NC Mountain reflections...

I mentioned earlier in the year how I was living in Waynesville, NC for 3 months this summer, a lot of which I spent just driving around Western North Carolina and "inspecting" houses for CWPP compliance... It was a rather unique experience and I feel I have spent that necessary amount of time away from my life there that I can truly reflect on it wholly.

The Job

My job was rather spotty in its definition, and it did not help that our Project leader was an idiot: J*RRY R*NFROE from Louisiana. We were ACTUALLY supposed to gather wildfire risk information about communities as laid down by Fire districts, compile the data into visual maps to reference them spatially and then present them at community meetings to promote awareness about this seldom known hazard in the WNC. Also we were to make a database about how well equipped the mostly VFD were and their response times and etcetera. What sort of work did we actually do? Our PL, someone we were supposed to trust, had us doing not even the bare minimum -- basically we filled out CWPP assessment sheets, and met with VFD's to see where their communities at risk were. Our assessment was so half-assed and incomplete that whoever takes our place next season will basically have to do everything all over again. It's a real shame that someone who is supposed to be a professional would take advantage of a wonderful organization like the SCA... Mr. Renfroe you should be ashamed of yourself, and I am 100% satisfied that you were promptly fired following investigation of your fraudulent acts. I appreciate karma, and he got what he deserved.

The mountains

I love the mountains. If you haven't gotten that vibe from my blog well then you must not have read much of it. The scenery, the environment, the weather, the ruggedness, the challenge that is physically demanding yet rewarding immediately - the challenge of mountain life fulfills me. Although I have to have variety. I don't like staying in a valley for too long, while too much Mountain top travel can be overdone as well. I like the two extremes in modest amounts, but I never get tired of crystal clear water with cliffs with which you may plunge into the lake gracefully... I love (although fear at the same time) cliff jumping (into lakes only...) but I don't dive, I am too scared about breaking my neck/back so feet first only! You know, now that I went to some parts of the GSMNP, I really do appreciate the unique beauty of the Pisgah versus the GSMNP. I feel like there is a lot more to do in the Pisgah, more variety, and I don't have to travel as far to get to it all. Plus I still am in love with Black Balsam Mountain. Oh how I love thee. My friend Tbear made a panorama of our trip down the BRP around mile marker 418 as we were attempting to get to Black Balsam (we never did make it...) but it was still a great trip and I am glad we went.
Waynesville

Yes Waynesville is a small town, and the worst part about living there wasn't the fact that it was a small town, it was the fact that I was stuck in a small town and I had to rely on my coworkers to take me around to the places that I wanted to go to... That's what made Waynesville so inconvenient. Granted if we lived near downtown, then it wouldn't have been so bad but we were far away from everything looking at it from a strictly pedestrian point of view. Also our PL really shouldn't have lived with us, that was just wrong. I liked Waynesville though because it was absolutely gorgeous and I was so close to the Blue Ridge parkway. It literally hugged our town, and I got to experience an Indian reservation - Cherokee - and see how that way of life works in a sort of fashion. I also saw bears, although in a totally unnatural environment (they were penned up in concrete cells at a bear zoo in Cherokee) but I have never seen a live bear before, I also saw Grizzly bears and they are humongous. I met an amazing bunch of people who were also SCA interns and they all lived in Sylva (way cooler then Waynesville) and also Teresa Carswell who works directly with the North Carolina Forest Service. She was awesome, and a true blessing to my experience there. She was the ultimate strong woman in a man's world persona, doing what is typically seen as a man's job - she was a smoke chaser and it was her life's passion :) and I truly respect that. Alex also was a pleasant encounter, besides the fact that he was amazingly good looking, he has such a vibrant and enticing personality - wild stories and the soul of a explorer... I really admire his passion for dangerous things in life although he is very responsible in most respects, he just does things a bit more intensley then the average person.

Looking ahead.

I will finally be turning the magic age of 21 where so many doors apparently open as I hit this arbitrary age - almost of a rite of passage into the world of adulthood - now I can rent a car, now I can consume alcohol legally, and now I am able to apply to the North Carolina Outward Bound School to be an Outdoor education class leader!!! What a relief, I can finally look forward to this job that I have been looking forward to for 4 years now!!! YAY. I have received the application from the staff administrator and I have two people who can write me a recommendation, all I need is one more! I can't wait...