ONE MORE TIME

Here is a pretty good shot of a fire in Idaho just North of a fire camp--look in the lower left the black thing is a shade cover for a Yurt---this was a pretty fun fire to be on because it kicked our butts every single day. What is fun about doing fire is that if you leave things to Nature---she will do it in a grand way---every single time.

I got back from the California fires Friday night late--Monday morning I got a call to go back in a different job---I said nah _ don' think so---I have been doing this for 38 years---this is the very first assignment that I have turned down.

It was great that while going down I was able to see Native Minnow---pretty funny how that worked---I called him all day to see if we could get together and left messages---as I was nearly past Vegas I called him one more time---he answered.

Him "Where are you"

me "just about to go by exit 37"

him "take that exit"

me "I don't know if I can get across four lanes of traffic to take it"

him "just take it and drive straight down until you come to the Thomas and Mack Center then turn left into it"

me "OK I am into the T/M Center---now what"

him "keep coming to the van that is on your left and turning toward you and turn left there"

me "OK"

him "I can see you---keep coming I am waving at you"

Was REALLY GOOD to see him.

WHO'D'A'THUNK

I just got back from the California wildfires and I had only just got there when I was released to come home. When major ragers start it is not uncommon to have several different people order resources to help out with the management of the incident. In my case several folks ordered Supply dudes and we all showed up at the same time---that is why we get ordered is to prevent everyone else ordering resources---so we all fully understood what had happened---the team in control of the incident tried to find jobs for all of us but it was crowded....I finally told the guy in charge that I would be OK with going home if they really didn't need me and were just finding me a job.....he thought about it for a few hours and let me go home....it sucks to drive 500 miles and then be released but it sucks a lot more to drive 500 miles and take a job that really isn't necessary and isn't really helping---I'm glad to be home.

SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS

Here is a picture of one of my favorite days. See if you can count the number of horses associated with this picture. It was a great day and no one got bucked off and we only had a couple of rodeos for the day---and those could have been prevented by just not pushing the horse so hard.

I have done cool stuff like this most of my life---

I tried but I couldn't do it!!!!!!!!!!

I tried to put the bomber behind my header and it worked sorta---it took two full screens left/right and up/down to see it so I took it off. I had a great birthday and the weekend following it was good too. Three of my girls and two of the grandkids came down Friday night. We had a nice visit and celebrated my birthday. It was fun---I had four candles---because I can't blow hard enough to take out that many candles.

I did add Fire and Ice by Robert Frost---it has always been one of my favorite poems.

I started to do this post yesterday and got a call to go look at a burn we are going to do this fall with the burning bunch. YUP--the burn won out---wonder why that would be? So here I sit 59 years and one day old---had a great day yesterday---read the last book of my favorite author (Robert B. Parker) today and mostly just sat around the house.

If I'd have known I was going to live this long I too would have taken better care of myself.

Here's the damn picture I deleted off the blog site when I was setting mine up---I ain't smart enough to put back so if any of you know how to do it let us know---those of you that have suggested ways so far don't work because what you talk about in the fix ain't there in the header. So if you have suggestions on getting this back where it belongs please get them in.

Fixin ta paste 'er

Here is a shot from the lead plane bringing the tanker in to paste the west side of a major rager. Note the column in the background---this ain't the only fire in the neighborhood but happens to be the one we got.

Just in case you can't figure it out this is a huge adreniline rush for me---even looking at the pictures makes me happy that I chose to do this as part of my career. Guess if you have done it for 38 seasons you had better like it.

It is pretty hard for me to set things out for the world to see so it will take some time before you really get anything that means much.

THIS HAS BEEN FUN

It has been kind of fun trying to figure out how to use this. Someday I may even be able to put something in this that means something---but in the interim here is one of my favorite helicopter shots---taken a few years ago at first dam on the Logan River. If you look across the water you can see the fire on the hillside right next to the water. This is one we caught with two hot shot crews and the helicopter above. It crashed two hours after this picture but no one was injured---hope it posts.

PICTURE ON BLOG SITE

Well I did get the picture on the blog site---even though you can't tell what it is. This is one of my favorite pictures of an aircraft dropping retardant on a fire. It was taken by my favorite ever Operations Chief's on a fire in Nevada---we lucked out and shut that fire down---without losing any houses---always makes you feel good when you can pull that off.

I got to thinking the other day and I have been fighting fire seriously on a team since 1985---that has taken me to 18 states where we have been very successful in our duties---I love the team thing and have had a ball doing it.

I have seven kids. None of which is my favorite contrary to popular belief. Thanks Native Minnow for helping me get this set up---don't know what I will do with it but it might turn out to be some fun---we'll see.