I guess it wouldn’t be Yosemite if there wasn’t some sort of something epic happening on New Year’s Eve. Today was supposed to be my last day in the office before leaving for vacation. Yet I find myself instead working alone in the Visitor Center due to road closures. An intense windstorm that blew in yesterday evening (and continues to rage) brought down many trees and has lead to all but one road being closed until further notice (hopefully not too much further into the future… I’ve got a plane to catch soon!). Fortunately, I’m catsitting in the Valley and was able to be here to man the fort.
I’m not in uniform and I wasn’t really mentally prepared for not being at my desk today. But I’m not complaining by any means. I forget how much I like interacting with visitors. Given the choice, I’d much rather be here, interacting and being in the center of the maelstrom, than sitting at my desk, doing paperwork and writing SOPs. It’s a most interesting day to be in Yosemite Valley (and not on the roads!).
Speaking of vacation, this time tomorrow, I’ll be on my way to San Francisco to catch a flight to Tanzania (and then later on to Spain) for an adventure beyond imagining! Internet will be scarce, but I’ll throw out a picture or two if I can. Look out Serengeti and Barcelona!
Another Year in Yosemite 