In previous writings, I said that Yellowstone has treated me well. The park is beautiful and striking and I am enjoying my work and the opportunities that may come from my employment. These things are true. Nevertheless, the experience isn’t what I thought it would be. Daily, I grapple with my perceived shortcomings of paradise. Happiness ebbs and flows and I’ve done much thinking to discover why. Continue reading “The Shortcomings of Paradise”
Tag: perspective
A Letter
Once a week, sometimes twice, I stop by the post office to check my P.O. box. The sun is usually shining and the elk lay on the green grass. I walk past the bustle of tourists and bound up the post office steps. My heart beats a little more and adds to the excitement. I make a quick left in the vestibule and make a not so sharp right in the lobby. I approach the wall of postal boxes in excitement. There has to be something for me! Mine is on the top left. I reach up high with the key in hand. I unlock and open the little door, stand on my toes, and peer inside. Continue reading “A Letter”
Stronger in an Unfamiliar Land
I’m writing to you from Shoshone Lake – Yellowstone’s second largest body of water. Sitting on the warm black sand, I am cooking a late shore lunch. I’ll be eating in a few minutes. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the view of a lake that is locked in winter’s grasp. Although it is late-May, this area is a winter wonderland. My hike to this icy destination was three miles over snowpack. Who would have thought that I would be walking over two feet of snow? Continue reading “Stronger in an Unfamiliar Land”
A Life Plan That is Working
Fieldnote 4
January 14, 2017
Congaree National Park – Bates Ferry
I’m enjoying a Saturday afternoon break. Today, I began the final push to wrap up the glow stick project. A couple hours in front of the computer, I had to get outdoors. I’m not used to spending that much time staring at the monitor or sitting in one spot for that much time. Nothing wrong with a slight diversion, right?
Bates Ferry Trail provided the break that I needed. It’s only a little over a mile from the trailhead down to the river and it’s a quiet, seldom used trail. I doubt that I will see another soul out here.
On the bank of the Congaree River, I am writing. My life back home seems so far away. It’s cold there and this afternoon, it’s warm here. I’ve never spent a January like this. I am warm and comfortable as I sit in my flannel shirt. I’m contemplating what to do next – maybe Alaska!
Life has changed so much since quitting my job at Pride Mobility. Times may have been rough in that year between then and school but I survived. Continuing my education, I had a vague direction; I didn’t know where this path would lead. I’m happy that it lead here – the outdoors.
My career is unfolding before me. I made a life plan that is working. I earned my education and identified great opportunities along the way. It has been fulfilling. For instance, last night, I was netting for bats at Congaree National Park in South Carolina. I do good work and the experience is rewarding. Five years ago, I could not imagine the possibility!
A thousand miles away on the shores of the Congaree River. Who would have thought? Maybe one day, it will be at the very top of the Alaskan Highway or out west somewhere. For now, I am content to sit in the warm sun, chasing bats through the swamp, and finishing my manuscript.
I am forever grateful to those who have supported me on this journey. A career in wildlife isn’t an easy one, but the reward is grand. I could have never attained this success without you.
~ Michael
Broken Peace, Reflections in the Water
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Congaree National Park – East of Weston Lake
Lunchtime is on the banks of a swamp, east of Weston Lake. The sun shines and a breeze blows with temperatures in the 70s. Not a bad way to enjoy a January winter’s day. My job here at Congaree rarely feels like work. Most times are a stroll through the woods on a sunny and pleasant day, collecting data as I go.
Often the forest’s peace is broken by fighter jets flying above. Some days, they fly singly, every now and then. Other days are like an airshow with loud engines overhead as planes go this way and that way. I’m not used to such a commotion. I often seek peace while enjoying the woods; unless of course, a woodland creature decides to make its presence known. That obnoxious anthropogenic thunder of horsepower took a while to become a familiar part of my surroundings.
Once considered a nuisance, the jets remind me of my brother. Paul loved the military jets since he was a child. It was a fascination that I didn’t understand in my youth. However, sometimes they fly so low, I couldn’t help but to be intrigued. He would have loved to visit Congaree. Besides the planes, there are plenty of amphibians for him to harass. I remember family fishing trips where I was on a mission to catch the big one and he was content on getting the drop on a bull frog. Again, it was a fascination that I didn’t understand in my youth. However, sometimes he was successful and I couldn’t help but marvel over the creature.
Since his death, I find that I understand my brother more in these years.
In the sunlight, a green and a yellow butterfly dance together in the sudden stillness of the air. With an otherwise constant breeze today, they must have waited a while for that moment. Time passes, in another moment, a lone butterfly.
Post-Holiday Update
The holidays were great! I was happy to be back home in Pennsylvania for the week and it was nice to spend time with friends and family. I was hoping to get outdoors and experience some elevation for a change but I was content with spending time in my own house in the company of Jill and Eli, outside of the occasional trip for food and drink with a friend. Jill and I invited our parents over on Christmas day and continued the festivities the following Friday with the addition of my sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. Sadly, we canceled our anticipated New Year’s celebration plans because Jill and I experienced a terrible allergic reaction to our Christmas tree. Nonetheless, we still had a good evening together, even if we were in bed before the ball drop. Continue reading “Post-Holiday Update”
Breakfast on the Boardwalk
December 14, 2016
My days at Congaree National Park are often filled with fascinations. Sometimes, I am lucky enough to post my observations on Facebook or include them in my vlog. More often, I encounter things and events that aren’t recorded, except in memory. This is a short story of a captivating event where I was in the right place at the right time.
Second Personal Perspective
When I was a younger, I could have summed my ethics and values in a few short sentences. I saw the world in black and white. I saw the world filtered through the dogma that was bestowed upon me. Life experience challenged those principles on many occasions and life continues to challenge my values and ethics today. Change is inevitable. Through the years, I found a tendency to see the world more clearly through shades of grey. With that said, I’ve found more questions than answers. Continue reading “Second Personal Perspective”
First Personal Perspective
Introspection, sometimes the hardest of tasks, can help us understand or remind us why we are in the field of natural resource management. Defining one’s values can help us understand ourselves within this field of study and help us understand others. Values allow us to understand what is important.