Halfway through

Photo Credit: Shawn Biessel

There's a light at the end of the tunnel, you might say. My hiking buddy took this photo when we were exploring a mine tunnel during our hike up Mono Pass last Sunday. It seemed rather fitting for the post.

August has begun, and we are officially halfway through the season here at Bodie, with just three months left. Where has the time flown!? Things are definitely in a groove here, and I'm enjoying myself thoroughly, though starting to realize that I need to quickly make good on all those "one of these days I'm gonna..." statements I've been making about things to explore around here. Otherwise they might not happen at all.

Friends of Bodie Day is fast approaching. I'm hoping that my tartan that I ordered will come in with time enough for me to affix it to my costume in a pleasing manner. The weather has turned decidedly cool - a pleasant mid-70s in the day, and 20s at night. I've started keeping my window shut at night so that I don't wake up with too stuffy a nose, but I can't really complain. This is the kind of weather for which I love this place. I am definitely wearing out, tiring of the same ten questions, getting more and more perturbed when people peek at me in my house in spite of the modern curtains and multiple signs that say "Employee's Residence".

But even so, there are moments of wonder to be found throughout. Like the Trailer Trash party that was such a hit yesterday, after which Betty and I returned home to laugh outrageously for at least thirty minutes straight. Or the tour I gave today, which wasn't so remarkable in and of itself - I simplified it quite a bit because I had a French couple wherein the wife was translating for the husband and I didn't want them to miss anything too important. But when I finished, they stopped at the gate and chatted with me for a good fifteen minutes, first asking questions about Bodie, comparing it to their last visit - thirteen years ago - and then being very genuinely interested in my life working here. What brought me here? What do I do in winter? The usual questions. But their seemingly sincere concern for my well-being as a nomad was touching. "Isn't it hard for you?" they asked, "to always be going around and not have a family?" I assured them that, for now, it was alright, that it did make dating difficult, but that some day I would settle down and have a family.

At least, that's what I hope.