EOD

Entrance on Duty date.

For the rest of my career I will remember this date. Not so much because I will be required to provide it throughout my career as an indication of my seniority, but because I wrote it roughly eleventy-billion times today... that is just roughly of course.

I sat in a hotel conference room for many hours, watching powerpoint presentations, videos, and speeches designed to impress upon me the gravity of my chosen occupation. Most of it was very well and professionally presented. I endured endless cracks about the horrible station I was going to. Let them laugh. I'll have hundreds more arrests and seizures and out-rank the vast majority of my class in very few years.

Here is how I hope I looked to my co-workers and supervisors that I met today.This is how I felt inside.

And thanks for the tie Daring. It felt powerful. And I have graduated so I can wear it now.

Never gonna sleep

I have been up since 4:45 am.

I have been traveling . I have been sitting in terminals waiting for delayed flights for quite a few hours. I have read a few hundred pages of a favorite novel. These are all things that should make me tired.

Oddly I feel as though I have consumed huge amounts of caffeine. I am never ever gonna get to sleep tonight. I EOD(enter on duty) tomorro. I might just die. Here are some shots of my days adventure.
Here is my view of my new state from the hotel. Looks alot like Utah to me...but with palm trees.

An Ode to Montana

Sorry for the sporadic posting. Having received The Call, I find myself with alot to do besides posting. However, It seems only fitting to post about the place that has been my home for the last 8 months.

Montana is a magical place full of wonderful people... and aminals.(not a typo)

Montana has great in-laws who put you up for indefinite periods of time while you are waiting for word on a job. These in-laws also provide employment and recreation.
















Here are some pictures of the recreation.
Here are a couple pictures of Adam the Hod carrier.

Here are the guns he developed while hod-carrying...Got your tickets?

Speaking of guns. Sex sells everything in the rest of the country. Here it's guns. Here is a jewelry store that has antlers in the display case.I found it interesting that they would also display the expended cartridges used to kill the elk they belonged to. The only message I could glean from this display was, "Buy these sunglasses or you will be shot!"
One thing for which I am made fun of is my giddiness every time I see large wildlife close up. I grew up in Canada and spent some time in the outdoors but have never had the opportunity to see so much wild life so close on a daily basis as I have here. Here are some pretty visitors less than 20 yards from our house.

Our vehicle became evil in Montana.(don't worry. It repented soon thereafter...about a mile later I think)

Hotel bathrooms here are also evil. Here is a neighbor practicing his favorite pass-time, every time it gets muddy or snowy.

I became a Butterfly whisperer. So did Lisa. All told, it was a wonderful experience. We hope to return someday. All evil cars and bathrooms aside, Montana is a wonderful place. Papa and Grammy will have a great time here.