I'm not posting much of late because fire season has taken off! Hallelujah!
Currently off district and enjoying the action.
Work selfie :)
Actual mountains in AZ
Planning on the fly...no that's literally the helicopter.
Some desert flora and fuana
I see smoke
Hydroflask for the win keeping me cool and hydrated
As a firefighter who moves around a lot, one of the things we stress on the job is area familiarization. Basically it's getting the gist of what terrain, fuels, and weather systems you're in at the time. There is a whole big science behind it...but for my recreational purposes I don't want a print out and multiple graphs showing trends. I want to put my boots on the ground and be IN the area I'm familiarizing myself with.
As an outdoorsy person, I like to hike and walk and drive around and see stuff. Not just read it in a brochure or see it from the pavement.
Here are some photos of a hike I took a bit ago here in Prescott, AZ.
I'm not the biggest fan of AZ but it does have some redeeming qualities...that's a pretty decent view.
The naturalist in me can't pass up the simple growing things without documenting.
Not even sorry.
This is Alligator Juniper. If you can't figure out why...then I am sorry :)
Nice to be close to the top. The joy of the hike is in the summit and the VIEW!
Since I'm a wildland firefighter and in Prescott where the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots were located out of, it's impossible to go a day without seeing the reminder of the tragedy that cost those men their lives.
Our goal every day is to go home to the people we love. Your prayers for a safe season are appreciated!
While you all are out grilling, playing volleyball, camping, fishing, spending time with family...
I sicerely hope you pause and realize what this day is for. Not for socializing, kicking off summer, or even just waving a flag.
Today is about remembering the amount of lives sacrificed over the last few hundred years so that you can be a free American.
Today is also not just about one war. Too many focus on the losses from Iraq and Afganistan and forget that many generations before us have felt the blow of foreign wars and the toll it extracted from the families of those who perished.
Think of the men who died simply for having the idea of a free country ruled by the people. Men like Nathan Hale who were hung for speaking out about liberty and the rights of the people so long ago.
Men who pledged their "lives, [their] fortunes, and [thier] sacred honor"
This is a day to reflect and be impacted by what so many sacrificed for you and for me.
Time to spread some happy!
Kudos if you participated in the High Five Challenge I posted on Facebook the other day! Our world can use a few high-fives and fist-bumps.
It's all well and good to spread the joy, but sometimes you need some yourself. Since wearing a signboard and ringing a bell asking for kind words doesn't seem to be a socially accepted option we've got to figure something else out.
For starters, pillows are huggable even if they don't hug you back. Also you can sleep on them, cry on them, throw them against the wall, bury your laughing face in them, stifle a scream of terror when watching Jurassic World previews, cling to them in glee as you dance around the room because that super unexpected but happy thing happened that day.
They can have bright colors to pump you up
neutral colors to calm you down
ruffles to make a space feminine
rope edging to be cowboy
pocketed for tissues/phones/remote/tiny teddy bears
quilted
indoor/outdoor
square
round
rectangular
donut shaped {ooh donuts!...focus Abigail}
And my personal favorite option at this juncture in time...
Embellished with words!
Found this little treasure at Marshall's back in Roseburg and it is the one decorative thing I brought with me to AZ. Even a temporary home has to feel somewhat like my own.
It's bright and awesome nautical red on one side with white letters and then MAGICALLY it is reversible!
If I'm feeling super stark and minimalist, the white side is up. If I'm feeling like I need a peppy reminder to smack on a grin then the red side comes up!
Confession: I have a hankering to add a bright yellow one to the collection.
It was here 8 days ago but I'm soooooo on top of things. Yeah. That happened.
Woof! Well here I am in AZ and finally have a day off after 13 days? Something like that. Days have numbers now, not names.
"Hey, Abigail, what's today's date?"
"4 months and 22 days until September 30th"
Here's something I've learned and MUST share with y'all.
If you read the last post, you know that I have had some brutal foot issues. Since I'm sensitive to weak tummies, there will be no photos. Not good. I didn't know my feet could have legitimate holes in them and somehow still function though on less efficient and comfortable level.
Heck I even stood up in a wedding with hamburger feet...aaaand then promptly went back to trusty Birkenstocks.
But enough about my misery. How can my owie help you? Well let me tell you.
Obviously the first thing to do is clean the abrasion so infection doesn't happen right?
I used Malelucca oil on a 100% cotton ball and dabbed, not rubbed. Sting sting sting.
{One of the guys on my crew said I HAD to cut all the dead white skin around off or it would get infected. I didn't and it didn't, all I did was keep the whole dang thing clean with clean dressings regularly. You decide what you want to do}
So malelucca dried it out like crazy even though it kept infection out. So I tried to add some coconut oil and even regular old drugstore antibacterial cream under a band-aid. That helped somewhat, but as I continued to use my feet it was a situation where healing and re-tearing the skin kept going and going like an energizer bunny from Hades.
As a last ditch effort to try and get past this...I tried Vitamin E oil. Not like a lotion...the concentrated stuff from Sprouts. {This is for topical application, not to be ingested}
The properties have all sorts of benefits, but the one that nailed my issue was it's abiltiy to speed up the skin regeneration process. The skin growing, healing, scabbing, process get's put on high.
Seriously though, the next morning I had a thin layer of skin {thin and shiny but there} I babied my feet that day with extra thick moleskin and re-aplied E oil that night.
The next morning the redness was gone, and the skin didn't hurt to touch. On the third day I was almost entirely sensetivity free on the huge spots, and the little spots already had scabs coming off. {gross I know but I was cheering at this point}
If you get blisters and things like that on your feet...I'd strongly recommend trying Vitamin E oil.
{Let me just throw in here though that you HAVE to disinfect the injury first, by whatever means you choose. Vitamin E oil will not stop harmful bacteria growth and infection, it only promotes skin growth as far as I know}
Season started in Arizona and I'm on week 3. Lots of training, exhaustion, frustration, and pain in these weeks as we get ready to go, go, GO all summer. When things get really rough in life it's easy to wallow and be bummed out and lose the pumped up attitude. When performances aren't what we'd hoped or the direction you're going might need to change, or you learn a new limitation you have...well...it's the pits.
When you know that quitting is the worst failure but you just can't imagine going on...how do you get your mind set to persevere? How do you keep from whining? How do you put one bloody and bruised foot in front of the other?
Here's what I do.
I think over the joys in my life. What am I thankful for? What have I got to look forward to?
My List
1. My Jesus and His Mercy to me. Without Him I'm literally just dust blowing in the wind.
2. My Mom and Dad who pep talk me when I call home. After all it's their fault I'm as stubborn as I am!
3. The skin that is still on my feet after a massive PT hike. {So that's what feet without skin look like}
4. Essential oils for healing and soothing my sore bod. Natural healing at its best.
5. My body that can heal from the beating it takes at work. {I won't limp forever right?}
6. Getting to stand up in my bestfriend's wedding. The sweetest human alive got married.
7. A sweet housemate who is sharing her ultra feminine home with me for a few month. With pretty doilies on the table!
8. A wonderful library just down the road. #booksfordays
7. A solid church with a night service so I can attend. Hallelujah!
8. Shania Twain who sings me to work and back. { "That Don't Impress Me Much" anybody?!}
9. he joy of being artsy and learning hand lettering. Oh it's fun to create pretty words!
10. My electric blanket. 'Nuff said.
What is on your list? What reminds you to not wallow and whine?
My job with the Forest Service starts on Monday. I'm a Forestry Technician and Wildland Firefighter on a helicopter module of 8 people. This is my second year on helitack and I'm glad to be back.
If you've missed in the news, there have been two Forest Service helicopter crashes with fatalities in the last month. One occurred in Texas and the other in Mississippi.
As a part of a helicopter crew, these tragedies lend a solemn beginning to fire season. Not just for me, but for all fire personnel.
We know the risks.
We provide for safety at every level, but risk will never be eliminated.
We are well trained.
We are proficient in our field.
We know that the worst could happen, yet we keep going and keep serving.
Please pray for the men and women in the fire service to have a safe season as we mourn the loss of the fallen.
