Hey Ranger!

At last...the long awaited glamour shots of us in our volunteer ranger uniforms....

Teresa high atop El Morro, examining some
 petroglyphs with Ranger Lee

 

The brave rangers out on patrol

 

Working the Register



 

And possibly the most exciting news since we've arrived.... Jesse will soon be trading in his Volunteer uniform for the REAL THING! Starting next February Jesse will be a National Park Ranger here at El Morro.

National Parks of the Southwest

Good news everyone!  We have been able to start volunteering (oh, New Mexico, you were worth us packing our bags once again and moving).  Perhaps even better news is that we have been able to visit two National Parks in the last two weeks J 

Grand Canyon Sunset

First stop Grand Canyon.  We visited the park right before the government reopened and it was being run by the State.  Thank you governor of Arizona - we appreciated your decision.  We spent close to 3 days camping, taking pictures, hiking the rim, and a very steep hike to the bottom of the canyon and back up.  Even though our legs didn’t appreciate the trip, we had a wonderful time! 

Lunch at the bottom of the Canyon



We just got back from a trip to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.  The park is famous for its ancient cliff dwellings…which we got to hike right up to!  It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has some of the most amazing ruins we have ever seen in our travels.  One of our favorite ruins was Spruce Tree House that has a wonderful canyon trail linked to it.  Once we hiked to the bottom of the canyon in became apparent we weren’t the only ones who enjoyed this trail.  Yes folks, we saw so much bear scat that we lost count after 2 wet, fresh, piles of poo and a paw print. 

Mesa Verde

The Southwest has treated us well so far and we hope to continue to fill our weekends with wonderful outings.

By the way, check our blog soon for pictures of us sporting our new volunteer ranger outfits!

Wandering New Mexico

So…things haven’t gone quite according to plan this fall.  We intended to spend the fall and winter in Lincoln, maybe working at Cabela’s and maybe building a snowman or two.  But, an unexpected opportunity came up for both of us to spend a few months volunteering for the National Park Service at El Morro National Monument in New Mexico.  Because Park Service positions are quite hard to come by, we couldn’t pass the opportunity up.

Unfortunately, our first day of volunteering coincided with the first day of the government shutdown…

So, we have been allowed to stay in our housing at the monument but now have A LOT of time off.  We have been trying to stay busy-lots of school-work, volcano climbing, ice-cave exploring, and wolf-watching- you’re basic New Mexico activities.

Hopefully the parks can open back up soon, and in the meantime if anyone wants to visit us we have a pull-out couch and a wide-open schedule J

Here’s to hoping, along with the rest of America, that the government gets their act together sooner rather than later!

Our Last Southern Blog (That We Know Of...)

A tarantula we found outside our dorm

 

We are finishing up our time in the Ozarks and will soon be heading back to Nebraska.  Last weekend was an exciting one though, a wonderful blend of Ligers, Lions, and Luck (Jesse ate a four leaf clover).  We visited the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, a home for rescued big cats and bears.  It turns out you used to be able to buy baby wild animals as easily as you could buy candy cigarettes for a minor.  But of course, wild animals don't make the best pets and are difficult to take care of.  Many of these animals end up abandoned and in poor health when their elderly owners no longer can take care of them, and that's where the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge steps in!

The highlights of the refuge included a liger, Bam Bam the grizzly bear, and knowing that the money spent on our snow cones went to a good cause.  If you want to find out a little more or even donate to a good cause, then click here.

It was a lot different than a zoo.  To us, the animals seemed far more active, and enjoyed showing off for people (probably because they grew up being handled by them).  We got to hear tigers growling, pumas snarling, lions roaring, and see Bam Bam balancing on his head.  What a ham...I mean bear!



One of our fishing trips in the kayaks

We cliff dove from the very top!  First you have
to swim to the base of the cliff, then there
 is a rope you have to use to climb
 to the top.

Our first time out in the resort kayaks

A Bug's Life

 

En-to-mol-o-gy:  The branch of zoology concerned with the study of insects



Our cool bug exploring hats

In May Jesse started taking Master’s classes studying science for educators with a focus in entomology.  So far he has completed one semester of summer classes and is getting ready for fall classes.  It is not uncommon for our co-workers to see us chasing around butterflies, moths, beetles…basically anything with six legs, and freezing them.  He has been doing a GREAT job balancing classes and work and I will do my best to continue supporting him even when his bugs take up my freezer space and I find one  forgotten in the warm oven after 3 hrs …*ahem



Of course out of all the wonderful bugs out there, I would have to agree with my husband that butterflies and beetles are my favorite.  Beetles are fun to pin and butterflies…even though they are stupid…are great for practicing photography.  Jesse and I had so much fun the other week visiting the Butterfly Palace in Branson, MO and working on our photo skills!

 

 

*Warning:   Even though people considered our time in S. Korea to be dangerous  because of nuclear threats and what not…It seems to us that Korea is nothing compared to all the venomous snakes, tarantulas, black widows, poison ivy, and scorpions we have found crawling around and getting into our homes while in the South.   





Life in the Ozarks

We have been working this summer at Stonewater Resort on Table Rock Lake in Missouri (there's lots of poison ivy if anyone was wondering- we know from painful experience).  After a spring spent in Alabama, we did make one awesome detour on the way back home...Mammoth Cave National Park, where we had our very first adventure cave tour. Wowzers!




Our Adventure Cave tour

So, what have our TOP TEN adventures and good times in Missouri been in case you are curious?   Hmmm, let us see...



#10  Kayaking

#9  Spending the afternoon in a hammock

#8  Tubing!

#7  Sitting on a boat watching fireworks (even if it was the 6th of July)

#6  Catching over 100 bugs for master classes

#5  Pizza Hut dates on the lake

#4  Cliff Diving 25-30 feet into the lake!

#3  Taking pictures of tropical butterflies at the Butterfly Palace

#2  Going camping and not worrying about getting eatin' by a bear



And the #1 adventure and good time spent in Missouri (drum roll please)...



#1  Our weekends with family!



The Gunn family made a trip down South to visit Branson a week ago, and were gracious enough to let us spend some time with them and the kids.  By far, one of the best weekends we had spent thus far.  We rode on a Segway, went to dinner and a show, fed some fish at a hatchery, climbed a tower, and enjoyed a day at the waterpark with the fearless kids.  Whoa, we had fun and sure stayed busy!

This last weekend, Ma and Pa Barry made there 2nd annual trip to visit us kids at our summer stomping grounds.  We spent time in Branson exploring Talking Rocks Cave (our 6th cave for the year), climbing through walls, mini golfing with an underwater cougar,  and getting sung to while eating dinner.  Oh, what fun!

 

Sweet Home Alabama

 

This has been our home since mid February and we will miss our quiet little haven at North Riverview, but it is time to move on to new things...

 

The job we won't miss, but boy will we miss our weekends with the Hiatt's and our cabin in the woods.  So long, Alabama...next stop, The Ozarks. 

 



All aboard the Chattanooga Choo Choo!

Rock City

A few weekends ago all four of us went to Chattanooga for the weekend!  It was a much needed and welcomed weekend and we spent time relaxing with a picnic lunch at Rock City.  Rock City reminded us of a enchanted garden (like something you would see in a Disney movie) that some old lady created years ago and still exists today.

Afterward, we visited Ruby Falls...a 145 foot tall waterfall 1,120 feet underground.  Definitely impressive!  The next day we walked the streets of downtown Chattanooga, ate lunch, and stopped by an Art Festival before heading back to camp. 

I cannot emphasize how good it has been getting to hangout with Andrew, Christina, and baby Hiatt.  Even when work has been out of control, the 3 of them are a perfect reason to be in the South. 

anyone remember David the Gnome?

Busy Busy Busy!

To sum up our last few weeks…

 

 

B –  Baby Announcements from both sides of the family!!

A –  Andrew and Christina visited camp

B – Baking Cinnamon Rolls over a fire

Y- Yummy Asian food weekend

 

H – Hiking and biking through Desota State Park

I – Intense bouldering action packed day

A – A Rocket Launch!

T- Taking baby Hiatt on its first caving experience

T- Tons of hours spent at work

Happy Easter 2013

Andrew Hiding Easter Eggs

Last weekend we were able to celebrate Easter with Christina and Andrew for the first time since they moved to Alabama.  We ALSO got to celebrate with my parents and Sadie the wonder dog!

Although it was rainy, we still had fun.  We went on an Easter Egg hunt throughout the house, ate lots of food, attended church, watched/slept through the bunny picnic, and ended the weekend by having my mom and dad come up to Lookout Mnt. for a day of camp. 



Lunch by the falls at camp

The day at camp included eating lunch by a waterfall, hiking, and relaxing with a game of cards and dinner before mom and dad  headed back to Hunstville. 

Hope everyone's Easter was just as enjoyable as ours!

 

 

"Then the angels declared, He is not here, He is risen."  Luke 24:6 

“You like pool parties?”

canyon waterfall

Another item got crossed off our Southern experience list…a visit to Chic-Fil-A!  Thanks to the generosity of Christina and Andrew, Jesse got to enjoy his first meal at this fine chicken establishment.  We also got the privilege of experiencing “Southern Hospitality” from a middle aged woman who decided to get her Saturday night off to an early start.  She invited us (along with everyone else in the restaurant) to her April 20^th pool party, told us stories about dwarf tossing, and then stumbled on her way. 

Jericho

First Chick-Fil-A

Of course, nothing could spoil our appetite after a long 6 mile hike to the Walls of Jericho.  It was steep, but worth it.  Along the trail, we got to see a hundred-year-old cemetery, traverse some pretty cool foot-bridges, see waterfalls, and climb up the amphitheater-like canyon walls.  

…and as if the day couldn’t get better, we ended it with a pot of fondue J

The Southern Experience Begins...

We started to check off some of the things we wanted to experience while in the South. 

So Far on the List…

#1 Unclaimed Baggage Store –  A wonderful store where all the unclaimed baggage across America gets sent to.  It was much bigger than we expected and found a few good bargains…although it does seem a little weird there was so much used underwear for sale

#2 Jack Daniel Distillery­  -  We finally joined the long list of Williams’ Family members who have made the pilgrimage to Lynchburg TN.  Highlights included free lemonade, a mini blizzard outside,  visiting the shops downtown…and almost getting drunk off the air around the distillery. 

#3 Spending time with Christina and Andrew - One of the best things about living in the South is being closer to my Southern sister and bro-in-law.   So far we have been able to visit them in Huntsville and they have come seen us atop Lookout Mountain.  This weekend, we hiked to DeSoto Falls together, crawled through rocks, and saw Welsh Caves…which may show pre-Columbian settlement by Europeans- holy smokes.     

 

There are still many other things we want to do while down here, including visiting Mammoth Cave, sampling a mess of Crispy Cream donuts, a trip to Chattanooga, eating Chick-Fil-A, hiking some of the Appalachian Trail, and hopefully seeing much much more of Christina and Andrew!

What Happened?

S. Dakota Hike going  up to Mount Rushmore

You might not know this because of our lack of blog posting, but eventually they made us leave the Tetons…and so just like none of the pioneers ever did, we packed our bags and headed East.  First stop, S. Dakota via Yellowstone.  We spent several days backpacking through the Black Hills, spelunking, and car camping in National Forests along the way.  We also made sure to spend some time in our beloved Nebraska; visiting Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Agate Fossil Beds, and finally ended our journey with camping and fishing at Lake Ogallala. 

Agate Fossil Beds

The next few months were spent living and working temporary/seasonal jobs in Lincoln.  Laura and John got married, we spent the Holidays with family, were able to rejoin our Bible Study, and much fun was had by all.  But of course, we have a tendency to not stay in one place for too long and answered adventure’s call once again…IT WAS TIME WE BECAME SOUTHERNERS!

We will be spending the next few months in Mentone Alabama, atop Lookout Mountain, drinkin’ moonshine, eatin’ crawdads, and teaching kids about nature.  We done become outdoor educators. 

Look out Alabama, here we come….oh wait, “are”….because we moved here a week ago.