Adventures with Refuge Law Enforcement

Well, last week was a busy one. I'm continuing to learn by leaps and bounds. On the administrative front, I think I've surprised the assistant manager of the refuge by how quickly I've gotten through most of the data entry stuff he needed me to do. Heh. But when it's as hot as it's been during the afternoons, there's not much to do but inside work. So I'll turn on some good music, and start plugging in information. Now I'm completely caught up with what they've given me, and waiting for more.

Also during my afternoons and time off, I've been doing a little bit of a job search. There's a conservation assistant job in Chicago that I'm applying for, and two internships. One is in California dealing with Big Horned Sheep, and the other is in Washington dealing with shorebirds. Dealing with this kind of weather, my preferences are leaning toward the one in Washington! There also is a possibility of being hired full time here. That's also very exciting because I am in love with the refuge. Of course, as some of the visitors keep telling me, this is an uncommonly pretty summer. Normally everything isn't so green.

So on Friday not many people were here. Two of my supervisors work 9 hour days, so they get every other Friday off. That day fell on last Friday, so they were gone. The refuge biologist is taking his vacation time right now, and he won't be back until next week. So, late on Friday morning I was busy finishing up some of the data entry when one of our maintenance guys walked in the office with a Carls Jr. bag. He told me to close my eyes and open up my hand. Knowing it was going to be some type of live creature, I did as he asked, but with some hesitation. He, of course, doesn't know about my strong dislike of anything with 8 legs. I knew as soon as it was put in my hand that it was a Texas Horned Lizard - a big one at that. She was a beauty - a full 10 cm long. That's the biggest one I've seen in awhile. He found her on the side of the highway coming back from Enid. The assistant manager/herp. guy told him to give it to me and for me to take it out to the railway. So I weighed and measured her, and took some pictures (and of course petted her horns and her stomach to make her sleep). Then she and I took a drive. Maybe I'll catch her again on my walks out there.

Saturday after my day at the visitor's center, I drove to Enid to watch Stardust and spend the night with Emily and her husband. I played a Wii for the first time - lots of fun.

On Sunday, for the most part I had a very lazy day. Hanging out in my pjs - reading, watching movies, and playing the piano (you know. the Norm.). I made my way over to the office to check email and do other internet type things. On my way back, I ran into my police officer neighbor. I convinced him to take me along on his rounds. We traveled along many of the backroads I didn't know about yet, and generally got an in depth tour of the refuge. He showed me a deer stand set up in private property but situated to shoot deer on the refuge - which is, of course, not allowed. He told me this was going to be his biggest job this fall. It was a fun and informative drive; I'm glad he let me come with him. He was a big surprised I hadn't made it out on the lake or seen the island yet. (the island isn't for people. Rather it's a great big rookery.)

So today was another day off for me - my "no alarm clock Monday". And, true to my nature on non-work days, I slept in til noon and then read in bed for another couple of hours. I had finally got up and showered at about 2:30. I was almost on my way out the door to do my weekly grocery shopping when my neighbor dropped by again. He told me I should change out of my flip flops otherwise my feet would get sunburned. I asked him why and he said he was gonna take me out on the lake on the air boat (has to be an air boat because the lake is so shallow). Super excited, I quickly changed my shoes, but neglected to get out of my black t-shirt. The lake was wonderful. It really showcases all the different habitats of the refuge because the Salt Flats, the marshes, the creeks, the woods, the prairies all border it. We saw lots of pelicans and cormorants (I love cormorants!).

(I did not take this picture!)

So we eventually made our way to the island. He asked me if I wanted to stop and walk around and, of course, I said yes. So we stopped and looked around. It was amazing! There are still so many active nests. I saw many egret and cormorant babies. At about this point I realize that it is getting hard to breathe - it almost feels like the heat is pushing against me. There wasn't much of a breeze on the island, and it was extremely smelly. Then I start feeling dizzy and nauseous. Then I start seeing spots. My neighbor noticed something was wrong, asked me if I was okay, and then went to get the boat. I stood in the shade and thought I was either going to throw up or faint. But by the time he brought the boat around, I had recovered enough to walk down to the shore and hop in. I think I worried Shelby, but I reassured him enough to continue with our tour. We went down the creek that connects Sand Hill Bay with the Reservoir (the picture is of the Bay). We went through lots of water plants that deposited lots of spiders into our boat. Three onto my legs and one on my shoe. But, my three weeks at the refuge have conditioned me and prepared me for something like this. I just, very carefully, flicked them all off me. But I did give serious thought to jumping off the boat, and for the remainder of our trip, I kept one eye to the bottom of the boat where all the spiders were scuttling about. *shudder*.

When we made it back to dry land and Shelby realized that I really was fully recovered, he started teasing me. All good naturedly. Sigh. I was afraid of this. My reputation is shot. Now I'm going to be that "intern who's sensitive to heat". I told and re-told him that nothing like that has ever happened to me, and if I needed to, I would prove my heat endurance with a 5 mile run in the afternoon. A complete bluff, and he knew it too. Ah well. I can take a little teasing. At least it'll give them something besides OU to tease me about. ;)