Lazy Sunday (Monday)

There is a certain beauty to free wifi, Jackson Lake Lodge, a view of the Tetons through the huge picture window, and a Snake River Lager. Hanging (100 yards away) with a little male yearling grizz on the way here made it even better.

I am enjoying the quiet of the house and location and are so glad to be here. Last week I checked out  two hikes that leave from our back yard; one of the hikes lead to a gorgeous waterfall. We laughed as we post-holed through the snow drifts and many times wound up with snow in our boots. On both hikes we saw lots of animal signs and scat (bison! moose! bear! wolf!). We have a few boar grizzlies that hang out near our abode and we like walking down to the river to see them in the evenings (packing bear spray, of course).   Other exciting sightings (from friends) in the area include moose and wolves but so far we haven't seen any so far.
Work life is wonderful, tomorrow I will give my first program which is on day hiking in bear country. I'll be giving 8 programs in total and love being able to choose what I want to study and teach.  It's been nice having this new job and new experiences. I had a great time during our 3 weeks of training and met some incredible people from all over the country. The hubs is loving it too- already having wild experiences including lots of snow and wind to make the roads especially fun for visitors. His birthday is at the end of the week and we'll celebrate with a nice dinner out (a luxury for sure) as we both requested to get off early.
We are forever seeking the joy of being alive. 

What a ride

I am officially here and honestly, it feels like home. The past few days have been full of smiles and warm greetings and stories, many stories. Our over-wintering friends are pulling themselves out of their winter dens (bears and humans) and embracing the spring that is arriving rather quickly. Although, for the humans at least, having all these people around again must take some getting used to. Their exuberance for our tales of adventures back East is refreshing and really kind. Yes, there is a lot of warmth in being back here even if the snow is still hip-high in places.

Training is underway and I have really enjoyed it. My time deep in the interior meeting new friends and seeing elk, marten, grizzlies, and water fowl at the lake has been wonderful. Two more weeks of training follow for me and yes, I'll enjoy my four days of "in town" training. I'll admit to dreaming of draft beers already. I am most excited for the day when we meet with some of the best resource experts in the country and learn all about the wildlife in depth. The training has been incredible so far and really has been stretching me.

My response from a piece of training asking why the park is relevant to me:

I find relevance in the wildness of this place. Wilderness here is the unique opportunity to be a part of an ecosystem, a participant, in a very real way. To see wild things and sleep in wild places creates something new inside of us. There is a certainty of your being in possession of the qualities of LIFE when you are here. There is no holding space or keeping time you must certainly be alive. The park not only encourages alertness, awe, excitement, humility it REQUIRES it. Reverence and respect are a given.