to South Carolina for a family reunion, which I admit I'm really not that excited about. It's at "Lake" Keowee, which I've already ranted about not being a Lake. It's a reservoir, dammit!
I put my on call dates for the gulf in most of August. You never know if you'll be called, and you never know what you'll be doing or where you'll be going until the very last minute. If I'm called I'll definitely go though, which could mean the entire month of August with no climbing...ugh. I'll have to rally in September then. And at some point I have to finish my PhD. Holy monkeys I'm busy.
1 comment:
To go to the Gulf and use your skills and talents to help the environment is pretty damn admirable..I hope you will blog about it when you go.
Yes, Lake Keowee is a reservoir..and since you are privy to real lakes out west (unless we northeasters wish to go to Michigan)..it will def be a step down for you..
So we will still throw you in a kayak or canoe and hope you can share bird species knowledge with us..(my children, your cousins, are so into birds..Sean keeps a bird book of discoveries)..
I am just as anxious about driving 14 hours, etc. when we could be doing a million other things around the comforts of our home in Jersey..but it will make your mother and father happy...so we are doing it..I look forward to seeing the spoiled girl (8 years old is the last I saw you) that grew up into a vivacious intelligent witty biologist...Enjoy your trip to Vermont!
Peace,
Jennifer
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