I'm finally starting to really settle into Laramie - getting routines and habits down, making better friends. The most exciting part by far has been working with Search and Rescue. We've been practicing a lot for rescues in the climbing areas. We did some low angle training (i.e. not terribly steep) with the litter, and practiced setting different types of anchors. We did a knot tying classroom session, then went high angle climbing the next day (without the litter, just to get more used to climbing and practice all those new knot tying and belay skills). The rocks up here are at Vedauwoo (pronounced vee-da-voo) are Sherman granite and have crystals that are great for climbing - you can stand your whole weight on a few millimeters of crystal. But if you slide down one it will take a nice chunk of you with it....just ask my left shin. (I did include a picture, so if you don't want to see it I suggest pausing Vedauwoo is also known for having great wide cracks for climbing (called off-widths). Around the time I moved here a guy got his knee stuck in one of the cracks out there and had to be rescued. It happened to be one of the climbs we did, called "Easy Jam".....quite an apt name. I also got to go on my first search with Search and Rescue this past (very early) Tuesday morning. I'm not quite sure how much is appropriate to post online, but I'd be happy to tell you all about it you give me a call. I got to go out on the team with the dog, which was a great experience. And I'll be getting to help with some of the dog training starting this next week.
Speaking of dogs, I sadly do not have dog still. I had an application in for a dog that sounded like a great fit, but I think the foster-mom wanted to keep the dog and the rescue took forever to tell me anything and was not very helpful. I've just given up on that one. I've started looking at other dogs, or might just bring a puppy back from Pittsburgh with me at the beginning of September. For anyone who hasn't heard, I will be taking a trip back to Pittsburgh/Ohio at the end of August. Can't wait to see everybody!
Other than that, I've been doing some trail running (well, not so much the last 2 weeks since my leg was healing). There are some decent trails right behind my apartment. It's so flat here on the high plains you can see the weather coming from a long way off, and the very abrupt difference between raining and not raining....check out the picture below. I've been hanging out more with my friend Mandy from work. She's just great. She has 2 dogs that come to work with her most days, so we bonded over dogs and a mutual love for Diet Dr. Pepper. Work has been good, and busy. I finally made it over to the corporate headquarters in Cheyenne this month. And I've got some exciting new projects. The next few weeks will be extra busy to get everything done or to a reasonable state before my trip east. Clistie is finally back in Laramie after her month-long family trip to many of the west's national parks. Her parents stayed with us for a few days when they dropped her off in town.
I'll work on taking some more pictures....especially nature ones per request....but here's a few til then:
Speaking of dogs, I sadly do not have dog still. I had an application in for a dog that sounded like a great fit, but I think the foster-mom wanted to keep the dog and the rescue took forever to tell me anything and was not very helpful. I've just given up on that one. I've started looking at other dogs, or might just bring a puppy back from Pittsburgh with me at the beginning of September. For anyone who hasn't heard, I will be taking a trip back to Pittsburgh/Ohio at the end of August. Can't wait to see everybody!
Other than that, I've been doing some trail running (well, not so much the last 2 weeks since my leg was healing). There are some decent trails right behind my apartment. It's so flat here on the high plains you can see the weather coming from a long way off, and the very abrupt difference between raining and not raining....check out the picture below. I've been hanging out more with my friend Mandy from work. She's just great. She has 2 dogs that come to work with her most days, so we bonded over dogs and a mutual love for Diet Dr. Pepper. Work has been good, and busy. I finally made it over to the corporate headquarters in Cheyenne this month. And I've got some exciting new projects. The next few weeks will be extra busy to get everything done or to a reasonable state before my trip east. Clistie is finally back in Laramie after her month-long family trip to many of the west's national parks. Her parents stayed with us for a few days when they dropped her off in town.
I'll work on taking some more pictures....especially nature ones per request....but here's a few til then:
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