Day One NWR

Day One at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge

Hat- check
Sunglasses- check
Pants and long sleeves (UPF 20+!)- check
Water- check
Bug spray- double check!

Ready to go to work, about to walk out the door and my mom says I look cute. I already checked, I look like a boy scout.

Santa Ana NWR is a great place for migratory birds along the Rio Grande River. Depending on the direction of the wind, there are four climate types occuring here: arid from the west, temperate from the north, coastal from the east and tropical from the south. Today was a good day! Wind came from the north, 80 degree day. I watered plants by the visitors center, knowing they'd be making some hummingbirds and butterflies very happy. I drank coffee from a disposable cup (not very green of me, sorry) while watering, and the mosquitos were so thirsty they were stinging my cup! I guess they've acquired a taste for coffee. I gave a little extra special attention to the wild olive trees, little Love Havens for hummingbirds (Teretha had a hummingbird family living in her front yard!). Next, the butterfly garden across the parking lot needed to be watered. My supervisor gave me a Radio Flyer for carting the water hose and some other tools. Now I'm like a 5 year old boy scout! After watering, I took out the shears. Time for the dead and scraggly plant limbs to go. So I traced the shoots through the tangle, choosing a place to cut that would conserve the best energy.
It was cathartic, really. So many times in life I've reached a point where I must choose one path or another. But why not choose both? Because... Whatever the decision concerned, career or otherwise, nothing changed the fact that there is a finite amount of energy and a finite amount of time in every day. Same goes for plants! So I cut out the weak, the feeble and the lifeless. With the strong boughs stronger, I'll be watching to see how those plants bloom now!
Around lunchtime I took a break in the picnic area and watched chachalacas creep toward me through the tree branches, expecting food... eventually they ran themselves out, chirring and hr hr hrring and chachalaca-ing as they chased...
I always said I didn't care about money. Be careful, Life gives you what you want.
I found my dream job, but I'm not getting paid. Don't get me wrong, seven hours outdoors is time well spent! (Note to self: SPF chapstick) But just to be clear- I do want money. So wish me luck and hope my fiction sells. Thanks to my parents for taking care of me and for all the love!


"El presente es lo único que tengo
el presente es lo único que hay"
-Julieta Venegas