Yesterday Was My Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. I don’t normally toot my own horn about my birthday. But, this year, when I woke up and started to get ready to go to work, I looked outside and it was snowing! I have never lived in a place where there was much snow, ever. I grew up and lived in Georgia for the first 48 years of my life. So to look outside and see snow on May 24^th, well, that is just different for me.

When I got to the office, my first task for the day was to drive down to Jacob Lake to take some stuff down there. So, I went home and got my camera.

Here is a picture I took out the front windshield of the truck I was driving:

Hooooo Wheeeeee! Now that is some snow!

Here are a couple more pics:

I love the little patch of blue sky showing through the snow clouds in this pic.

The reflection on this meadow lake sure does make it look more like mid-winter than soon to be summer.

This is the entrance station to the Grand Canyon, on May 24th, the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, 2008. It is where I work. Even with the snow, I still love it here.

Today Was A Pretty Cool Day

When FabGrandpa and I left the house early this morning, I told him "I am not taking my camera with me today." It has been a "thing" for him to tease me about taking that camera everywhere. I take pictures of everything, because you never know what you may need to illustrate something with. So, I left without it.

We were on our way to a routine day of shopping, but the routine since we got to Arizona is that we drive 125 miles to go grocery shopping, so we better have a real good list. We stopped at the cafe at Jacob Lake, 43 miles north of the Grand Canyon, to have breakfast.

At the cafe we sat at the counter because the place was pretty full. I struck up a conversation with the lady sitting beside me. She asked me where I was from, and when I said "Georgia", she asked me where in Georgia. I told her "Douglasville." She said her great aunt was a school teacher in Douglasville, and it turns out that her great aunt was Margaret Warren, one of my teachers when I was in high school. What a neat coincidence.

After breakfast, we drove to St. George, Utah to do our shopping. We went to Best Buy, a health food store called Dixie Nutrition (where I found my Pamela's Baking Mix and a jackpot of other gluten free foods); on to Wal-Mart for groceries and a hair cut for me. We bought a new cooler to put our groceries in so they wouldn't rot on the trip home. A stop at the Paiute Reservation for beer, wine and cigarettes completed the shopping day.

As we entered the Kaibab National Forest at Jacob Lake on the last leg of our trip home, we started counting the deer we saw, just for the heck of it. There were a total of 105 mule deer on that 43 miles road. But the coolest thing we saw, after we entered the Grand Canyon National Park, was the biggest beast of a bison, standing in the middle of the road. We stopped the truck, and it looked for a moment like he was going to charge us, but he turned at the last second and ran off into the woods. FabGrandpa and I just sat there, stunned, looking at each other. What a Fabulous day! But wouldn't you know it, I didn't have my camera!!!

My Work Group

The other day we walked over to the edge of the canyon for a group photo. This is the crew I work with. I love them all. I really enjoy my job so far. Don't we all look good?

Snow In May

Yes, it snowed overnight here at the North Rim. A lot of it. And it does not look like it is going to go away today.

Here is what I see out my front door this morning:Yep, it's snow alright!

I Am Finally Back Online!

We arrived here at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on about April 26th, forgive me if I can't remember the exact date, it has been such a blur! I started training for my job two days later, and man, is it ever a lot to learn! We finally got our telephone and internet installed yesterday, so I have a connection to the world again.

I have AT&T for my cellphone service, but it only gets a signal at very specific spots, all of which are not in my trailer. One is at the helicopter pad at the edge of the canyon, another is in the campground at one certain picnic table, and the other is in the employee restroom. I found out about that one because I had my cellphone in my pocket, and while I was in there, uh, doing my stuff, the phone rang!! It was my Mom, so I answered it, but I doubt very seriously I would have invited anyone else in there with me.

Here is a peek at my morning commute. This is along the Transept Trail. You actually see a side canyon called Transept Canyon here.
I have run into these deer several times. They don't run away, just kind of look at me as if to say, "Oh, it's just you." Some mornings there are about 10 of them. I walk about 9/1o's of a mile each way to the office. Later, when the park opens, I'll drive about 12 miles from the office to the entrance station.

This pic is looking north from the entrance station down Hwy 67, towards the "town" of Jacob Lake, which is really only a gas station and a restaurant/lodge. It is 43 miles to Jacob Lake.

This one is looking south from the same spot, towards the canyon. It is another 13 miles or so to the edge of the North Rim from this spot. This is where I will be working this season. Boy, if ya have to work, this is the place to be! (Oh, did you notice the snow still on the ground? I took these photos on May 8, 2008. )