Cool down
So the past week was pretty quiet for me. I made it back from Helena on Monday, and went until Friday without any flights or fires. The weather has been cooler and wetter for a few days, and looks to be the same for a while. Friday we had one quick mission to the DNRC Anaconda Unit to do a crew shuttle, putting 3 of their fire folks on a small lightning fire in the Pintlers. The helispot where we picked them up was at about 7,500 feet elevation, and the fire was across the drainage in a lodgepole pine stand. We really only cut their walk from maybe 3 miles to 1 mile, but we were glad to help. The helispot was a big open rockfield with a road through it, and had great views of the surrounding mountains.
Today is my day off, and although the season has been slow, it still seems like it has been busy for me. We’ve been working 6 10-hour days between days off, and recently switched to 12-hour days. On top of that, I worked 13 days since my last day off. So, while the money has been good, I have been getting a little burned out. After 10 or 12 hours at work, I just don’t feel like doing much when I get home at night. Combine that with only one day off with which to regroup and recenter, and I’m getting ready to switch gears to school.
It’s still looking good for starting grad school this fall. I’m registered for classes, and have got at least one part-time job lined up. I’m still not really sure which option I’ll go with for my degree (Cartography & GIS or Community & Environmental Planning), but I’ll likely have a lot of overlap in the coursework no matter the option. I’ll also be finishing my History BA next spring, and hopefully taking a few writing classes as well.
