To Bitter Creek!

A week, they told me. You’ll be alone all week. “Thanks for holding down the fort!” Geoff emailed me. Funny to think how such a responsibility would have terrified me just three months ago.

My Monday began with a fortuitously free car wash. I’d like to think it was because I was cute, but really the credit card machine was wonky and the guy just didn’t want to make a whole big deal out of it. Geoff showed up to the Monday meeting wearing a tie, which was odd (and oddly formal, given the usual workplace dress code), until Ria explained it was the result of a knot-tying bet they’d made the previous week. Which resulted further in much discussion of the various tie-knots. Which resulted in Joseph wearing a singing snowman tie during the Monday Meeting. 

I was headed back to Bitter Creek, and no one would be joining me. We are short of staff right now, down two interns since Jeff and Darin left, and there’s so much going on right now, it being Nest Watch 2011.  I didn’t have a problem with the arrangement though: I’m starting to feel more sure of my footing here. 

I changed the water in the flight pen tonight without incident. There is something so ineffably cool about sharing space with these birds, seeing their darkened forms silhouetted against the bright star-filled night sky, hearing their heavy feathers rustle anxiously above you. You've got to watch out though that they don't get scared and decide to vomit on you. Less ineffable. Also, try not to accidentally step on the rabbit skulls that litter the flight pen blind. Because that's just gross.

As of now, I have yet to be vomited on.