The Color Run

The Color Run is a nationwide running event that is not competitive.  People can run or walk the 3 mile course where every mile they are showered with non-toxic yellow, red, green or blue dust.  This was held in Houston.

Temper Tantrums at the Congressional Day Care

Lapse of Appropriation

Human Resource Furlough

    1.   What is a furlough?

           A furlough is the placing of an employee in a temporaly nonduty , nonpay status

          because of  lack of work or funds, or other nondisciplinaiy reasons.
 

Arizona Wildfire Detail

I joined an “Initial Attack” crew from Texas for a wildfire detail to Arizona from 1-14 July.  Representing the crew were personnel from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and the Texas Forest Service.  As the designation implies this crew is called up to slow the spread of a wild fire until larger resources can arrive to contain it, if needed.  If there is no fire the crew is used at the discretion of the unit where it is stationed.  This can be anything from patrolling for fires to grounds maintenance.  Our temporary station was the Coronado National Forest in Douglas, AZ.  The first non-fire project was digging holes for poles to support a coral for horses and pack mules.  As the days past we resigned ourselves to project work for the duration of the detail.  Then the call came for a fire in Kearney, AZ – 3 hours to the north.  The fire had spread to 500 acres through river bottom forest of the Gila River.  The crew of 20 was split in two with my squad relegated to mopping up hot spots after the fire had burned out.  The other crew worked with aerial water bucket drops in areas where the fire flared up as day time temperature heated up.  Win some, lose some nevertheless mopping up in temperature of 107 degrees (118 degrees heat index) with a 50 pound pack and an additional 20 pounds of protective clothing and equipment was taxing.  The fire was contained after the first day with two additional days of mop up.  On the first day it was either the heat or elevation that made me wonder if I was getting too old for this work but after three days I working without any problem.  It usually takes three days to acclimate to my environment. 

Monsoon rains decrease the threat of fire in the region and cut short our detail.  

 

Texas IA Crew.  Coronado NF, AZ

Eaton's Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii)

Mohave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)

Three-toed Box Turtle

This week I drove on a gravel road outside the San Bernard NWR and passed by a three-toed box turtle (Carolina triunguis subspecies triunguis) crossing the road towards a forest.  Remembering what my co-worker, biologist Jennifer Wilson, told me I helped it across the road but let it go it's way toward the woods.  According to Jennifer box turtles are territorial and removing it to another area that may seem safer will confuse it and it will travel relentlessly to find it's original home range.

From http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/easternbox/:

The carapace (top shell) of the Eastern Box Turtle is noticeably longer than wide, domed with a narrow keel lengthwise down the center, and has some flaring at the rear edge. The tallest point of the shell is well back towards the tail, so viewed sideways it'll be tallest at the back of the turtle. The carapace is light brown to tan with a few dark flecks on it. The plastron (bottom shell) is normally solid yellow without any markings, although the edges individual plates may be dark. Orange, yellow or red spots sometimes visible on head and forelegs. The subspecies in Texas (triunguis) almost always has three toes on each hind foot.

Box turtles are "dry-land" turtles and may be found far from a water body. Eastern box turtles are primarily a woodland species, although they may also be found along forest edges and brushy fields.


Noting the GPS coordinates of my sighting I filled out the TPWD report form:


http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdforms/media/pwd_1005_w7000_box_turtle_sighting_report.pdf

and mailed it to:

Texas Nature Trackers
TPWD
42100 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744

                           

Three toes on hind leg.

Representing the U.S.A.