I’m sitting in an environment conducive to writing: there’s a warm fire in the wood stove, the dryer humming in the background, the snow falling lightly, and Rascal sitting by my side. But somehow I’m finding it very difficult to write. Lately I’ve been neglecting the more creative side of my life–the “writing, reading, singing, playing guitar” side. Instead I’ve been focused on work, going to the health club, getting some housework done, and other not-so-fun but necessary things.
So I thought I’d take a break from that part of life and try to write a little. And since I haven’t written in a while, you might want to know what’s been happening. So here are some highlights from the last couple weeks…
I’m The New Master…of Hikes, That Is. If you didn’t already know, I have decided that being a grant writer is not the best fit for me. So I took a risk, quit my job, and am starting down a new path. I accepted a job at the local YMCA for the summer, where I will be guiding hikes in the mountains and doing a little bit of environmental education. I signed the papers this Friday and made it official! My title is “Hike Master/Naturalist.” I start in mid-May, and I’m looking forward to an active summer where I will be able to serve and work with a variety of different people and help them enjoy the outdoors. I was one of two brand new people hired for the 17 hike master positions, so I feel pretty grateful to have gotten this job. I’m chasing my dreams a little, and it’s kind of scary…
Sightings. I love to watch wildlife. When I lived near the Elkhorn Lodge last summer, I’d set my hammock up at the top of the hill behind the house and spend my evenings observing the world around me. This winter I haven’t been so dedicated to wildlife-watching, but I have been pretty lucky to see some amazing animals. How about seeing three different coyotes in one day? I saw the first one when I was driving through snow flurries after work–I’m glad I didn’t hit it! The other two I saw were probably a male and female; very healthy looking animals. They were trotting through the aspens next to the creek at my office, probably hunting or looking for a den. One thing I’ve observed is that when I see coyotes, I always see lots of magpies–they hop from tree to tree and follow the coyote. For a while this puzzled me. But then I realized that this is because the magpies are scavengers–they know that when there is a coyote prowling around, there is probably a carcass somewhere. It makes a lot of sense, and will help me to (hopefully) spot more predators like coyotes in the future.
There are a number of other things I’d like to mention/comment on–like my first organized fitness class, the heavy spring snows we’ve been getting, and Rebecca Black and her viral “Friday” song that’s so bad that I would rather listen to a screaming baby for 2 hours than endure her YouTube video again. But that’s all for another day…er, night**.
So until next time,
-A.
**Yes, it’s late. I’ve got to stop staying up like this, otherwise I’m never going to pull myself out of bed before 7:30 a.m. ;P
