Hello and warm greetings from California's Grapevine Canyon Region!
I'm currently sitting in a cramped Starbucks - the only Sunday internet access available within 30 miles - listening to countless drink orders as they are shouted from the counter. Just a brief update...
My team has moved into our first Spike housing near the small towns of Lebec and Frazier Park California. Both towns are small, friendly, and seems to possess the mountain spirit of all high-altitude places. We wake up every morning for physical training and arrive at work by 8:30. Yesterday, our first official workday, we chipped and scraped old paint from the windows and doors of an original adobe building that once served as the barracks for dragoon soldiers posted at the Fort back in the 1850s. Original adobe. I don't know if any of you have ever touched 150+ year old adobe, but you better not have because it CRUMBLES. As we strip paint and apply primer, we work desperately not to breathe on the building. The slightest touch causes clay particles to fall: pieces of history hit the ground and mix with today.
My favorite thing about this Spike is living in a desert-like climate. I step outside every morning as the sun is just beginning to warm the frosted land. Day-time temperatures reach the middle 70s, but as soon as the sun goes down the temperature drops at least 15 - maybe 20 or more - degrees. The nights are quiet (except for the constantly busy highway 5 traffic in the near distance) and the desert seems to sleep. We hear reports of mountain lions, bobcats, and bears in our area. The mountain lions are known to stalk humans and we see their big tracks in the dusty trail outside of our home base. I hope to see one.. from a safe distance, of course. Most of all, I love the smell. There are large yellow shrubs that cover the soil around us. Whatever they are, they smell like the most heavenly smell you can imagine. Mixed with the beautifully potent scent of sagebrush, my body is always reluctant to exhale. Each breath in is joyous. I could never live in the desert because I am a child of water and winter, but I do find great pleasure in the unique spirit of the dry and ever-enduring land.
I've also found a potential career path. At Fort Tejon, we're working with a couple of park rangers. One is a Peace Officer - an actual law enforcement ranger who serves to protect the park and carries a gun. The other one is an interpretive ranger. He serves to teach and preserve the park's history. Both rangers know a lot about the area and work with school groups and park visitors, but the non-law enforcement folks are employed for the sole purpose of learning and educating. I can definitely see myself in this role.
Time to head back to camp. Thanks for reading and take care!
