Have you seen the Marx Brothers movie Animal Crackers?

If you have not...well you are missing out on some verbal wit and rhetoric that staggers the modern comedic world. For serious. It's pretty legit.

One of my favorite songs (and one that applies to my life every few months...or weeks...or days) is the one I put in the title of this post.

"Hello, I must be going,
I cannot stay, I came to say, I must be going.
I'm glad I came, but just the same I must be going.
La La."

In case you haven't noticed...Fall is basically wiping its feet on the door mat to come in and hang out. That means I'm basically packing up my truck again to move on from #fireseason2015 and have new adventure/life/somehow survive.

In three days...October 1...I shall be once again done with a season, unemployed, free bird once more.

Not exactly sure what my winter will all entail...but as of my planning right now it will involve...

Rain (right...this PNW is so original with that one)
Coffee (I just blew your mind again didn't I)
Backpacking (Possibly international...possibly back yard Oregon...possibly Mt. Rainier...)
Mountain Biking (I bought a mountain bike...and I'm in love with going fast...yes I wear a brain bucket)
Time with family (That is a must. Little or long, it is a must)
Writing more (I have missed writing all summer and am STOKED to get back into a semblance of some kind of rough routine where I write more)

There you go. I'm alive. I'm on the move. I'm setting up my next adventure. Thanks for keeping up with me all summer as I worked my little tush off!

Here's hoping all of you had a happy summer and are ready for some fall pumpkin things and cooler weather and new happenings!

Stay tuned!

Just me being calm, cool, and collected near Diamond Lake.

Fire season lasts for about 6 months.

For me that's 6 months every year guaranteed away from my family.

Since College (which was 4 years also far from home) I haven't had a full time job near my family.

Mount Adams as seen from Trout Lake, Washington

Nope...first Alaska, then Arizona for the most recent years.

Reason A) There aren't jobs to be had in the field I want locally

Reason B) I have a wandering itchy foot

SO days like today, when I am lucky enough to have my two mandatory R&R days only three hours from home are a HUGE BLESSING! This is after 14 of working. Not complaining...the last roll for me was 21 days before R&R. This is normal real life for wildland folks in the summer.

This is a brief summary of why I love being home with my family.

My Mom hugs me and feeds me good homemade food (I block out the vegetarian lasagna MRE memories)
My Dad tells me all the goings on at the ranch so I don't feel like I've missed out too badly
And Sarah my Sweet-Sister-In-Law drove the 3 hours over the mountains with her baby in the backseat just to pick me up at my helicopter in Eastern Oregon and bring me the 3 more hours back home!

{I am highly blessed. My family is brimming with kindness and love for me and dedicated to supporting me in whatever way they can from far away. Convenience is not a word they understand...no they will jump any hurdle to support me and to get even the briefest times together}

Each year I anticipate not seeing them for the full 6 months...but this year I am unimaginably thankful to see them in the middle.

Only 63 days to go!

Here is a mash-up of photos I've taken on this last roll. Some are taken on my phone, some with my Go-Pro...the quality isn't that great for some but at least you get the idea!