Tuesday, June 9th (posted today because I have internet)

So today was my second day on the job. This morning my boss showed me the curatorial building, where we try not to spend too much time because it has to be kept so cold! After lunch we were supposed to watch what they call a Tel (I think), which can be broadcasted live from the offices of all the different National Park Regions to the actual parks. And the Tel for today was about Bigfoot in National Parks! I may have happened to mention my extreme interest in cryptozoology, which may have earned me the name of Sasquatch Sally when we were naming everyone in my office. Unfortunately our system was down because of a big storm last night, so we couldn’t watch it live and ask questions, but we did get a recording of it and will probably watch it tomorrow. Instead we watched a video about saving streams (did I mention we drink spring water that we collect ourselves and bring back to the office in big jugs? It is delicious!)--then comes the highlight of the day. The four interns and a volunteer all got dropped off by Paul (our main boss) with a GPS backpack unit, four compasses (I didn’t get issued one because I won’t really need it and the other four will since they will be out in the field a lot), a map of the park and a task: to find one of the many family cemeteries* in the park and find our way back to our building with the names of the five people buried there. We were given 2 hours and we made it back in 1 and half! I volunteered to be the intern to lay on one of the graves for picture purposes which I think in combination with the Sasquatch stuff has already established me as the office wildcard. But let’s be real I’ve never been bothered by that before, so I don’t mind it here either. Tomorrow I am going out in the field with my boss and the park archaeologist (if we have power tomorrow**)! Sorry this is really long!

P.S. My tick count is zero! Even after I laid on top of a grave in the woods. I really shouldn’t have a problem except that my roommate is a natural resource intern and will be bringing them into our cabin and our cars that we carpool in.

*More to come on the history of Prince William Forest Park but it was established in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps with FDR’s New Deal and was focused on providing recreation opportunities to people, especially poor people, in the DC area.

**Also, the power just went out here after a woman came and knocked on our door to let us know there was a FIRE on the entrance road to our camp from a tree that had fallen on a powerline. Me and Kaitlyn and Maggie (another intern who is about to leave) just drove down to look at it and called my boss who then called LE (law enforcement) to let them know what is happening! Now we are going to cook over a Coleman camping stove and then go hang out at some more park housing where staff lives down the road. We could go in to Panera, but we decided we are too legit for that. Also, we just got back from getting ice to keep our food good and the power is back on.