Nick and I are back in Bend after almost two weeks in the wilderness.

[DemoTex]

Three things that should never be taken for granted: running water,
flush toilets, and desk lamps for the computer keyboard. I am really
tired of typing in the lookout tower with my "headlight" strapped
around my head. Maybe I should add grid electric power to the list,
but I am very satisfied with my setup at the lookout tower - 85%
solar/battery-bank, and 15% gasoline generator (Honda 2KW). Actually,
on the really sunny days, it is more like 95% - 5% (or occasionally
100% solar and stored solar).

Nick and I got to the hotel in Bend about 8 PM PDT. I gave myself a
haircut (total buzz, as usual), took a hot shower, and ate some
take-out from Safeway. I wanted to go out for a steak (I've been
eating a whole lot of G-I MREs), but that will have to wait until
tomorrow.

I'll try to get Nick in for a bath and haircut tomorrow. I'll run some
errands and maybe kayak some on the Deschutes. I'm hoping to link up
with my fishing guide for a fly-fishing trip on Tuesday.

Now for some nature studies from my neighborhood.


What is this male American Kestrel eying?


What is this hawk looking for?


Why is Nick showing his ass on this Big Dig?


The object of their attentions: the Golden Mantle Ground Squirrel (aka the Central Oregon Rock Rat).

[Morning Dew]

1. The kestrel photo is great. Enjoy your days off ! nm

[TahitiNut]

2. Gotta love Nick. His sense of priorities is superb.

:rofl:

[DemoTex]

5. Funny thing is, I've never seen him dig before.

Nick has some terrier in him, I think. But he never digs in the back yard gardens at home in SC. There he is, half way to China.

BTW: I have some hilarious short video clips of Nick that I took last week. As soon as I can uplaod and link (maybe), I'll post the links here. Then you will really ROFL!

[Skittles]

15. you want I should kick some Nick ass, Mac?

he's making it very easy for me :7

[KT2000]

3. Must be a relief

enjoyed the photos - thanks.
bath, showers, indoor plumbing and take out - enjoy while you can!

[elleng]

4. Great to hear from you back on earth!

Does Nick's attitude change when you guys take a break? Have a great one!

[DemoTex]

7. Nick loves hotel life.

Not that it mattered to Nick, but our first few weeks here we stayed in a La Quinta on my off days. It was fine, but it was in a crappy part of town (across from Wal-Mart). Then Dr. D. came out. She insisted on a Marriott Suites Hotel, negotiated a corporate rate lower than La Quinta, and booked all my off days through mid-October there.

Bless her heart! It really is better. It is walking distance to the Power-plant shops/restaurants, the Deschutes River, and the great parks of Bend.

Once we get in the room, I spread out my old Viet Nam poncho liner on the bed and he hops up. When I leave the room I always turn the TV to The Weather Channel and turn up the volume. Best dog sitter in the world - Jim Cantorre!

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. I leave MSNBC for the parrots

shuster and crew, best bird sitters ever.

I have found out that pets love the noise. The radio works as well, just that I don't remember all the time.

Cockatiel sleeping on my shoe as I type.

[elleng]

9. NICE to hear!

I'll be thinking of y'all!

[DemoTex]

11. One of my brothers asks why I don't leave Nick in the room watching The Animal Channel.

Are you crazy?, I reply. What a barkfest that would precipitate.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Enjoy days off, and damn I fear for your tummy

MREs are NOT kind to any digestive system...

:-)

And you know 'xactly what I mean...

Ok the PB is not that bad... just walk on it for hours in the boot

:patriot:

[DemoTex]

10. Most MREs contain laxative chewing gum. WTF?

Got a weird story for you:

Wednesday a USFS Sikorsky helo with a bunch of rappellers departed Redmond or Prineville for a big fire in the Umpqua NF to the west. There were lots of clouds spilling over the crest of the Cascades, and the passes were getting iffy, flight wise.

They tried to scud run through a pass. Weather forced a landing. They went zero-zero real quick. BTW: Great decision by the pilot. Way too many continue the mission to smack a mountain or power-line.

So they sat in the pass all that afternoon, with their rappellers, waiting for the fog to lift. It did not lift. At about 1700 Central Oregon Dispatch called out pick-up crews and made motel arrangements.

Mid-morning on Thursday I hear N21CX on the USFS radio net talking to CO Dispatch. Still zero-zero. Lasted all day again! Finally late afternoon more arrangements were made. First was for a separate van to pick up the firefighters and get them to the fire in the Umpqua. Then was for another crew truck to pick up the helo crew for a second night in the motel (where, I have no clue).

Friday morning the helo crew was back at their ship, N21CX. The weather in the pass was still zero-zero! They finally got out of there on Friday afternoon.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. That is a cool story

And here is my story about MREs

During the floods the USMC donated a bunch of their old stock to feed our civies, we are talking thousands of this things, probably five thou. We also got a lot of ahem regular food donated. So we kept the MREs for responders and prepared rations for civies, and once they were able to, packets they could cook themselves, Refugee management 101

So I get one of my kids come with MRE in hand, I think it was the beef macarooni surprise, her face literally contorted. She didn't heat it up. So we had to figure out how to heat them and use them. But boy they didn't want them. Partly for the same reasons I could not have given it to my civies, they were not familiar with the food, or the food texture. One of my surprises was PB. It was hard, so I put it in boot and walked on that for a couple hours, to mix it. Then it was great.

Oh and yes, the same trading you see happened, kids were trading M&M for a better tasting main course pouch, I had to laugh.

Our firefirghters though, were so hungry, as well as the front line staff, that they wolfed them down. They were gone in two weeks.

[Skittles]

12. off to the Greatest Page with ye

:thumbsup:

[DemoTex]

13. How's that Dallas weather Skitt? I had snow here three days ago!

:rofl:
:hi:

[Skittles]

14. LOL

I just mentioned to my coworker WOO HOO no triple digits this week - only 99 and 98!!! :D

[JNelson6563]

17. Just glad to read this

personal post when I come to DU lookin' for political stuff.

What's with you people putting vanity posts in GD? When did this become the norm?

Julie--old time DUer who apparently missed the memo

[DemoTex]

21. Hi Julie!

EarlG approved the inclusion of my dispatches from the Oregon wilderness in GD. Sometimes it is breaking news (new big wildfires, serial arson), most is just informative, and a little is Lounge-type info. It is hard for me to break it down and I am severely bandwidth limited. For most of the past posts, go to my DU Journal.

mac
Old-time DUer too.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/DemoTex

Most of my posts here are serious wildfire business, like the Black Butte fire last month:







I posted these pics in GD before they evey made the MSM, if they did. This is why EarlG has allowed me to post my dispatches in GD. My dispatches are about the day in and day out drudgery and joy of contributing to the fire fighting effort in the Deschutes NF. But one thing these dispatches lacks is politics. Thank goodness!

[DemReadingDU]

18. Those ground squirrels?

They look like the chipmunks in Ohio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipmunk

[DemoTex]

20. I thought they were chipmunks too.

Google "Golden Mantle Ground Squirrel."

[DemReadingDU]

22. ah, no facial stripes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden-mantled_Ground_Squirrel

very interesting!

[malaise]

19. Lovely pix

Enjoy that steak :hi: