Day 1

Sorry, no pictures to share today. I have to find out what the policy is. I know that visitors can't take pictures in certain areas.
The day was busy and started with everyone on site meeting at the maintenance barn to learn procedure for proper inventory of a vehicle's condition before driving it anywhere. While there, we met the Superintendent of the Site and various other administrative and maintenance persons. It was interesting that the chief mechanic is named Bob. He's got to be at least eighty so I guess that our friend, Bob D, has the right idea? (I know seeing the shop area would bring back memories of his dad's place on Sherman Church.)
After the meeting, everyone went their separate ways. Larry had a truck tour of the property and found where all the irrigation canals run and the equipment he will be using. (That's all the information I was able to get out of him!) I walked with my supervisor, Julie, to "FRED," the building that will be my home base. There is a long name for this building pertaining to the fact that it houses artifacts not on display in temp/humidity controlled rooms. FRED has nothing to do with the long name, but the building is red and thus the easier name. Julie shared her vision of what I might be doing as part of the interpretive division and it all sounded good. She put me to work coming up with a hands-on project for "Junior Ranger Day." Through the day, I also went with Ranger Lyndell as she led a tour through the ranch house. She is a very interesting person. Born and raised in the area, she actually grew up hanging around the ranch (before it was sold to NPS) and knew the last owner and his wife very well. She has a diverse collection of skills, mostly self-taught, including blacksmithing and is the blacksmith for the ranch. She also knows how to tell a good story! I am sure you will be hearing more about her. Her assignment before coming back here in 1972 was at Alcatraz.
I did not want to make the weather the highlight of the day, although it became that for everyone in Deer Lodge. This morning there was milky sun with breezy conditions that turned to gale force winds around 1 PM. That was about the time the house tour ended and Lyndell and I were walking the 1/4 mile back to FRED. Soon after we got there, the snow started. The wind was blowing so hard that the snow was going sideways and visibility was down to maybe 1/4-1/2 mile. This continued for about two hours. The snow finally stopped around 4 PM and the sun came out. The wind is still giving us its two-cents and we are anticipating a cold night.