We had an exciting day at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was interesting to meet and talk with readers, fellow writers, and book store owners. Here are a few scenes from the event at the Omni Hotel.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Virginia Festival of the Book - Publishers Day
We had an exciting day at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was interesting to meet and talk with readers, fellow writers, and book store owners. Here are a few scenes from the event at the Omni Hotel.
National Park Rangers – Experts?
The commonly held public conception that park rangers are experts on every topic under the sun is a bit of a compliment to National Park Rangers. Park Rangers are considered a sort of walking encyclopedia of information. Many times these expectations become a bit unrealistic.
Several years ago our telephone rang after two in the morning. I groggily picked up the receiver thinking that I would be speaking to the park dispatcher, but it turned out to be one of our neighbors. He told me that he had just been outside feeding his dogs (my first unclear thought was, what was he doing feeding dogs at 2 a.m.) when he heard a loud grunting sound from the woods next to our house. He thought it was a bear. The neighbor was concerned that the bear may attack his dogs or family and wanted me to do something about it. His description of the noise did not sound like any bear I had met. I stepped out onto our deck and surprisingly heard a distinctive grunting sound from the farm across the rural road from our property.
I knew the sound was not coming from a bear, but my curiosity was peaked so I got my flashlight and not knowing what I would get into, put a pistol in the pocket of my sweatpants and walked to the end of our driveway. I could still make out the sound that was now further away down the road to my right. I started to walk down the road shoulder following the now moving sound. Behind me I saw lights coming in my direction and a slow moving car rolling toward me. My developed sense of caution caused me to step behind a tree as the car approached. As it neared I could see that the sedan was occupied by the neighbor who had called and his entire family, including his sister in law. They wanted to see the bear. I assured them that the sound was not coming from a bear and advised them to go home. The family continued to follow me down the road.
As we neared an area where a large barn was located, the sounds continued but seemed to stop moving. I eased stealthily through some brush to get near the field’s fence, determined the general location of the sound which had become deeper and more guttural, and then turned my flashlight on the spot. What the bright light revealed were two llamas trying to make a baby llama. My light startled them and the grunting noise stopped as they ran off.
I have since added an expertise on llama love making to my list skills.
You can learn about some real bears I have met in my book, “A Park Ranger’s Life: Thirty Two Years Protecting Our National Parks.”
Several years ago our telephone rang after two in the morning. I groggily picked up the receiver thinking that I would be speaking to the park dispatcher, but it turned out to be one of our neighbors. He told me that he had just been outside feeding his dogs (my first unclear thought was, what was he doing feeding dogs at 2 a.m.) when he heard a loud grunting sound from the woods next to our house. He thought it was a bear. The neighbor was concerned that the bear may attack his dogs or family and wanted me to do something about it. His description of the noise did not sound like any bear I had met. I stepped out onto our deck and surprisingly heard a distinctive grunting sound from the farm across the rural road from our property.
I knew the sound was not coming from a bear, but my curiosity was peaked so I got my flashlight and not knowing what I would get into, put a pistol in the pocket of my sweatpants and walked to the end of our driveway. I could still make out the sound that was now further away down the road to my right. I started to walk down the road shoulder following the now moving sound. Behind me I saw lights coming in my direction and a slow moving car rolling toward me. My developed sense of caution caused me to step behind a tree as the car approached. As it neared I could see that the sedan was occupied by the neighbor who had called and his entire family, including his sister in law. They wanted to see the bear. I assured them that the sound was not coming from a bear and advised them to go home. The family continued to follow me down the road.
As we neared an area where a large barn was located, the sounds continued but seemed to stop moving. I eased stealthily through some brush to get near the field’s fence, determined the general location of the sound which had become deeper and more guttural, and then turned my flashlight on the spot. What the bright light revealed were two llamas trying to make a baby llama. My light startled them and the grunting noise stopped as they ran off.
I have since added an expertise on llama love making to my list skills.
You can learn about some real bears I have met in my book, “A Park Ranger’s Life: Thirty Two Years Protecting Our National Parks.”
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A Sign Of Spring - Motorcycles On The Blue Ridge Parkway
As spring time moves into the Southern Appalachians and the Blue Ridge Parkway starts to open its roadway to the public, there are certainties to life. Trees will begin to bud, wildflowers will start to burst forth to bloom, birds will begin to return from the south, and motorcycles will begin to roar up and down the ridge lines. People who have kept their motorcycles under wraps in garages and sheds will be anxious to get them out and stretch their skills in the warming sunlight and fresh air.
The Blue Ridge Parkway has consistently been described in motorcycle media as one of the best rides in the country if not the world. Although not a motorcyclist myself, I do not doubt this judgment for the views, lack of large commercial trucks, and interesting curves are not to be found anywhere else.
Unfortunately the increase in motorcycle traffic is accompanied by a significant number of serious motorcycle crashes. A number of years ago Park Rangers became concerned about the significant increase in motorcycle crashes resulting in injuries and fatalities. Statistical research of crash scenes and drivers was conducted and several theories were developed as to the causes.
One consistent condition was found to be a factor in many crashes. They were occurring in areas where the Parkway had been engineered with descending radius curves. When the Blue Ridge Parkway was designed the purpose was to adhere it to the land providing for the least destruction of the landscape while providing for the best views. The 1930’s and 40’s were not times when motorcycles or motor homes were commonly used by the visiting public. Very few if any roadways in the United States today have descending radius curves and consequently most motorcyclists have never driven through these types of challenges.
A traffic safety program was designed to step up traffic regulation enforcement, educate the public, and to place more aggressive signing at locations of repeated wrecks. Through these efforts the number of motorcycle crashes sharply decreased. In the District where I worked in we had a curve that had seen eight motorcycle wrecks in one year. Once the warning signs were put in place the follow year there were zero wrecks. However, other duties and constraints of budgets have made the park staff step back from these programs.
Ultimately it is the operator of a motor vehicle that is responsible for their own safety. If you operate a motorcycle on the Blue Ridge Parkway, observe the following safety tips:
•Observe the speed limits that are posted. In most areas it is 45mph. In some developed areas it will drop to 35mph.
•Watch for curve warning signs and take them seriously. They are few and far between, but mark the most dangerous areas.
•Be aware that even though you may have years of experience operating a motorcycle, you will encounter curves and road surface elevations that you have not experienced before.
•Maintain full attention to your driving at all times. Many instances in the past operators have been distracted by the view and just that split second of inattention has gotten them in trouble.
•Watch for wildlife in the road. You are in their neighborhood and they are in the road often.
•Do not pass on the double yellow lines. There are many blind curves on the Parkway that come up fast. You never know what is beyond your view; a motor home, a deer, or a car full of kids.
Remember as the Blue Ridge Parkway Traffic Safety Program says:
ENJOY THE VIEW – WATCH THE ROAD
The Blue Ridge Parkway has consistently been described in motorcycle media as one of the best rides in the country if not the world. Although not a motorcyclist myself, I do not doubt this judgment for the views, lack of large commercial trucks, and interesting curves are not to be found anywhere else.
Unfortunately the increase in motorcycle traffic is accompanied by a significant number of serious motorcycle crashes. A number of years ago Park Rangers became concerned about the significant increase in motorcycle crashes resulting in injuries and fatalities. Statistical research of crash scenes and drivers was conducted and several theories were developed as to the causes.
One consistent condition was found to be a factor in many crashes. They were occurring in areas where the Parkway had been engineered with descending radius curves. When the Blue Ridge Parkway was designed the purpose was to adhere it to the land providing for the least destruction of the landscape while providing for the best views. The 1930’s and 40’s were not times when motorcycles or motor homes were commonly used by the visiting public. Very few if any roadways in the United States today have descending radius curves and consequently most motorcyclists have never driven through these types of challenges.
A traffic safety program was designed to step up traffic regulation enforcement, educate the public, and to place more aggressive signing at locations of repeated wrecks. Through these efforts the number of motorcycle crashes sharply decreased. In the District where I worked in we had a curve that had seen eight motorcycle wrecks in one year. Once the warning signs were put in place the follow year there were zero wrecks. However, other duties and constraints of budgets have made the park staff step back from these programs.
Ultimately it is the operator of a motor vehicle that is responsible for their own safety. If you operate a motorcycle on the Blue Ridge Parkway, observe the following safety tips:
•Observe the speed limits that are posted. In most areas it is 45mph. In some developed areas it will drop to 35mph.
•Watch for curve warning signs and take them seriously. They are few and far between, but mark the most dangerous areas.
•Be aware that even though you may have years of experience operating a motorcycle, you will encounter curves and road surface elevations that you have not experienced before.
•Maintain full attention to your driving at all times. Many instances in the past operators have been distracted by the view and just that split second of inattention has gotten them in trouble.
•Watch for wildlife in the road. You are in their neighborhood and they are in the road often.
•Do not pass on the double yellow lines. There are many blind curves on the Parkway that come up fast. You never know what is beyond your view; a motor home, a deer, or a car full of kids.
Remember as the Blue Ridge Parkway Traffic Safety Program says:
ENJOY THE VIEW – WATCH THE ROAD
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
"A Park Ranger's Life" at the Virginia Festival of the Book
On Saturday March 20th I be attending the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Virginia. I will be at the Omni Hotel from 9am to 4pm with my book for sale and/or signing.
Stop by if you are in the area and take advantage of all the literary activities that will be going on over a five day period that week.
Firearms Incident at Lava Beds National Monument
In a recent incident, Park Rangers at Lava Beds National Monument in California arrested a man who was brandishing a handgun in a parking lot within the park. It turns out he also had outstanding warrants for threatening to kill agents from DEA and their families. The suspect was a previously convicted felon who was in possession of multiple firearms and large amounts of ammunition.
This is the type of person that National Park employees are worried about carrying firearms in our parks.
For more details you can click on the article title above.
This is the type of person that National Park employees are worried about carrying firearms in our parks.
For more details you can click on the article title above.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
"A Park Ranger's Life" on "The Revivalist" Blog
The following is taken from the blog "The Revivalist" written by Mark Lynn Ferguson. You can check out his blog by clicking on the article title above.
Mark Lynn Ferguson March 14 at 11:01am Report
Hi Bruce - As you may have seen, your book is featured in the latest post on my blog - http://therevivalist.info/a-park-rangers-life/
It's an entertaining and eye-opening read, especially for someone who has long fantasized about a career as a Park Ranger!
Thanks so much for sharing your story. If you're inclined, a reciprocal link from your blog is always welcome.
Best,
Mark
A Park Ranger’s Life
Everyone has a dream job. For most people, it involves paparazzi flashes, fantastic wealth, or maybe gunplay. Not for my friend Nora and me. Five days a week, we share an extra-large cube that we affectionately call the doublewide. In it, we toss out Southernisms (a new favorite — madder than a bobcat caught in a piss fire) and stream twangy tunes on Bluegrass Country. It’s a hoot as cubes go, but we’d rather be fighting forest fires from horseback.
For 23 years, Bytner worked on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Park ranger — that’s our dream job. Whenever Nora and I are ready to buck the man, we plot our escape to the National Park Service where we will dawn wide brimmed hats, nurse baby possums to health, and hook-up sewer hoses on elderly tourists’ RVs.
If we’ve learned nothing else from the new book “A Park Rangers Life: Thirty-two Years Protecting Our National Parks,” the job isn’t all glamour. Author and retired ranger, Bruce W. Bytner recently told the Staunton News Leader that “Park rangers are responsible for everything that happens in a national park.”
That includes the mundane — answering inane questions, shoveling poop from escaped cows, and monitoring dogs for leashes — but also the bizarre:
“I remember one incident when a ranger was conducting an evening campfire program showing slides to an audience of over one hundred visitors. Suddenly they were interrupted by a man covered with blood, who ran in front of the group, lighted by the projector, screaming for help. Most people initially thought it was part of the program. When the ranger followed the man out to his vehicle, she found a second man who had been shot.”
Nora and I aren’t deterred. If you work with us, don’t look in the doublewide the next time we miss an all-staff meeting. We’ll be in the Great Smoky Mountains scouting injured bears or maybe shoveling a composting toilet. Either way, we’re we’ll be wearing the hats.
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Mark Lynn Ferguson March 14 at 11:01am Report
Hi Bruce - As you may have seen, your book is featured in the latest post on my blog - http://therevivalist.info/a-park-rangers-life/
It's an entertaining and eye-opening read, especially for someone who has long fantasized about a career as a Park Ranger!
Thanks so much for sharing your story. If you're inclined, a reciprocal link from your blog is always welcome.
Best,
Mark
A Park Ranger’s Life
Everyone has a dream job. For most people, it involves paparazzi flashes, fantastic wealth, or maybe gunplay. Not for my friend Nora and me. Five days a week, we share an extra-large cube that we affectionately call the doublewide. In it, we toss out Southernisms (a new favorite — madder than a bobcat caught in a piss fire) and stream twangy tunes on Bluegrass Country. It’s a hoot as cubes go, but we’d rather be fighting forest fires from horseback.
For 23 years, Bytner worked on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Park ranger — that’s our dream job. Whenever Nora and I are ready to buck the man, we plot our escape to the National Park Service where we will dawn wide brimmed hats, nurse baby possums to health, and hook-up sewer hoses on elderly tourists’ RVs.
If we’ve learned nothing else from the new book “A Park Rangers Life: Thirty-two Years Protecting Our National Parks,” the job isn’t all glamour. Author and retired ranger, Bruce W. Bytner recently told the Staunton News Leader that “Park rangers are responsible for everything that happens in a national park.”
That includes the mundane — answering inane questions, shoveling poop from escaped cows, and monitoring dogs for leashes — but also the bizarre:
“I remember one incident when a ranger was conducting an evening campfire program showing slides to an audience of over one hundred visitors. Suddenly they were interrupted by a man covered with blood, who ran in front of the group, lighted by the projector, screaming for help. Most people initially thought it was part of the program. When the ranger followed the man out to his vehicle, she found a second man who had been shot.”
Nora and I aren’t deterred. If you work with us, don’t look in the doublewide the next time we miss an all-staff meeting. We’ll be in the Great Smoky Mountains scouting injured bears or maybe shoveling a composting toilet. Either way, we’re we’ll be wearing the hats.
Share
"A Park Ranger's Life" Featured in Newspaper Article
Above photo by Mike Tripp of The New Leader
An article entitled "It's no walk in the park: Ranger recounts life on the job" appears on the front of the Lifesyles section of The News Leader newspaper from Staunton, Virgina. You can view an online version of the story at:
http://www.newsleader.com/article/20100314/LIFESTYLE/3140311/-1/LIFESTYLE23/It-s-no-walk-in-the-park--Ranger-recounts-life-on-the-job
You can copy and paste this link to your computer browser.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Report on Young People Not Getting Into The Outdoors
http://www.outdoorfoundation.org/research.youth.html
Check out the above site to a report by the Outdoor Foundation on the decrease in young people's involvement with the the environment.
Check out the above site to a report by the Outdoor Foundation on the decrease in young people's involvement with the the environment.
Memorial Service for Chris Upton
The following is taken from the Natioinal Park Service Morning Report for March 12, 2010.
WASHINGTON OFFICE
Memorial Service For Slain USFS Office To Be Held Tomorrow
Chris Upton. USFS photo.
A memorial service for US Forest Service officer Chris Upton, 37, who was shot and killed last week during a routine patrol of a recreation site on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, will be held on Saturday.
The NPS will be represented at the ceremony by a group of protection rangers with marked vehicles.
Director Jarvis has authorized NPS employees to wear black mourning bands through the date of interment (tomorrow). They should be removed thereafter.
WASHINGTON OFFICE
Memorial Service For Slain USFS Office To Be Held Tomorrow
Chris Upton. USFS photo.
A memorial service for US Forest Service officer Chris Upton, 37, who was shot and killed last week during a routine patrol of a recreation site on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, will be held on Saturday.
The NPS will be represented at the ceremony by a group of protection rangers with marked vehicles.
Director Jarvis has authorized NPS employees to wear black mourning bands through the date of interment (tomorrow). They should be removed thereafter.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
U. S. Forest Service Officer Killed in the Line of Duty
U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers are brothers and sisters of National Park Rangers dedicated to protecting our nation's national heritage and natural resources. The loss of any of the family strikes hard in all our hearts. We must all remember Christopher Upton, his wife and daughter during this time of indescribable grief.
The following is taken from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
A U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer was shot and killed in middle Georgia by a hunter who apparently mistook the ranger for a coyote.
Officer Christoper Arby Upton, 37, was on routine patrol in the Ocmulgee Bluff Equestrian Recreation Area in Jasper County on Friday when he was shot by Norman Clinton Hale, 40, of McDonough.
The incident happened about 11 p.m. in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest near Monticello, according to a statement from the USDA Forest Service.
Hale and another man were hunting coyote in the area. Hale and his hunting partner called 911 and reported the incident, but Upton died at the scene.
The Forest Service and the state Department of Natural Resources are investigating the incident. No charges have been filed.
Upton, a 4-year veteran of the Forest Service, previously worked as a game warden for the Department of Defense, U.S. Marine Corps, in Beaufort, S.C., and as a conservation officer, game warden and pilot for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
He is survived by his wife and a 4-year-old daughter.
Working in wild places holds many risks and dangers. We must always remember that.
The following is taken from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
A U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer was shot and killed in middle Georgia by a hunter who apparently mistook the ranger for a coyote.
Officer Christoper Arby Upton, 37, was on routine patrol in the Ocmulgee Bluff Equestrian Recreation Area in Jasper County on Friday when he was shot by Norman Clinton Hale, 40, of McDonough.
The incident happened about 11 p.m. in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest near Monticello, according to a statement from the USDA Forest Service.
Hale and another man were hunting coyote in the area. Hale and his hunting partner called 911 and reported the incident, but Upton died at the scene.
The Forest Service and the state Department of Natural Resources are investigating the incident. No charges have been filed.
Upton, a 4-year veteran of the Forest Service, previously worked as a game warden for the Department of Defense, U.S. Marine Corps, in Beaufort, S.C., and as a conservation officer, game warden and pilot for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
He is survived by his wife and a 4-year-old daughter.
Working in wild places holds many risks and dangers. We must always remember that.
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