Season 3

April 22

Today was the beginning of my third season and tour of duty for the National Park Service.  I began the day at Headquarters, or HQ, and traveled about 22 miles to the only national monument in Texas.  On the first day back, I had a tour at 2 p.m. and the weather was windy and hot, which meant the  hike was sure to be challenging.  When the adventurous looking couple arrived for their tour, they proudly announced they were from "anywhere and everywhere" and had been traveling in their motor home for the past nine years.  They both were very intellectual and this hike was a very wonderful "first hike of the season" at Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument. 

They say in the Panhandle, if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute, it will change!!  On April 23, it snowed, sleeted, and I had trouble raising the flag, as the rope was frozen.  Yes, tis April and the mesquites are warning us winter has not yet departed.  I named these magical Ice age trees, "Einstein Mesquites," because they are most assuredly smarter than humans.  These prickly trees instinctively know when, where, and how to bloom at the perfect time.  An old Colorado farmer once told me never to plant until the mesquites have bloomed and also had a theory of why the Panhandle wind blows so hard in the spring.  He said the wind won't stop blowing until the snow is melted off the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Southern Colorado.  I plan to write about these mountains in a later blog and my experiences climbing them.   Last week, I traveled to Taos, New Mexico and noticed the snow caps on these icy mountains to the west.  Is the wind still blowing in Texas?  Are the mesquites ready to bloom?  Note to self..pay attention to older people's theories.  They know about "life."

These past three seasons, i have learned every sign, symbol, event, and element in my working environment means something to a park ranger.  When the wind is blowing out of the north, it means a "blue norther" is on it's way. Word to the wise...watch those clouds rolling in across the lake on the northern plains!!! During a blue norther, like April 23, the temperature dropped from a high of 91 degrees to a low of 33.  As a park ranger, I work in constant interaction with life and the elements of nature.  Out in the wilderness, it is very different from the way people in large cities live.  In Dallas, on a visit recently, I found myself in a daze most of the time.  I had no time to pay attention to the birds flying overhead near Mockingbird Lane because I had my eyes frozen straight ahead.  Traffic in Dallas, especially downtown Dallas at 5:00 p.m. on a Friday, I must say, isn't my favorite cup of tea.  Where are all these people going, what are they rushing to, and do they ever sleep?   Please, please, stay in your lane Mr. jet black BMW, whew!!  As I drove to work today on Cas Johnson road, I actually did have time to pay attention to those beautiful majestic vultures catching the thermals of the wind.  Back to nature..Back to nature...Lose yourself in nature, find peace.  J. Muir said, "In every walk one receives far more than he seeks.  Where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."  Working as a park ranger..hey, it's really "soul work." I love my job in nature and I'm lucky.

My second hikers of the season have just arrived from Pennsylvania.  The wind has died down, the sky is a beautiful deep blue, my turkey buzzards will accompany us on the hike, and hopefully, we will see a few interesting critters, wildflowers, and check those mesquites for the planting clue! Happy trails! 403 clear...