What's under those northern skies....

Ahhhh! I had a great first day on the job.




When I first made it up here on Monday night, my new boss said I shouldn't try to find the place in the dark and offered for me to stay the night at his house with he and his wife. Uh.... nerve racking. Great way to meet the new boss I guess. He was on the interview panel, but still. He's a good guy; says he likes to be personal with his employees, unless it becomes uncomfortable for either side. I took them up on it and they were very gracious and inviting. We had a drink and chatted, met each other's dogs (dogs have such a wonderful skill of brining people together), and then I dragged my cat and 2 dogs into their guest room (so clean and finely decorated - fit for a queen. Add on 2 dogs and a cat) and went to bed.



The next morining I left the same time as my new boss; I went to find my new house and he went to the office to pick up a posse of employees to meet me at my new house and help me unpack. A whole bunch of people showed up, about 15. Met them all, including my two technicians. They all got to see my collection of junk (at least my underwear were taped tightly in a box thanks to Katy :), got comments on my shotgun and skull collection, and had lots of help deciding were to put my 'armoir' (they didn't want to move it more than once :), and help putting my bed back together. A bunch of great people. Another biologist that lives in Bonners Ferry followed me to the U-haul rental return and gave me a lift home after giving me the 5 minute tour of Bonners Ferry - grocery store, gas station, library, grocery store, court house.



I'm a bit nervous about this position in terms of my now being a public figure. Practically a politician. Truly. People will know who I am. I'll be required to participate in several citizens management committees, local resource mng commissions, local hunting group meetings, etc., (was invited to attend a Pheasants Forever meeting held my first night here, before I even got to sleep in my new bed, or even start my job!). People will know where I live, know my emblemed truck, etc. And I've been told lots of stories about people in Bonners Ferry causing trouble and elected officials fighting and bad mouthing the IDFG. Although relations have improved immensley over the past couple of years, alot due to the previous guy in my position. Those are big shoes. Hope I can do this well.


But the sun shone today. My first day went off very well. A more indepth description of my job duties, work set-up for the first week and first month, expectations, people to meet and contacts to make. Next weekend I guess I will be going to the Bonners Ferry gun and knife show to meet many of the local 'players'. Seriuosly. Many of the same people are on the local committees and members of local hunting groups. Those that are invested in natural resource management....or who want things done their way. Anyway, I actually feel very capable of meeting my duties, as challenging as they all are. Like I said, the scariest is the public relations, and that I guess only time will tell.


And I can't wait till some of you can come visit. My boss, Bryan, said my house is mine and I can live like it is. If I want to have a family reunion and have tents and trailers all over my yard...that's fine. Here that ya'all! A GSH Reunion! Or open house for the "Northern Satelite Office" :) How bout Selkirk Mts. Satelite Office....sounds nice. Jodi, aren't the Selkirks another wonder of Idaho.... a must see?

P.S. Did I mention that I saw two shooting stars on my drive out here. One during daylight hours even! And one at night. I'm personally taking it as a sign from that in the heavens that I can expect good things.

EVERYTHINGS new again

Well, I found my place and most of us made it. Except for Larry who ran out the door as I was packing last minute stuff in my truck. He usually heads out everymorning and is on my doorstep by lunch or 5pm. I didn't get out of town until 12ish and still no cat. I had an 8.5 hr drive and couldn't wait for ever. Luckily Mary stopped by at 5 and there he was, waiting to be let in...moron. So she is taking care of him for 3 weeks till I can get back.

I could say lots about my first day here, but I can't ever get this to give me seperate paragraphs. I imagine people loose interest reading a 5 page paragraph. And I can't get text with each photo, so you'll have to assume what your looking at! They're not quite as pretty as the ones I posted before :). Soon.

I will say this though, boy did I feel lonely and out of place without tv or internet> I was just dying to watch tv, to watch one of my favorite shows and have something common and normal to my old life to relate to...something besides a new place full of boxes. I sure was glad to find I could get on internet. Its a life saver! And for so many people. Bless the internet.

What's scarier than a new job?

The plan: one Dodge Dakota truck on a trailer- being pulled by one 17 ft U-haul- occupied by not one, but 2 cats in a create, on the floor- and not one, but 2 dogs on the seat, by the door- driven by just one, 125 lb girl- trying to peer out the side view mirror- trying to reach the gas- and oh SHIT- trying to reach the brake!


Well check it out. It's my new house! That's it, the brown house on the right and the garage on the left. McArthur Lake in the back, and trees all around. Sure, it doesn't look like that right now and I'm sure it won't on Jan 26 either....more white. You may have to scan to the right to see the house, the link is a bit screwy.


View Larger Map




We'll see if I make it there first.

That damn coyote blood in her

Oh my, I just saw the running order for the Brr Bones trial this weekend!! Somehow I got on there! I've been so busy not herding Reena probably signed up without me even noticing. If she were really smart she would have signed up with a different handler.


Reminds me of a story, not unlike many that I have. Last week Mary and I went for a dog run on a 1 mile square chunk of state land. It sometimes has cows on it but you always know before hand cause that is the only time the gate is shut. Anyway, Mary's dogs were long gone, crusin for cattle. On days Mary and I get to sitting in the truck, drinkin and talkin to long, the dogs assume we'll be too drunk to get real mad, so they disapear. I'm sure they hit every corner of that mile block looking for entertaining flying hooves or piles of green steamy body cream. Well, we were mad. The beer was gone and we couldn't get more cause her dogs were gone too. We yell and honk the horn. Now, my obediant dogs were nearby in no time. I honk the horn more, real angry, and Reena crouches down cause she knows what that horn means and can tell I'm POed.


The red dogs and Mary and I get in the truck and drive around, honking and waiting for the white dogs. Oh, finally they come running out of the darkness from one corner of the field. We have to drive back to Mary's car and the white dogs are following us nicely so I decide to give the red dogs one more stretch of the legs on the way out. I open the door..and before Reenas paws hit the ground she in 200 feet in the direction Jake and Luna just came from...no honking breaks her stride or speed. She is taking off to go check out what they were doing for that half hour we were all in the truck waiting for them, knowing FULL WELL how mad I was. I knew she planned on retracing every step of theirs to a mile away; when she really sets her mind to something...nutin I can do. But what I can do is leave...ha ha ha.


I left and came back 40 min later. She was waiting on the road. She started running up as Roy and I drove closer. I stopped to wait for her, ... and she stops. I get out and call her and she runs up, shimmies around me sly like and jumps in. I get in and she's licking my face...and she's not an effectionate dog. I'm sure she's not sorry and would do it again instantly if she weren't so tired. And I can't help but love that about her.

A new year, and new horizons...yes literally

Happy New Year everyone!

Ahhhhhh. Ok. So I think I can breathe now and say it....I've been holding my breath..... I FINALLY GOT A JOB WITH THE IDFG!!!

It's really my dream job, and dream location. Its remote, but I think I will love it. Ecspecially if I have a challenging job. And being a regional habitat biologist will certainly never be boring. Gotta love google map and street view. I was able to see my new house on McCarther Lake. I'll be living near Elmira, working from the Kootenai Valley at the Canada border south towards Coeur D'Alene. My house is 20 miles north of Sandpoint which is on Lake Pend Oreille (can't any of these places be spelled logically). And take a look at these beautiful photos I got from google map....I can't wait. Anyone wanna come visit?

Kootenia Valley

Nearby Mountains

Elmira, ID

Lake Pend Oreille

Lake Pend Oreille

P.S. I was just looking at Jodi's poster of the 7 Wonders Of Idaho...and Lake Pend Oreille was one of them and Priest Lake was too I believe. Both are only like 20 miles from Elmira, well as the crow files for Priest Lake anyway. And Jodi and I were saying we had to try to make it to each of those locations. Well Jodi, you come visit me and well ckeck the list and I'll come visit you and we can check of the list...like the Hells Canyon and stuff. Now that I won't be traveling to WY, UT, MT and CA all summer, I'll get a chance to see Idaho!!