More big news!

I came out of the woods a few weeks ago for my normal days off and found out that someone had been checking my references for a job in Flagstaff, Arizona that I had applied for a few months ago. I had a phone interview and was offered the job the next day. I accepted the job on the condition that they find a job for Molly also. As I headed back to the backcountry I was sure of how things were going to pan out. Last Tuesday, Molly had park dispatch notify me by radio that they had found her a job as well!

We will be moving the first week in September. I will stay at Little Five until Labor Weekend which will allow me to finish almost my whole season. We will then pack up the U-Haul and head east. We will be working at what are known as the Flagstaff Monuments -- Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater, and Wuptaki. I will be a Fee Supervisor (a promotion no less) and Molly will continue for Administration, albeit in a slightly different position.

We are both extremely excited. Flagstaff is a bigger town than Three Rivers and will offer more opportunities and what we think is a better place to raise our little one. We hope that you all will find your way to visit us as soon as possible.

Everything is going well. Molly is feeling great and looking spectacular in some of her newly purchased maternity outfits. We went to San Francisco this past weekend for a wedding of a couple of friends from the Park. We stayed with our friend Kim (thanks Kim!) and as usual had a fun-filled exciting weekend. We also stopped at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on the way home -- something we have always wanted to do since we moved to California. We had a lot of fun, and I think I can still taste a little garlic on my breath. We enjoyed a ton of food, including some garlic ice cream.

Now we begin the tedious chore of packing up the house. This is never easy, especially because I will be in the woods most of the next month. We moved to Sequoia in the back of our Ford Explorer -- we will be moving to Arizona in a 24 foot U-Haul truck.

Sorry it's been so long since I have posted a blog. Thing have been hectic around here...

Molly and I flew to Chicago for her cousin Noah's wedding a few weekends ago. We had a great time and it's always fun to be around family. It makes us realize how much we miss everyone and how we wish we lived to closer to one of our families.



We spent some time in Downtown Chicago and also got a chance to visit the Botanical Gardens. We also ate like a couple of pigs at the rehearsal dinner and the wedding as well. Steve got a small break from his normal teasing from the girls as my giant ear cyst provided entertainment for all. It also required a trip to a 24 emergency clinic. I'm always good for a few laughs.

Despite having our luggage redirected (as usual) on the way home it was a great trip. Betsy brought a big bag full of stuff for the little one. She picked out some really cute things and did well at finding stuff that is neither blue nor pink. I know she had fun shopping and we loved getting to see everything she bought. Thanks Bets! Molly also got a little shopping with Mom and sis and they were able to buy her some cute maternity clothes. She even got to try on a pregnant belly. I even
benefited with an expected father book in which we read my cyst could have been part of my sympathetic pregnancy symptoms. Everyone got a good laugh out of that one. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful weekend in the Windy City.

I started my backcountry season the day after we got back. I drove over to the east side of the park with my supervisor (Erika) and then hiked in. I helped some of the east side rangers get their stations set up and then hiked back to the west side of the park. In my 8 days in the woods, I climbed a 14,000 foot peak, dug a new hole for a toilet, cleaned half a dozen fire pits, and hiked over 70 miles. I also learned a new shortcut that gave me the multiple scrapes on my legs that I'm sporting. Tomorrow I will hike into my patrol area my Erika and her husband, Dave, to set up my yurt and my food will come out in the helicopter on the 8th. I will hike back home on Thursday, be home for 4 days, then start my 10 on, 4 off schedule. It's going to be extra hard to leave my wonderful wife this summer. I love her so much and think of her all day when I hike through the wilderness.



Molly is doing so well. I'm so proud of her. It's hotter than Hades around these parts (about 110 or so the last few days) and she manages to work hard, take the dogs for walks, and keep things going while I'm gone. I'm a lucky man.

We go back to the doctor on the 16th. We are still trying to think of names to call the little one before it comes out. Something like Peanut, or Snowball...something that is sexless, but cute. Any suggestions?