Montana 10/8 and 10/9

For these past couple of days we have been working on ski and snowmobile trails somewhere north of Butte.  I know the place starts with an M, but I will need to get back to you all on the name.  Anyways, to ready these trails for traffic we need to fell, limb, and buck dozens if not hundreds of dead trees.  I’ve only cut one down so far, but it hit my mark dead on!  True, I took about three times as long as almost everyone else, but hey, it’s hard to look up a tree when bringing a chainsaw back in your general direction.

Hours have been long this week—at least 12 hours a day I’d say.  This is good though.  All of this hiking at over 7000 feet above sea level is helping me get back into shape.  I have no shame in admitting I’m probably the person in the worst worst shape in the ERT and I am finding it hard to see that changing any time soon.  When we do get some down time many of our members enjoy going on runs or playing an athletic game.  While I try to join in every now and then (got my only flesh wound so far playing Ultimate Frisbee), I much prefer relaxing and taking in the scenery around us.

Tonight was different.  Remember when some of our members brought back The Wedding Singer and Wedding Crasher movies?  I was the one who suggested buying a cheap movie.  Since then every group that has gone into town has brought back a movie.  So far we’ve watched The Wedding Singer, Shanghai Noon, and tonight we watched the Disney movie Tarzan.  It brought back some pleasant memories of my band trip to Disney World in high school.  Marching in the parade, playing the Tarzan soundtrack back stage and enjoying luxury sleeping quarters and events like Medieval Times (our knight won).  Life has been incredible to me and it is showing no signs of letting up.  Despite being constantly fatigued, I am so happy about where I am and what I am doing.

Now if Congress would get their act together before I return to St. Louis it would be much appreciated.  The billions of dollars being lost because our very nicely paid representatives can’t come to an agreement on how to deal with one issue is beyond frustrating.  The 50+ billion dollars that economists are predicting us losing could be put to much better use like education or healthcare… which I think the whole issue is about.

I try to avoid politics, but as I am now a volunteer for our nation I can’t help but catch wind of some things.  Oi.  What a mess.  I’m going to head to bed as I am having a hard time writing between the lines.  Sorry for tainting my journal with politics.  Hopefully the Macbeth counter-curse will work equally well for this situation.  Night all!

First picture was taken by me.  Will is showing us the ropes on the Molton Ski Trails.  Second picture taken by Danielle Wess on our way back to HQ.