 Saturday, July 21, 2007
Our sponsor came out with dynamite to blast out some rock. I got to tape some sticks together and tie on a bundle to the main line.
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 Wednesday, July 18, 2007
We finished the rock bar we started yesterday. We started a new one. We moved giant rocks. We saw the marmot several more times. We saw two weasel-like critters about 8 inches long. I ate a few wild raspberries. They were tasty and not tart like most restaurant raspberries.  Tuesday, July 17, 2007
We worked from 7:00-3:30. I helped Pippa make a rock water bar. We still aren’t done. I was getting a little frustrated because we had to keep resetting a rock and finding the right shape and size brace-rocks was a pain. We walked to beautiful Rimrock Lake for lunch. Hiking is the hardest part of the MCC. All my attention has to stay on the trail and keeping myself walking. One or two five-minute breaks in over 3 miles isn’t my style. I prefer mini breaks - say 10 seconds after climbing a slope.  Monday, July 16, 2007
I got up at 4:30 today. The crew met at 6:00. Nobody had enough sleep. We were running late. We all were in bad moods or stressed. I carried 50 pounds on the 3+ mile hike to our camp. It was way too much. I have to cut down somehow. The area is pretty: rocky canyon walls, trees, a lake, river and falls, burned trees with new growth. We started trail work 1.5 miles from camp. We saw a golden-bellied marmot.  Saturday, July 14, 2007
The BLM Cody office got us free tickets to the Buffalo Bill Museum. I looked at the Firearms and Natural History exhibits. Dave was the best technical advisor we’ve worked with. I’ll miss working with him and with his horses, Tramps and Tom. Today I found out that I had no more minutes on my phone. I used to get warnings when I was running low. I wonder where they went? I had to call the Nelsons from a pay phone. I took a nap this afternoon and woke up to a knock on my door. I opened the door with the chain on to see a slouching man with long grey hair. I quickly shut the door thinking, “It’s that man who’s been sleeping outside all day.” Surprised, the man asked, “Are you going to open the door?” Grumpily, I said, “No!” The man wheedled, “Why not?” Annoyed, I asked, “What do you want?” The man began, “I brought you the house key…” I think, “Why is my landlord giving me a key? I already have one. Wait! That’s Adam Nelson!” I quickly opened the door and tried to explain. I was embarrassed, but I think Adam will just laugh at me when we talk next time.  Thursday, July 12, 2007
Yesterday I was so tired I went to bed at 7:30. I’m not tired tonight and we have an extra hour tomorrow morning. Today, we built rock dams and a retaining wall. The men moved small boulders for the wall. There is a robin’s nest with three babies in it near my tent. I was looking for a marshmallow-roasting stick and heard “cheep, cheep.” Then a robin flew out and puffed herself up. I looked, saw a nest, and walked away. A group of boys, Boy Scouts or some such, arrived today. They have been walking through our camp even though we are sitting right in front of them.  Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Not much to say. We drove yesterday to Cody. Camped at North Fork Campground in Buffalo Bill State Park and started trail maintenance. The man from Cody BLM* had worked for BLM for 38 years and at 66 is a volunteer. He is just the kind of person that we all want to be at that age. Work has been hiking at least 3 miles up Four Bear Trail, then pounding out rock and doing other trail work. *Bureau of Land Management  Saturday, July 7, 2007
We saw sandhill cranes this week. They look like dinosaurs from a distance. It reached 100+ F several times this week, according to the radio.  Friday, July 6, 2007
We saw a brown black bear and three cubs, two brown and one black. They climbed the hill far faster than any of us could have. I’m glad we were in the rig on the facing hill. At the end of the day, because as much as we could tell, the dozer line was the road, we rode in the rig and mapped weeds from the windows for the last few miles. We walked at least 8 miles today. It took longer than expected this morning and some people ran out of water. My microfilter water bottle came in handy. For the first time, I drank water out of a stream. It tasted better than tap water and was cool - much nicer to drink than water that is hot from being carried for several hours.  Wednesday, July 4, 2007
We went to Livingston, then Bozeman. We walked around, drank pots of tea while playing Scrabble at a Bozeman coffee shop. Visited Sacagawea Park in Livingston and ate at Pizza Hut. We didn’t have enough money to go to a rodeo and we had to get up too early to stay up for fireworks. We saw some fireworks from the campsite.  Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Another day of, “Where’s the dozer line?” We got some help from Mr. D who also gave us a ride and saved us nearly 1.5 miles of walking. We probably walked 6-7 miles today. We got back to camp and went wading in the river. We washed off a lot of dirt - so refreshing! We started today by driving to one starting-point gate. We stopped at the closed gate and read all the signs such as “Immigration White or Illegal” or “Hell is reserved for those who believe in it.” We backed out, wondering if it was the right place. We went to another starting point.  Monday, July 2, 2007
We hiked around and tried to find fire doze* lines. We also tried to identify noxious or exotic weeds using ID books with poor photos. All this after getting to Big Timber around 9:00 a.m., seeing our sponsor, driving to McLoed, setting up camp at a fishing access, and other miscellany. *Where a bulldozer removed vegetation to create a dirt perimeter with nothing for a wildfire to burn.  Sunday, July 1, 2007
I just saw a woman in my building who looks like a normal, nice person. I was supposed to help with crew grocery shopping today, but my phone number on the contact sheet was off by one number. When I finally got a hold of Pippa, they had just finished. Oh, well. Things like that happen. I’m getting a wart on my left hand - same hand I got one on in college. I cleaned and packed today. Wrote letters and postcards. Paid bills. I just need to make lunch for tomorrow and I’ll be ready.  June 30, 2007
Yesterday, I saw thermometer signs reading from 100-107 F. It was a hot day to be fencing! I wish the project were longer. I enjoyed it. We had a “Safety Member” and “Team Spirit” award. I got Safety and Eli got Spirit. Because it’s more of a way to good-humoredly embarrass someone than a serious award, we’re pretty sure Danny and Mason will get the awards at the next bi-weekly meeting. I did laundry at the Nelson’s today and had pizza. Eva and their infant daughter have a cold. They were in the ER until 3:00 a.m. because their daughter was so plugged. I know they are exhausted and the baby is still fussy. They are so kind to be letting me do free laundry and giving me free suppers.  Thursday, June 28, 2007
I’ve been sick since Tuesday. Horrible sore throat Tuesday. I only worked until lunch, then slept in the rig. I’ve been able to work yesterday and today, but fully booked with meds. I had supper at the Nelson’s. Making rice now because I want to eat tomorrow. Looking forward to my bed. I like fencing. I’m not lagging 20 feet behind everybody, there is a variety of work to do, and you can almost get into a rhythm.  Monday, June 25, 2007
After enjoying five days off, we were back at work today. We are working with the Billings BLM at Acton Recreation Area. We are building fences - both barbed wire and buck and rail. It is nice to be only working 8-hour days. Yesterday, I was supposed to volunteer at the Symphony in the Park, but my cramps were so bad I only stayed one hour instead of five. I was disappointed to miss the concert.  Thursday, June 21, 2007
Summer solstice. I wish I could go to a dance tonight. An outdoor dance would be even better. I am nearly 11 months through my travel-and-live-across-America adventures. I am bruised and tired from the winter, but have grown wiser. I look forward to pleasant experiences. And still I say, as near the beginning: “And whither then? I cannot say” - J. R. R. Tolkien  Wednesday, June 20, 2007
We were busy the rest of our time at Devil’s Tower or else simply had long days because I didn’t have time to write. Saturday: Full day of spraying weeds. I think several snakes were spotted. I know I got a nice view of a 7-foot bull snake slithering away. Sunday: We got to sleep in. We didn’t have to be at work until 8:30. We helped to set up for the Settlers’ Picnic. Eli stayed to help with parking. The rest of us hiked out to pile logs. The field they were in was supposed to be burned, but it wasn’t and the ATVs couldn’t get through until the logs were moved into piles. When we got there, it wasn’t logs we had to move, it was skinny, short pine trees and their branches that had melded into the grass. By the time we finished, there were a score or more funeral pyre brush piles in the field. We finished a little after 12:00. We met Eli, took showers, and made burritos for lunch while watching a movie. At 3:00, we helped clean up the picnic, then we were done for the day. We went to have our crew photo taken at an old timey photo place. We took it outside with Devil’s Tower in the background. It was starting to rain and the lady was not very personable. The rain didn’t last long and at 6:00 we went to a cookout with the DT people. I left before 8:00, intending to go to bed. Instead, I ended up talking to one of the rangers until nearly 9:00. Monday: We sprayed in the morning. Pippa almost stepped on a 2-foot rattler than I had walked next to without seeing. The afternoon was windy, so we couldn’t spray. Instead, we cut the heads off of leafy spurge so that it wouldn’t spread seeds. It seems a large portion of the MCC work involves sticking your backside in the air as strangers go past. Tuesday: We worked a half-day, spraying weeds. We had each received a $10 gift certificate to the camp store. We stopped on our way out and filled up on junk food for lunch. We were back at the office before 6:30 and I was home before 8:00 Today, I ran errands and worked on cleaning my gear. I learned something on the Devil’s Tower trip. It bothers me immensely to be the slowest and the last. I guess I’ll get over that these next months or else spend a lot of time frustrated and unhappy. Today, I also went to the Pictograph Cave State Park. I didn't pay, although I think technically, I was supposed to. There were three shallow caves. Only one had faint paintings in red, black, or white. I saw a brown and yellow striped snake. It was a nice little park to visit once.  Friday, June 15, 2007
Today was more organized and went faster, although my feet hurt just as bad. My hips are starting to chafe, too, because the sprayer-pack sits on them (nice for my back-shoulders-neck; bad for my hips). I almost stepped on a fawn. I saw balls of “spit” on small plant stalks. The “spit” belongs to spittlebugs, although whether they are the bugs, egg sacks, or something else, we don’t know. We worked 6:30-4:00.  Thursday, June 14, 2007
Yesterday, I unlocked the rig, stuck the keys in the ignition so they wouldn’t get lost, pressed the button to unlock all the doors, shut the front door, and went to open the back door. It was locked. Pippa got a ride from the NPS to get her keys from camp. Meanwhile, Declan used a stick to break in. We got our water, moved the rig down the road, took the keys, locked the doors, and played a joke on Pippa. Today, we worked 6:30-4:00 with 45 minutes for lunch. We spent about 30 minutes with maintenance while they cut down a tree. Pippa and Eli held traffic signs. The rest of us watched while the tree fell. There was no cleanup because the tree didn’t fall on the road, so we didn’t get as long a break as we had hoped. Weed spraying was over uneven ground filled with holes and snags. The NPS people don’t communicate well with each other, so it was a lot of “go uphill” and 30 seconds later “go downhill” and two minutes later “bump right” and 90 seconds later “stop, we’re pivoting left.” Frustrating day. Someone saw a rattlesnake. We startled three fawns. I saw two. They are giving us a cookout tonight. Maybe one day I will learn to enjoy such social gatherings. Maybe enjoyment depends on the people there.  Wednesday, June 13, 2007
We worked 6:30-3:30 today. We saw two racers, one rattler plus one I didn’t see, and two fawns plus one I didn’t see. This morning, I heard a pat-pat like dozens of birds flapping, but more like fauns prancing. I think it was deer feeding. There are red hills here that look like faces. When moved by a deep need, they open their mouths and sing a great and terrible song. And then you die. But if you are their friend, you stand captivated with awe. Similar red-rock people live on I-90 going towards Helena.* It was foggy this morning. We got soaked to our knees or higher as we tramped through the fields killing hound’s tongue, mullen, Canadian thistle, Scotch thistle, and musk thistle. The cottonwood seeds are flying around like snow. * In case it's unclear, this is my imagination, not a local myth.  Tuesday, June 12, 2007
We drove to Devil’s Tower yesterday. We got our new crew member, Danny. We found out Travis flew home over the weekend and isn’t coming back for medical reasons. Too bad. We had a good group dynamic going last week. Today started with work at 6:30. We sprayed weeds until the rain stopped us at 10:30. At 12:00, we went to Sundance with some of the park people we are working with. We went to a free museum. We went to Vole Buffalo Jump. It’s a hole in the ground, not impressively big. The sign said there are 20 feet of bones under the topsoil. It was too rainy to take pictures. I wish I had, though, just to show how unimpressive it is. We got back at 4:00 and the end of the work day. Supper, then shower. The rain stopped by the time we got back. It looks promising for clear skies tomorrow. There are prairie dogs here. This morning, a park worker sprayed a weed within two feet of a sleeping fawn before she saw it. We all gathered around, probably 10 feet or less away and the fawn pretended to sleep.  Sunday, June 10, 2007
I spent yesterday evening with the Nelsons. I woke up before 7:00 this morning. Packed some. Watched the 1950 DOA. Enjoyed it. In another mood, I might find it disjointed, something akin to an Agatha Christie novel. As it was, it proved a pleasant way to help pass the morning.  Saturday, June 9, 2007
I never thought an air mattress could be so comfortable. I thoroughly enjoyed my bed and shower last night. By the time we got in, unpacked the rig, stopped at the Mongolian Grill, dropped off Travis and Eli, and I got home, it was 8:30. We worked 7:00-1:00 yesterday and enjoyed the sun. The woman who owns the ranch had to hug us all as we left. She is a sweet lady. I hope she gets lots of visitors. Today, I prepared for Monday, went to the Army-Navy Store, cleaned, and went to the library - not in that order. At the Army-Navy Store, I got a raincoat with a hood and wool gloves and a wool hat.  Thursday, June 7, 2007
We didn’t blow away in the night. The sun came out today. There are still some clouds and chilly wind, but some hot moments, too. The pre-sunset over the lake was beautiful. I sawed some in the morning. I spent the afternoon putting up shingles. I had to cut them at an angle to leave a “gutter” in the flashing. Figuring out logistics of that was frustrating. We worked from 7:00-5:30. I’m happy to be dry and see the sun. |
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Jill Hames is a writer, musician, biblical studies teacher, and ESL tutor who finds life too interesting to pick a niche. She has a B.A. in Music and Spanish, a Masters in Library and Information Science, is TEFL.org 168-hour certified to teach English as a second language, and is working towards a Master of Divinity. Jill is a member of Delta Omicron and the International Women's Writing Guild.
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Copyright 2025