Life in Civilization

Well I've been in Whitefish, MT for almost two weeks now. Life here is quite different than it is in the Many Glacier Valley. I go for a walk every morning to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. The problem is that fresh air is hard to find in this ski town. Not to mention, no one takes care of their side walks, so I am forced to walk at a pace comparable to that of a snail so that I don't break a hip. Okay, things aren't so bad, I must admit. Last weekend was the winter carnival here in Whitefish. The carnival consists of a parade and a bunch of crazy events like the penguin plunge where lots of people lacking an adequate amount of brain cells jump into the lake. (Okay, in all fairness the event does raise money for charity.) I have also been able to get my fix of fresh greens and margaritas, not to mention delicious sushi! Sunday, Vic, Allie, Ed, and I played Hearts at one of the local bars, and somehow I pulled out the win. Then, I watched the Superbowl surrounded by loads of friends, good food, and beer. (Are you feeling bad for me yet?) Monday, a bunch of us went and saw the much talked about Avatar. Wow, what an incredible movie. Let's just say that with colors like that and the added effect of 3D, someone who enjoys a little fungi would have a great time. (Don't worry mom, I'm not referring to myself here, just stating an observation.)

So, let's get on to the more important stuff. I have decided to stay in Whitefish (gasp!) for the remainder of the winter. I want to take advantage of getting to know some of the biologists in the park so that hopefully I can sneak into a job in the spring. I will be spending about half of my time on the west side of the park and the other half at Many Glacier. Jeff will be remaining in Many Glacier until the spring. Jeff is going to be taking part in this blog starting very shortly (we have to fix his computer problems first). I will report on the happenings around the park and those in Many Glacier on my visits. Jeff will keep you posted the rest of the time. I hope our extensive amount of followers (yeah right) aren't too disappointed with this minor glitch. So, stay posted. We will keep things interesting, I promise.