Visting

We just finished up this afternoon with a two day visit with my (favorite) cousin Chelsea. She and her boyfriend Paul are on their way from having spent the winter working down in Big Bend, TX back on their way up to Yosemite to work for the Summer. Chelsea is the best. She has worked for years now within the national park system and I totally envy her for her absolute rock solid guts. She hikes and camps alone in seriously back country wilderness (we are talkin' bears and mountain lions here people) without batting an eyelash. She loves it. I love that she loves it. She kicks ass.

She and Paul met this last Summer at Yosemite. He has worked there and in Big Bend for about 5 years running I think. He is a gourmet chef and does all the cooking for the crew that Chelsea works with. They do trail head work and other stuff to maintain the park's integrity. So the next time you are admiring the stability and quality of a hiking trail in a national park out West you may have my cousin to thank for it.



The last time we met up was in Grand Tetons National Park up in Wyoming. It was absolutely amazing. I highly recommend visiting Jackson Hole and the Tetons. You can also hit Yellowstone while there. The whole area will blow your brains out. We went hiking with Chelsea up there and hung out in Jackson Hole for awhile. I can't wait to get back up there.... maybe this Summer we will peel off a trip up in the trailer. I hope. Here's a shot from the day we spent hiking...



It will probably be awhile before we get a chance to meet up again. We are hoping to see them at Yosemite but it is so hard to get in to the park's campgrounds without booking like a year in advance. We never book anything a year in advance. How the Hell does anyone? I don't know what I am doing tomorrow let alone next year this time. So we shall see. I am sure we will cross paths somewhere. Until then I know I have a cousin out in the wilderness defending my right to hike trails 30 miles into the back country and sleeping fearlessly with bears.

So I took the part time job at the shop downtown. I start Tuesday. Wish me luck. I have not stood for an 8 hour shift indoors in a retail environment for a seriously long time. I might panic or demand weird things like free cookies and ice cream on the hour. Or at least I should get to wear cowboy outfits with studs and rhinestones while lip syncing to Merle Haggard songs. Do you think they will let me do that? I think the shoppers would like it. I'm good. I can entertain people. They will buy more stuff if they are bedazzled. I will let you know how it all turns out.