Feliz Navy-dad

Fleece Navy-dad (Feliz Navidad or Happy Christmas. Lots of Navy-dads [of course Marines too] to thank: Evan, Fred, Chuck, Chris, Tom, Jim, John, Jon, and Me, etc.: we served & sired. 2021: Navy 17, Army 13 – Go Navy!) We hope that ALL of you are enjoying the holidays & holy days and share the warmth of your heart & soul. Enjoy the day compadres: each one is precious, as is our love. 2021 has been a year of challenge and change for many of us. Yet, through it all comes a fuller understanding of patience & compassion. Many of us have lost friends, colleagues, neighbors, & loved ones this year. Time to remember their passions, joys & sometimes mischievousness. Last year I saluted our medical professionals and first responders. This year let’s also thank our educators and teachers. As I’ve written before, we all have those special some ones to thank for our personal & professional endeavors. May 2022 be rewarding for student and sensei.

Now, for our 2021 let’s start with LUCY: she turned 13 recently and her battle with Cushing’s disease has taken a toll: she has several ailments, but continues on day-by-day (some better than others – many of us can relate to that). Recently on a landscape patrol she conveyed how precious she thought it was that I save her poop in a sturdy can. JUSTIN has moved/transferred up from Carlsbad to Albuquerque. He has half a duplex near UNM and enjoys the office (NM Public Defender). It is great to have him living nearer his friends and just over an hour away from us. He was with Meme and I for part of the hospitalization in Denver area (below).

MEME continues to take care of Lucy, Justin (to a lesser extent) and me (that has been an enormous task). It hasn’t been easy, but she retains her sense of humor and treats us with kindness (gracias por todos). She also continues her sports (rock) climbing and associated volunteer efforts (public use area cleanup days, and judging youth competitions). We hope that travel returns next year: we’re all boosted. Has anyone noticed in the Wizard of Oz that there appears to be some potentially good climbing to be had in Munchkin land? As far as a trip there, if memory serves, it is “somewhere over the rainbow”. ME was lucky to see the New Year, let alone survive it: on eve of the New Year I was in the hospital here (dehydration & chemo reactions) and started to be “with the ancestors”, but journeyed back. With an adjustment here and a tweak there the chemo went on to work, followed by targeted radiation (tumor on pancreas) and finally surgery (”Whipple procedure”), and related challenges, in late April at UC Health in CO (18-day stint in hospital). It has been a struggle with biliary drain/tube, but recent exchange went well and I have less discomfort than anytime since April. No fire/incident assignments this year (medically unavailable). Next year will be a definite maybe. My walk, most days, is 1-2 miles, and though I might be able to pass the work capacity test for the physical side of things, I pause due to the mental requirements. We’ve never lost anyone on my watch as an incident Safety Officer and our personnel deserve the best, including the risk analysis, assessments and mitigation efforts. Don’t want my “rust factor overlooking something. Oh, yeah, now scheduled to see primary oncologist quarterly; surgeon & other “ologists” semi-annually. I have much to be thankful for: life is good.

Reflecting back on my National Park Service career I realize how fortunate I was. I recently recounted to a colleague: “If I had invented medical marijuana and then developed crypto currency, I couldn’t have picked a better philanthropy for my time than being a NPS Ranger.” I got to do it all: EMS, Fire, Incident Management, L.E., SAR, Visitor Services (and some at high levels) – WOW, I was lucky. I’ve had a lot of time this year to think about the plethora of memorable events during my NPS & NM State Historic Preservation career. Two of the top-three were related to NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act, Nov. 16, 1990). So many come to mind, but #1 was working the 1st NAGPRA jury trial case (Corrow), that had a conviction appealed all the way up; #2 being the Operations Section Chief for the repatriation, recovery & reburial of human remains from over 2,000 individuals at Pecos National Historical Park; #3 helping J. D. Swed’s Type I Incident Management Team (IMT) as Safety Officer during 2005’s Katrina operations: this too had a human remains component; discovered exposed/uncovered remains in toppled tree roots & gravesites in the National Cemetery at Chalmette NHP (where I’d been Chief Ranger ’81-’82). We took measures to mitigate further damages (with Colorado Army National Guard unit) and reported the finding for further protective actions. The next grouping of memorable activities would include helping to develop the state site steward program (SiteWatch); working with Bill Wade & Bruce McKeeman at Petra; responding with JD & IMT at Virgin Islands post Hurricane Maria 2017. Many, MANY memorable events and times: just working at Fort Laramie at the time I did (‘83-‘84) was mostly a blast. Serving at Santa Monica Mountains, with Rick Gale as my Chief Ranger, was forever notable for us as it provided a springboard of opportunities resulting in some of the above events. Anyway, lots of wonderful times, and with Meme and I at each other’s side = I was truly blessed… I guess we both have been. One of my archaeological education endeavors this year was helping to set up a fund through the Humboldt State University Foundation to assist students and faculty with costs associated with working at a field school in southwest Belize. For additional information you can visit: http://travelranger87508.blogspot.com/2021/11/november-shout-out-aka-october-in-review.html Efforts with NM SiteWatch and the Site Steward Foundation continue on, but at reduced pace due to the pandemic and health issues. Good crop of grapes & apples this year: cherries, peaches & apricots = not. Ho-Ho-Ho: Hope-n-pray every day for you & yours to have a happy, healthy & prosperous 2022. Meme & Phil