I left my home in Yosemite with a few tears but was also anxious to get home to my friends, family, and my pups. So long Cabin #9. . .
Cabin #9
I spent my first night on the road in Fresno, then on to Orange County and a visit with my cousins in Yorba Linda and a dear friend in Laguna Woods. From there it was a stay in a beautiful bed and breakfast on the upper side of Joshua Tree National park. The resident owl was a great plus to my stay here.
It was on to Tuscon then and a few days with the Browns. It was a treat to be able to connect with someone I met first in 1977 and last saw 10ish years ago and pick up as if we had never been apart. What a great couple days together. (Complete forgot to take pictures!)
Daughter Jennifer flew in to Tuscon and we drove back to Dallas together. What a fun time we had. Jen bought lottery tickets for us and we won $200! Woo Hoo!
Daughter Melissa flew in from San Antonio and we shared Christmas with family. She dressed up as a dinosaur and the twins LOVED it!
The twins with the dinosaur waiting on the school bus.These boys were so excited about Christmas and the dinosaur both!
Then it was home to my puppies. Gus and Lou were waiting on the front porch for me and were so excited but not near as much as me. I missed them so very much. Good to be home again.
On a final note I send love, hugs and kudos to all my Yosemite friends who made this trip such a treat. Madeline, my fellow volunteer and new BFF, composed a YouTube video of some of my experiences here. What a great gift this was and you can watch it if you like by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abUcaAMMTF8 or clicking on the play button in the video below.
I hope that each of you will consider volunteering with our National Parks. What a gift these past 10 years have been for me. It is a chance to give back, meet new friends, learn new things, and make a difference. I love it and cannot wait to tell you about my next adventure. We’ll talk soon. Hugs to all.
My goal for the coming year will be to serve my remaining 500ish hours to secure the Presidential Lifetime Service Award with over 4,000 hours of service. I’ll do that by returning to my local NPS park, San Antonio Missions a couple days each week.
Please forgive all errors, take care of yourselves, stay safe and blessings to all.
I certainly hated to see my final week end in Yosemite. It was a beautiful week with cool mornings and warm afternoons. Yosemite Falls was flowing with water (the first since soon after I arrived.) In fact, my final day, Thursday, ended with a rainbow shining over the middle of it.
Do you see the rainbow?
Madeline and I spent Thanksgiving day at the library as she built a Christmas Tree using old books. My part was to hand her like-sized book as she built the tree (ha!). It was so fun to help her do this! Isn’t it cute . . . who knew you could make a tree from books!
The next day we went shopping for decorations and other sundry items in Mariposa and Oakhurst. We found lights and other things to make Christmas come alive in the library. A beautiful poinsettia, some lights and a little garland. When Virginia came in on Monday she was both surprised and excited! Who wouldn’t be. Take a look at the end result.
We also added (Okay, well Madeline added) another important member to our library family. . . the Raven. Just like the Ringtail Cat, we have a fellow raven who comes daily to sit on the window and we listen to his calls to his friends. So, we just had to add him to our family. Here he is enjoying a flight from the rafter . . .
The Research Library Raven
My last week here was filled with moments with some of the best folks ever. I’m so lucky to have met so many great and inspiring people. And many will be life-long friends. These moments are truly blessings in this volunteer life! (Mary Simmons – we will be talking soon!)
We continued our work on the Alpine Collection which is my final library project. Elizabeth will be here another couple weeks and I have no doubt this will be completed before she leaves. Then it will be Madeline who will re-arrange the stacks to integrate this collection into the entire collection.
What a great group picture of the volunteers with the Research Librarian and her sidekick Maraca. Notice the sign . . . It says “In a world where you can be anything be kind (and then they crossed out ‘kind’ and added Mara.)On my final day, Librarian Virginia came dressed in full uniform as did Maracca. What a sweet pair they are.
And they put together, with the help of Elizabeth and Madeline, quite the spread for a perfect last day of sharing with friends.
Elizabeth came in early to set up things. I arrived to a spread that beat all spreads. What a perfect way to end my time here. I loved it and feel so grateful!This 4-layer vanilla cake was the BEST ever. I’m not telling how much of it I ate but rest assured every bite was just superb.
Check out of our friends who came by to say ‘so long’ . . .
Meet Caroline and Mark
Madeline, my fellow volunteer, composed a YouTube video of some of my experiences here. What a great gift this was and you can watch it if you like by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abUcaAMMTF8
Please forgive all errors, take care of yourselves, stay safe and blessings to all.
This week saw the first snow of the season in the Valley. There really are no adequate words to describe the beauty of Yosemite when you see it in person. The mountains, the trees, the wildlife, the power in how it all comes together is spectacular . . . truly a sight to behold. Here are some pictures to share a bit of its beauty on a snowy wintry morning.
The snow is coming. The fog has already arrived.And then the snow arrives. That’s Yosemite Falls in the background.
Sentinal bridge
A walk in the valley. That’s Ansel Adams Studio on the left.The Museum.
Stunning!
Madeline, Elizabeth and I carpool each day. We watched the weather carefully this week to make certain we didn’t get into too much ice on the roads. It was my week to drive and I do carry chains with me. But I absolutely did NOT want to have to install them. We decided early on if the weather was too bad we would take the bus! Slow and cautious were the words for the morning runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, definitely worth the drive as it was beautiful. And we were not required to put on the chains. YES!
I spent Tuesday in the Welcome Center as usual. The visitor count was up from last week and we had a very steady flow of questions. Had a couple folks with questions about backpacking overnight at higher elevations. While I have learned the rules and requirements for those events I will never feel comfortable advising them on locations. I’m very fearful of someone being stranded in the wrong place. I’m certain it is because I have no personal experience of a backpacking nature (and not likely to obtain any in my lifetime!).
Wednesday brought us a very special event . . . a zoom call with none other than Yosemite’s own Shelton Johnson, distinguished ranger and author. What a treat to have an opportunity for a very personal meeting with him and listen to his background and history. Shelton is the author of Gloryland, a work of historical fiction which tells the story of Elijah Yancey, an American with African, Seminole and Cherokee roots, who is born in South Carolina and grows up to be a Buffalo soldier who spends one year patrolling Yosemite National Park. Definitely worth a read and even more so a listen. I encourage you to get this book on audible and listen to him as he tells this story. He has the most beautiful voice and his delivery will move you to places you’ve never been before.
Our next project is focused on the Alpine Collection – The American Alpine Club is the oldest organization in the American climbing community. The club’s mission is to support climbers and outdoor recreation, and to advocate for the preservation of natural landscapes and wild places. In 2023, the AAC (American Alpine Club) and Yosemite National Park signed a General Agreement to promote and support climbing in Yosemite Valley. The agreement includes responsibilities like encouraging responsible climbing practices, maintaining climbing infrastructure, and working on impact mitigation projects. In addition, the AAC donated a collection of books to the Research Library. Our project for the next few weeks is to catalogue and integrate this collection into the library collection. We are making great progress but it’s going to take several weeks to complete.
Finally, our most famous guest this week was Mighty Maraca’s brother, Jaspar T. Dawg, a beautiful 115 lb. Great Pyrenese, who joined us for a couple hours on Wednesday. We hope Jaspar will return soon. What a delight it was to have Jaspar AND Maraca with us, if only for a couple hours. Did I mention Mighty Maraca weighs in at 6.5 lb! Can you find her in the picture below?
Thanksgiving was a relaxing day. Madeline and I went into the Valley and worked a bit on the cataloguing. Then spent Friday in Mariposa Black Friday shopping. We found some special items to help us decorate the library for the holidays and will be sending you pictures of our decorating next week.
This is my final week. I’ll be leaving here on Friday to begin my journey home. Looking forward to visiting my friends in Southern California and then on to Joshua Tree National Park. After that it will be a stop to visit friends in Tuscon and to pick up daughter Jennifer who will join me for the drive from Tuscon to Dallas. What a bittersweet departure this is going to be. I’ve had such a wonderful time and I’m so glad the powers that be allowed me to be here. THANK YOU Yosemite National Park!
Please forgive all errors, take care of yourselves, stay safe and blessings to all.
Wawona gets their library back! Many months ago all the library books from Wawona’s branch of the research library were moved to the Valley while much needed physical building repairs were made. Our top priority this week was to re-establish their library. We started this project last week by hauling the old books down from the attic storage and began the process of reviewing, culling, cataloging, and adding them to our Wawona library.
So proud of our work here and how we were able to get the Wawona library back up and running.Ranger Jill overseeing the Wawona Library
This was the last major project for our team of four volunteers. Laura left us this weekend to return home to Kentucky. We will definitely miss her presence and wish her safe travels. At our going away dinner she agreed to do some project work in preparation for the upcoming Yosemite Research Library’s centennial celebration. How fortunate for Yosemite!
We made a visit to Bridalveil falls for a quick hike on our last drive in to work together. It was a nice stop and good to make this one together on Laura’s final day.
All of us together at Bridalveil Falls.
Life was a little slow on the visitor front this week at the Welcome Center. I think visitors are planning their vacations for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I had a moment to take a couple pictures of Volunteer Mark and Ranger Caroline in The Welcome Center.
Volunteer Mark helping our visitors plan their day.Getting the Welcome Center ready to open.
I really love being there on Tuesdays and will miss my time with the Interp Rangers and Volunteers. What a great staff Yosemite has in their welcome center. Volunteers and Park staff work together seamlessly!
There were threats of incoming bad weather this week that never came to fruition. (I’m grateful as I’m a little fearful of ice on these windy roads!) The week was just beautiful with temps in the upper 50’s and low 60’s. It was a strange feeling because it was so warm and so calm. On Saturday we had some overnight rain and fog that made the morning view really beautiful from the cabins. Today out is in the upper 50’s once again. Rain is predicted for most of this week which I’m sure will mean snow at the higher elevations.
A dreary rainy morning in El Portal.
We have plenty of projects left to complete here and I won’t be part of all of them. Elizabeth will be here for another month and Madeline until April. These projects will be completed. But, for me, I’ll be on my way home in just two weeks. I won’t deny that thoughts of leaving are bittersweet. I’ve had a great time and feel good about the work we have accomplished as a team. I’ve learned much about Yosemite and have a true appreciation for this park site and the importance of the Research Library. I do miss my family though and will enjoy being home once again for the holidays and a lot of puppy love with Gus and Lou.
Please forgive all errors, take care of yourselves, stay safe and blessings to all.
Monday this week was Veterans Day so the library was closed. A belated thank you to our service men and women, past and present.
A special thanks to the Interp staff for allowing me to help out at the Welcome Center this Veterans Day. We were advised at the morning staff meeting that a storm was brewing and rain was expected in the Valley and snow in the higher elevations. Roads to the higher elevations of the park were set to close at 4pm. As it turned out, roads were closed early as the rain and cold wind came in earlier than expected. I was a little worried about getting back to El Portal and my cabin but unnecessarily so. Ranger Caroline drove me to my car and I left early as all exits from the park with one exception were closed. The exit to El Portal remained open (this route is the “all-weather road” and normally stays open) so I was able to get home but we feared with everyone exiting in that direction it would be a slow drive. As it turned out, all was well and the drive home was an easy one. It was overcast and rainy the entire way home and while only in the low 50’s it felt much colder!
A cold and rainy day. See the clouds in the upper left corner.
Tuesday morning I headed back into the park in time to serve at the Welcome Center. There were certainly some slick spots but I managed with caution to get there safe and sound without any issues. And with the sun out the roads cleared nicely by Tuesday afternoon when I needed to drive to Mariposa to update my credentials for my PIV card. This card provides me access to the NPS computer system and requires an in-person update every 3-5 years.
As it turned out what was expected to take over an hour took less than 5 minutes. Boy was I surprised! and now I had all kinds of time before my dear friends Cathy and Joan arrived.
Cathy Scott and Joan Head came to visit me and see Yosemite on their California trip to the Redlands National Park as well as John Muir Woods. Their drive from the San Francisco Airport was ‘eventful’ and on Tuesday they made it to the Wawona entrance to Yosemite only to find it ‘chains only’ restricted. So they had to take the long way around to get to Midpines for their stay at the Bug Cabins (I’ll let them share those experiences with you . . . their experiences were ‘interesting’ !). Here we are at dinner at the June Bug Cafe.
Dinner at the June Bug Cafe was good . . . until it wasn’t! Poor Cathy!
What a great visit we had even though their accommodations weren’t stellar they did provide them with material for a great story so be sure to ask them about their time here! They also had a day in the park that was cold and rainy but still beautiful. I’m so touched that they made this trip to see me in Yosemite and I wish the weather had allowed for more activity. All in all though I think they will have a trip to remember with many stories to tell.
On my way downstairs from the Research Library to meet Cathy and Joan as they arrive at the Museum.Giving Joan a little park intro!
What a week it ended up being! I’m reminded of my first day walking in to the Research Library and immediately wanting to help put things in order. As a reminder of where we began, take another look at my arrival video from September 9, 2024. It was a little daunting I must say.
This past week we watched the last of the file cabinets removed and the platform built to cover the hearth of the fireplace removed. So many boxes and stacks of papers have been reviewed, identified, filed, repurposed, or recycled. By the end of this week we were able to celebrate Virginia’s 10 year anniversary with the National Park Service as Research Librarian at Yosemite National Park.
Now, watch the current library video, taken on November 14, 2024 where you can see our progress. The videos are self-explanatory but also thought you might like a few pictures of what we did this past week.
We began our week by clearing out the final filing cabinet drawers. More “ephemera” but we are pros at identifying, scanning, and recycling these papers as needed. By Wednesday morning we had these final filing cabinets empty and ready to be taken away.
Roads & Trails crew came in to pick up the final two filing cabinets and dispose of them.These gentlemen also removed the pedestal base that was used to cover the stone hearth and create a flat surface for the filing cabinets to sit on. You can now see the fireplace and its beauty.
The most fun this week was the arrival of ‘our’ Ring Tail (also called a miner’s cat.). You’ll remember we found paw prints on books indicating one was residing in our library. To commemorate our favored friend, fellow Volunteer Madeline found one that could sit on our fireplace! Take a look because it turned out to be just perfect.
Volunteer Madeline with the perfect Ring Tail. Look at that tail!And there he is – – – sitting on the mantle of the newly visible fireplace. Isn’t it beautiful.
On Thursday morning we came in with goodies to share with all as we celebrated Virginia’s 10 years with the National Park Research Library. With our limited ability to prepare baked goods we managed to bring treats for all and Elizabeth shared her pumpkin pie! A great celebration for a well deserved achievement.
A table full of goodies to share!A beautiful fireplace can be seen by all. And a new bed for Maraca is now hearth ready.Happy 10 year anniversary to Virginia and Maraca. Even Maraca has a ranger hat.
Thursday was also GIS day. GIS day provides an international forum for users of geographic information systems technology to demonstrate the applications of GIS technology. We attended a presentation that shared with us how GIS is used in Park Housing, Multi-Sensor Surveying, and Invasive Plant Management during the afternoon. You never know all the different things you will learn in the life of a volunteer-in-park.
Good times came on Friday with Volunteer Laura teaching us about water color painting. Now I will admit my abilities in the world of the arts are severely limited. But this was really fun. One of Laura’s many skills is water color painting and she gave us so many tips on ways to bring out the best. I can honestly say we all had fun together. We started off thinking we would go have Pizza at the Yosemite View Lodge but were surprised by the fact that it was closed and wouldn’t open until 5pm. So we came back to the little market, bought a couple frozen pizzas and I cooked them in my oven (I’m the only one of us with an oven.) Madeline saw that we all had special beverages and we sat and talked over pizza for almost an hour. Beer in fancy wine glasses makes it taste even better!
Fun times together .
Then it was off to Elizabeth’s cabin for class.
Laura was a great teacher to all of us. I think it is fair to say we all had fun
The week ended with a scheduled power outage in El Portal on Saturday from 9a – 6p. I drove to Mariposa to do laundry and kill some time. Returned about 3p thinking that it wouldn’t be too cold in the middle of the afternoon. I was wrong. Spent a few hours wearing my down coat and covered in a blanket and was a happy camper when the electricity came back on about 5:30! Why is it that 50 degrees can feel colder than 30 degrees some days. Brrrrr. . .
This coming week we will say so long to Laura as she begins her journey back to Kentucky. We’ll wish her safe travels and sincerely hope our paths will cross again.
Upcoming events include (1) Laura’s final day on Thursday, Nov. 21 and (2) Mara’s final day is Dec. 5.
Daughter Jennifer will be meeting me in Tuscon to join me for the drive back to Texas. I can’t wait to share this time with her. It’s been a long time since we have had a few captive days together and I will enjoy the opportunities it will afford us for casual and relaxed conversations.
Please forgive all errors, take care of yourselves, stay safe and blessings to all.
