I'm not Mowing, I'm Flying

It was a rainy week and the yard needed to be mowed before the Memorial weekend. So as it was drizzling I was mowing and the mower was clogging because of the wet grass. So in my usual style of work I was focusing on what I was doing. My sweetie saw me through the window, knocked on the window, and blew me a kiss. Just like Tink was able to get Pete Pan to find his happy thought; my sweetie got me to find the happy thoughts while mowing. I'm not just mowing anymore; I;m flying.







We each have our own way of dealing with yards. I mow, water and smile. Carolyn and troops go yard saleing and smile.

Happy 90th B Day Precious Mother

Our sweet mom May 15, 1920 - May 15, 2010 90 years old and sweeter than ever. The party started at the Sirloin Stockade for a buffet lunch. Then we headed back to mom's. This was the first time for me to meet Jonathan and Jacob (Julie's boys). We could not remember the last time we had been all together. Nothing better in life than a precious mother. Lots of family and friends were there to honor mom. I will post more pics in another blog.

Main Street Turkey
Back in the late 1970's and 1980's the FS and Fish and Game transplaneted turkeys into the area. So one of the blessings of especially spring time is to see the flock of turkeys that hang out at the base of forest summit on the Fort Jone's side. There are probably about 20-30 of them now. I usually see them at least 2 or 3 times a week on my commute to work. No wonder Benjamin Franklin suggested the turkey as the symbol for America. They are absolutely stunning to see when they have their feathers all fanned out. One day a month or so ago, traffic had to stop as about 20 turkeys walked single file across highway 3 at the moffet creek bridge.

So today as I commuted through downtown Fort Jones there was a turkey walking down the street. I just waved a friendly hello to it and I think it might have winked at me.

Meltdown

My sweetie got me a chocolate easter bunny but it melted in the car. I told her that was ok because she already has melted my heart. So might as well be consistent.

Me Bride

I forgot that FS uniform green did not count for St. Patricks day (employee committee rule). So I quickly improvised. I found a green index card in the supply cabinet. I added the cute note and even cuter pic of "Me Bride", clipped it to my pocket. I got several nods of appreciation, smiles, and laughs during the day.

On another note, our exercise challenge at work is going full swing. Coach Sue posted the previous weeks accomplishment last Monday which was lower than expected. So she gave a usual pep talk. Said she was going to be gone all week but had moles at the infamous M&M jar. Then she said.." Roger , that means you. You might as well drop and give me 10 right now." Well I saw her before she left so I dropped and gave her 10 pushups. Then she said for me to watch the team while she was gone. So I sent an email to the Fitnutz telling them that I took Coach's words to watch the team as being delegated as acting coach. So as my first act of leadership I gave permission to the team for a free for all at the M&M jar. Patty, our forest supervisor, responded to my email; "Roger, you are in such big trouble. have you considered transferring before Coach Sue returns?"

I am generally on the treadmill @ 4am for an hour. I was at 4 to 4.2 MPH but have kicked it up a notch to 4.4 MPH. Unless I oversleep, i get my 4 miles in. Sometimnes I do 5 miles. I have been losing 2#'s per week except for last week was a bust (0#'s lost, oreo pie and ice cream did me in). We get 10 miles credit for each pound lost. I'm hoping to get another 2 this week. I started out at 177 after the holidays an am down to @ 165/166. Every year I lose some weight and then put it back on through fire season and the holidays. One of these yrs I'll have the will power to keep it off. But I have knocked 10 #'s off. Several yrs ago I was always about 187#'s after the holidays. But the last 2 yrs I've been @ 177. Overall not bad for a 58 yr old.

Trucks - Just like family - can't live without them
Last October with a good load of wood on, the engine was not sounding very good. Just as I got into cell phone range out of the river canyon, there was a sound like a chain being dragged across metal and the engine quit. I only got 7 loads of wood from the ol truck before it gave up the ghost. Apparently the timing chain was loose and it was banging against the timing chain cover. Finally it wore a hole in the cover which allowed the radiator to drain into the oil pan along with the metal filings from the cover. So for the last several months I have been scouring the internet for a replacement. I even bid on one in a GSA auction. Then along came "Big Red". One of my coworkers bought a new truck. So big red came up for sale. Loaded up the kids yesterday for a ride. Its fun knowing I can load up on kids. Once again, I feel richly blessed.

5 year tag
5 things i was doing 5 years ago
1. back home again and working in Yreka after 9 yrs working in Macdoel/Mt Hebron, California
2. colon surgery
3. drivng my muscle car the Geo Metro
4. dreaming of owning a junk truck
5. buying 2-3 cords of wood per year

5 things to do today
1. Genealogy - new family search, family search, ancestral file - Extraction records in Vang, Oppland, Norway has my great grandfather and his siblings, his parents, and his marriage.
2. Fast Sunday fasting for a good friend.
3.Kegel exercises
4. eat a bowl of vegetables
5. phone mom - she'll be 89 on the 15th of May

5 things i would do with a million dollars
1. homes for the kids
2. travel with Carolyn
3. service
4. none left
5.

5 places I have lived
1. Clarendon Hills, DuPage County, Illinois
2. Champaign/Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois College fall 1970 - June 1974
3. Canton, Fulton County, Illinois Nov 1973- Jan 1974
4. Somes Bar, Siskiyou County, California June 1973 -Oct 30 1973, June 1974-July 1975
5. Island Park, Fremont County, Idaho July 1975-Sept 1977
6. Fort Jones, Siskiyou County California Sep 1977 - March 1983
7. Greenview, Siskiyou County, California March 1983- present (Mt Hebron barracks 1997-2003)
8 Aug/Sep 1993 2 month detail to Moose Pass, Kenai Pennisula, Alaska

5 jobs i've held
1. summer help Village of Clarendon Hills
2. Georges Tree Service
3.Cafeteria worker University of Illinois
4.United Parcel Service - Holiday driver 10 holiday seasons
5. U.S. forest Service - 35 years

5 years from now
1. retired from FS
2. still going on fires
3. go on a mission with sweetie
4. spoiling grandkids
5. working on my junk truck