time line

I linked all my blogs from previous years at the bottom of the page. As much for interested parties as for myself. On the occasional winters day I read old posts the way you read a old journal. Often I don't get to far before my own punctuation and grammar mistakes drive me nuts. Proof read, proof read, proof read. Maybe if I say it three times it will happen?
Several times recently people have questioned the time line of my life. How long did you do that? How many months? I tend to guess because I frankly don't remember. Quick people tend to do some mental math and it turns out I should be 45 years old. It'd be much easier if I just stayed in DC taking pictures of Retinas for the last 4 years. Or would it be 5 years?

Thanks to government background checks I have great records.
Early years:
-Born: Salt Lake City, Utah
-Orlando, Florida
-Methuen, Massachusetts
-Start pre-school: Rochester, New York
High School Graduate: 2000
-College: Rochester Institute of Technology 2000-2004
College jobs: Assistant Retinal Photographer, portrait photographer, YMCA lifeguard/summer pool manager, teaching assistant, bookstore photo dept, warehouse guy.
-National Retina Institute, Maryland & DC metro area (July, 2004 – January, 2006)
-Americorps NCCC, Denver Colorado (January 2006 – November 2006) 3 months Chicago: Taxes, remainder Nederland CO: wild fires
-Keystone Colorado/Vail resorts: Drunk bus driver/ski bum (December, 2006 – April, 2007)
-Gila Hotshots, Wildland Firefighter (April, 2007 – September, 2007)
-Keystone Colorado (November, 2007 – April, 2008)
-Gila Hotshots, Negrito fire base New Mexico.(April, 2008 – September, 2008)
-South East Asia & Europe (Jan 2009 - Aug 2009)
-Montreal, Canada (Aug 2009 - March, 2010)
-Sisters Hill Farm, Hudson Valley (April, 2010 – Nov, 2010)
-Boom Truck Driver/Operator, (Jan, 2011 - March, 2011)
-Gila Hotshots (April 2011 - )

cameras

My bachelors degree is in the realm of photography. Specifically Biomedical Photographic Communications. I know... Everyone has a friend who studied that in school. I'm just waiting to start my masters in Firespam Boom-drive'in Traveler. Because of my imaging background I often carry a camera with me. During the dusty, sandy, ashen summer ahead my camera will take a beating that no camera has been designed for. So far every year I've fought fire my faithful camera had to be retired because of a goofy lens, cracked screen or Error Code ####. 2011 will be different. With age comes wisdom.
Camera solution:
Canon S95 - solid metal body, Canon S60 treated me well, small, wide angle. Does magic in low light.
Pelican Case - Impact, dust, water and dirt resistant. Hooks to a backpack (line gear). Padded and Small. The military uses these to protect their expensive war gear.

packing the bags

RIP with your new owner...

A month ago I sold my 2008 Toyota Tacoma which had at one time been a pride and joy. When you live the tough guy fire fighter life. On the road 6 months a year. Sleeping on a cot in the back of your pickup is a right of passage. Not only that but its nice to throw all your worldly belongings willy-nilly into the back when the time comes to hit the road again.
As time progressed the vehicle I drove defined me less. Friends didn't want to ride in the tiny half cheek seats in the cab. In New York I rarely got to throw her in 4 Lo and plow over a tree or up a coolie. In fact the most fun I'd had with it in a year was driving through my parents back yard in a foot of compacted snow. As gas reaches back toward $4 a gal. 19/city and 23/Hwy just doesn't sound as efficient as it used to.
Come Monday when the 2,100 mile solo road trip begins it will be in a 2002 Chevy Prizm graciously handed down from my Grandparents. I look forward to the ensuing Tetris game to fit all the packed bags and sporting goods in.

cold hard winter

These are questions I often answer to when it comes up that I've sold my soul to Uncle Sam for the summer. A summer commitment is typically made sometime in January.

Gila Hotshots are a wildland fire suppression crew based out of Negrito Fire Base in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico.
Before I go further its been brought to my attention over the years that New Mexico and our southern neighbor OLD Mexico get confused by some less traveled Americans. New Mexico is the 47th state in the union. No, we don't speak Spanish there. Many people do speak Spanish and Navajo in NEW Mexico but its still part of our English speaking country. I recommend a map and the inter web if this hasn't gone far enough.
In short a Inter-agency Hotshot Crew (IHC) is a crew of approximately 20 firefighters that are a highly trained hand crew available as a national fire suppression resource.
Another side note... We don't jump out of planes. Smoke jumpers jump out of planes. Occasionally we hitch a ride in a helicopter or fly to a far off fire in a commercial jet. Typically we travel to fires in trucks often called buggies.
The fire season in the South West is April to September. Fires will take us on a "roll" which in full is 14 days of fire fighting with 1-2 days of travel on both ends. Crews go in a rotation to fires outside of the South West Region. New Mexico has 8 Hotshot crews the Southwest (NM & AZ) has a total 20 crews. Nationally there are 110 (I think) Hotshot crews. Originating from many government branches, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Parks and a handful of state/city fire departments.

The End