Heat Wave

While there was intense cold and snow days at home, we had a bit of a heat wave in the desert this past week. The "winter" has been so mild this year. All of the rangers have explained to us that this is not normal weather. Where last week we were comfortable working during the day in long sleeved shirts and pants, this week, long sleeves were really not a viable option. Though our forearms were more vulnerable to the prickers of desert plants, we all switched over to short sleeved tops. Where last week I dreaded the time of day when the sun would dip behind the mountains, shading our workspace, this week we all could not wait for 3:30 when the sun ducked away for the day. Breaks from work were spent at the water spigots, dunking our heads under the cool water. We also experimented with various bandana fashions. There was the headband look, the traditional over the face to cover our nose from the intense amount of dirt and dust flying through the air as the chainsaws worked their way through a veritable Tamarisk forest, the wetted bandana around the neck to keep cool, and probably my most striking look of the week, the biker chick. Tuesday I was feeling particularly effected by the heat, so after sitting for a while and rehydrating, I dunked my head and then to keep it cool pulled my wet bandana over my forehead and tied it back just above my pony tail. Adding my sunglasses to the look, I looked ready to get some intense tattoos and head into a biker bar.

As I mentioned with the Tamarisk forest, we had very dirty work this week. In fact, I don't know as if I have ever been as dirty as I was after work this past wednesday. The hot sun left some tan lines, but more intense were the dirt lines that were formed throughout the day. On Wednesday I was wearing a band-aid on my arm. When I took it off, this remained...

After I showered, the difference of tone was considerably less. Ick.

The work was dirty and exhausting, but also very satisfying. It felt great to literally pull branches off of trees and pull roots up from the ground with my bare hands. We cleared a huge chunk of land just off one of the park's trails and will still have some considerable work ahead of us getting all of the stumps out of the ground so that the Tamarisk does not just regenerate where we took it out.

Wednesday afternoon we took a bit of a break from the norm. Tyler, a new staff member at Agua Caliente, discovered a scorpion about to crawl right towards another park attendant, Miles. Luckily they knew how to properly pick up a scorpion without risking being stung, so Jake picked the guy up and Miles put him away in a travel coffee mug to be taken home as a pet. Maya, the animal lover of our team, was eager to hold the scorpion as well, so she took her turn too. The rest of us backed off and looked on curiously.

Miles and Jake with the Scorpion

We have found a lot of other creatures while digging and clearing. Just after discovering the scorpion, this little lizard was discovered too.

Maya: The Animal Whisperer

Yesterday, Friday, on our day off we headed off to do PT (our required physical training) as a hike in the "Canyon Sin Nombre." One of the rangers, Mark had directed us there and man am I glad he did. It was an amazing hike through a narrow canyon.

We also climbed above the canyon and looked down and then out at the desert around us. We were the only people around. Maya, unfortuately got stuck by the Cholla ("Jumping Cactus") and I scraped up my leg pretty fantastically heading back down into the canyon, but these were set backs that made but a small dent in a wonderful afternoon.

That is all for now. We are headed back to the Red Barn tonight (which was a great success last week). Then Ramona tomorrow for groceries. And Monday it is back to the work week.