![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/IMG_0676-600x450.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/IMG_0681-600x450.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/IMG_0682-450x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt has been a while since I have posted, so I am going to try to make up for lost time.\u00a0 Things have been fairly consistent over the course of the summer.\u00a0 I have been doing juniper clearances for most of the summer,\u00a0interspersed with with setting up bat detectors and a couple of days of building fences.\u00a0 I got to explore some of the farthest reaches of the district in search of bats.\u00a0 Along the windy dusty roads I drove my old chevy for the last time and broke in my new Ford-150.\u00a0 Parting is such sweet sorrow, but I have gotten to like my new Ford F-150 with its new car smell and USB charging cord.<\/p>\n
I have continued with my juniper clearances and have actually made great strides.\u00a0 I managed to finish huge section that I was assigned over a year ago, only to be assigned to help design the next one.\u00a0 No good deed goes unpunished eh?\u00a0 Finishing this lifted a weight off my shoulder and now I can start doing small clearances on a project by project basis instead of having another massive workload hanging over my head.\u00a0 Some highlights of the juniper clearances include walking miles down a slow babbling brook.\u00a0 It was a beautiful warm fall day with the fall colors finally starting to come into their own along the river.\u00a0 I finished all of the clearances I had in store and got to eat a relaxing lunch along the stream.\u00a0 Other clearances have yielded numerous sheds (in this case mule deer antlers).\u00a0 The best day I found three as you can see from the pictures below.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Besides juniper clearances I have continued to deploy bat detectors.\u00a0 This brought me out to the far reaches of the district and to some real beautiful hidden gems.\u00a0 I also got to head out with some of the range staff to help construct a fence to protect a post-fire restoration area.\u00a0 Although I am comfortable working with my hands and with tools, it was great to have the opportunity to go outside my comfort zone and tackle a new challenge and learn a new skill.\u00a0 We quickly got things started with a nice flat section of fence that we finished quickly the first day.\u00a0 The second day proved to be much more of a challenge as we were working down a steep hill.\u00a0 We also had some technical difficulties which arose due to the very sandy soil.\u00a0 IT ended up being a long exhausting day, but we managed to finish the fence up in the nick of time.\u00a0 I really enjoyed my time with the range staff building fence as cross-training is always valuable and it was enriching to see another perspective on the problems that the Prineville office faces.\u00a0 It was also a great break from the day to day grind and it is great to accomplish something tangible instead of completing a project with an immaterial or delayed result.<\/p>\n
I currently am finishing up for this field season with a lot of time indoors both due to work load and to poor weather.\u00a0 I am going to be headed home for the holidays for an extended period of time and cannot wait to spend time with my family.<\/p>\n
-Andrew<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It has been a while since I have posted, so I am going to try to make up for lost time.\u00a0 Things have been fairly consistent over the course of the summer.\u00a0 I have been doing juniper clearances for most … Continue reading