GETTIN' AFTER IT---FINALLY

I read in the local paper that a road project that was approved in 2006 while I was the District Ranger has been under construction since May. The Forest Engineer says they are about 40% complete and most of the work on the National Forest is done. This is a pretty amazing project. It saves 100 miles round trip for the coal trucks hauling coal from the mine. The road will cost about $29.9 million. The road is being paid for by the coal company and they expect to recoup their costs through fuel and operational savings on the trucks. When I did the math during the planning stages their cost savings are staggering and the project is well worth doing.

We rode up today to see what it looks like.

I WASN'T SURE I WAS EVER GOING TO SEE THIS PROJECT COMPLETED!!!

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

I have signed on to do the administration of another rehabilitation contract. This one is for three separate fires on two National Forests. There are five different seed mixes that will be flown onto the fires and a lot of straw mulch will be flown onto parts of two of them. These types of projects are done to slow down erosion on the burned area and to speed up the recovery of the vegetation. When these treatments are done the recovery is cut back from five to seven years to two or three years.

134.11 TONS OF STRAW---JUST A BIT LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THIS PARTICULAR SITE.

THE VIEW FROM MY OFFICE TODAY.

I LOVE DOING THESE PROJECTS!!!!!

43 YEARS---HOLY SMOKE WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

43 years ago I married an amazing woman. Together we made it through seven kids and a lot of rough times---as well as a lot of good ones. She survived me riding race horses and riding bucking bulls and a lot of other rather stupid things. But she hung in there even when times were tough. I look at these photos and can't believe how young we were. I am really happy that she hung in there with me.

Lately I have been telling people this was taken when I was in the seventh grade. Not true but it sure seems like the time has flown. In hindsight we probably did OK.

CAN'T THINK OF ANYONE I WOULD RATHER HAVE DONE THIS WITH!!!!