Twenty-Fifteen

Phil-Justin-Meme after Justin's "swearing-in" by NM Supreme Court

Annual disclaimer: I know that you are used to partial truths and downright fabrications & lies, but the following were some of our experiences this year.

UNM Law grads

Justin completed law school classes at UNM one-term early last December. He utilized Spring semester time to study for, and pass, the NM Bar Exam.  It was with great pride that we witnessed him being sworn in before the NM Supreme Court (and noticed that of the few that had “sponsor” introductions made to the Court, his was the only one by UNM Law School faculty). Before graduation, or Bar results, he started work with a small law office in Albuquerque that specializes in Social Security disability. As promised for graduation, he is now the owner of the Porsche (2002 Boxster).

Meme continued her efforts with the Office of the State Engineer, managing Water Rights in northern NM. She plans to continue until about mid-year and then have more time for rocking-on (climbing adventures), with some yoga thrown in.

Phil shares periodic yoga poses, and had another year of college tennis umpiring (+ the State High School tourney: a lot of fun) and fire assignments. This year’s Safety Officer mobilizations included the Frog (Modoc NF) and River Complex (Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers NF’s) with some incredible people. It was nice being back in the Humboldt area, and visiting the good folks of Willow Creek & Denny (where hot shootin’ water wars continue over irrigating your cash crop (and competing with “The Cartels”).  Plus, I continued to teach heritage resource protection: NAU, NM Dept. of Game & Fish, site stewards, etc. In February the kid-from-the-kennel received the State’s David Matthews Award for stewardship (after he’d nominated someone else), which was the first time it had been awarded in many years.   http://travelranger87508.blogspot.com

Mom & Bedlington

Margaret & Chuck

 In May we lost Phil’s mom: Margaret Ann (Newlin) Young Renihan had completed 90 trips-around-the-sun, and was halfway through another, when she journeyed-on. Thanks to sisters Laura & Chris and the hospice team, her last days were peaceful ones. The wonderful sister-wife-mother-grandmother-great grandmother and AKC breeder & dog show judge is well remembered by many; several testimonials, celebrations and memorials. She was extraordinary, and is now one with the ages, with Dad. A few months later Arlene Medici (Meme’s step-mom) left to be with Chuck (Meme’s Dad).

They’ll both be well remembered.

Malibu Beach Inn area

As you may have noted, no dive trips or sojourns to Pacific Beach this year; hope to “make bubbles’ again semi-soon. We did manage to make it to Phil’s high school reunion (BHS ’65; no, Peter Pan wasn’t there) and had a brief stay in October at the Malibu Beach Inn (next to the pier), and Lucy just keeps with her theme: “Girls just want to have fun…” Her favorite game? Basketball- she plays a tight one-on-one (dog-on-person) defense and doesn’t give up the ball easily…

Lucy

Thoughts-n-prayers to you-n-yours in 2016 (and of course ALL our friends in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Inshallah!)   Meme & Phil

Mom & Dad early 1960's

“The world (the world), is on fire tonight (tonight}”

“The world (the world), is on fire tonight  (tonight}”… Strawberry Alarm Clock

Fire is dynamic, sometimes explosively so… like snowflakes and waves no two are the same: it can be smoldering along burning in litter & duff when a change in wind, fuels & topography turn it into an inferno.  I recently returned from my second fire mobilization and assignment in NorCal. The first was on August 1^st, for the Frog fire on the Modoc National Forest (NF) near Canby, CA.  On July 31^st Dave Ruhl, a young firefighter (husband and father of two young children) on detail assignment from South Dakota as an Assistant Fire Management Officer (AFMO) on the Modoc was involved scouting the fire during initial attack. We stress attention to our basic Fire Orders, 18 Situations that Shout Watch Out, and LCES (Lookouts-Communications-Escape Routes-Safety Zones) because when in place, it (LCES) saves lives. AFMO Ruhl was trapped by a sudden change in weather & fire behavior, which compromised his escape route to safety. He was tragically asphyxiated as he was shaking out his fire shelter for deployment. I looked at the “fatality site” daily for nearly a week, and wondered: “Could that have been me, once upon a time?”

             

My 2^nd NorCal call in August came on the 23^rd, to the Shasta-Trinity NF for the River Complex of fires. As sometimes happens I’d originally been ordered for the Fork Complex, around Hayfork, CA, but as I was traveling was “traded” (reassigned) to the River, named for rivers along the Trinity River watershed. Our Incident Command Post (ICP) was in the town park of Willow Creek, CA. I called it home for 2-weeks. The baseball field, soccer pitch, and tennis court (1) were populated by tents and trailers common to a large fire ICP, including: mobile caterer & shower units, Medical & Supply Units, and workplaces of the General & Command Staff and their support functions. This included the large tent SAFETY shared with the National Weather Service, our Fire Behavior Analyst, The Operations Section Chief/s and Air Ops.  I worked for Safety, imbedded with various Division & Group Supervisors.

I received a daily visual reminder of the fury and power of fire at Drop Point (DP)-16. Before I had arrived a dozer had been left overnight for safekeeping there. Apparently, it seemed a good decision at the time: come back the next morning and start building line. However, fire behavior kicked its heals that night and hotly burned-over the area. Net result: one less dozer for operations, one more file for the Compensation & Claims Unit.

           

A new resource to me was working with REMs (Rapid Extraction Modules) deployed strategically for response. The module was usually a Paramedic & EMT, working with an engine, trained in rope & litter work for high angle rescues over an edge. I worked around some from LA City, LA County, Ventura County and Long Beach City. Extremely professional: our goal was to keep them bored (like all medics), but unfortunately they were needed and responded to an incident when a Safety Officer missed a turn on a curve and ended up 500’ downslope on a 60+% hill (and, no… it wasn’t me). Since the fire started southwest of the town of Denny, and that was where he was driving towards, we’ll just call him that. Safety Denny was OK; medically treated and released, he headed home shortly thereafter.

Jeff Henderson & friend (redwood)

I was fortunate to work with a good group of Safety Officers assigned to the incident: CA Interagency Incident Management Team 4 (Rocky Opliger, Incident Commander) was lucky to have Dan Snow, Sam Wilbanks, Jason Winbigler, and John Kraushaar performing “Team Safety” duties. I was joined in-the-field by a super cadre of young Safety O’s: Rob Pelton (Michigan DNR), Rob Smolczynski (Boise NF), and Jeff Henderson (Ozark NF). “Rev. Jeff” was also a Baptist minister, and as most First Responders or Public Safety Officers will attest, prayers help (as we’re often looking for others to join ours). When I told them “Safety Dude” had a 50-year reunion from Burbank High coming in October, one of the three noted that I was out of high school before they were born. I replied with a "yep" (actually 67.9% of the population of the U.S. was born after I graduated from BHS).

The evening of 16 Sept. (Viva Mexico!) I saw NBC reporter Miguel Amlaguer’s piece from the Valley Fire, where he had fire all around him. He received kudos from his Nightly News anchor, Lester Holt. Safety Dude, however, was thinking he’d put fire personnel, Public Information Officers at the very least, into harm’s way with increased exposure as his escort; a fire safety adage is that 500,000 unsafe behaviors precede a tragedy and he’d just used one.  I am glad he is OK, but... It also reminded me that the Eureka Times-Standard had an article entitled “Crash” citing that Humboldt County was the 2^nd most dangerous place (per capita) to drive: maybe under-the-influence of something and lots of narrow winding roads with steep vertical drop-offs = flying off copious launch pads over very unforgiving terrain. Add fire to the equation and it gets even more hazardous & deadly.   

Historic cabin in back

While out there, I survived “Bigfoot Days” celebrated in Willow Creek on Saturday Sept. 5^th. Yep, only1-day for “Bigfoot Days”, as people had places to go and things to do. One of the things some folks do is tend to their crop of medicinal marijuana. It is relatively easy to get a prescription for 99-plants; a family of four could have 396. These are grown openly on patented lands/private property: no worries.  However, there are still commercial grow sites on NF lands that are illegal, and yes, The Cartel (Viva Mexico!) is involved. Air Attack radioed in a large plantation beyond Division E (in wilderness) that they estimated to be ca. 7,000 plants. A lower level recon indicated more like 35,000. Besides being illegal trespass-use of our Federal lands, and waters, some growers are protecting their plants from wildlife browsers by the application of Carbofuran (Furadan 4F/5G/350FS) a hazardous chemical, per attached “Safety Alert.” So, another Watch-Out to add to the list.

Bottom line amigos, THANK YOU for ALL your good work (and support for those involved with same): “Be careful out there…”

Remember NAWLINS (baby): some of my memories before & after Katrina

 I just heard that I’m headed to the Fork Complex of fires in NorCal, and this week marks the 10-th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the havoc it wrought to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans, the “Crescent City”. I was fortunate to have lived there in the early 80’s, returned in the late 90’s (more later), and then to have participated in rescue & rehab operations just after Katrina a decade ago. The last day of this month, Meme & I will be seeing Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell performing at the Santa Fe Opera. A previous time we saw her perform was on a riverboat, while we resided in “Nawlins”. I’ve been lost in a flood of memories: eddies of time and place.  So, here are a few…

ready for Mardi Gras 1983

While stationed at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, TX, I celebrated my 21^st birthday there in ’68. My description of the place would’ve been: “interesting place, an alternative for some adults to Disneyland”. In August of 1981 my NPS Ranger career brought Meme & I from Arizona’s Tonto Basin to the bayous of southern Louisiana. The city is rightfully famous for Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and all night distractions, but it also home to parks, museums and many quality pleasantries. After about 2-weeks of the summer heat & humidity, + the massive amount of trash littering the local roadways, I found myself second-guessing this promotion: I distinctly recall thinking “what have I gotten myself into?” In retrospect, it was a good move. I worked as the Supervisory Ranger (Chief, Interpretation & Resource Management) at the Chalmette Unit of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve. The Chalmette Plantation was the epicenter for the grand-finale of the Battle of New Orleans (January 8, 1815), 200-years ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_New_Orleans

It also was the final resting place (National Cemetery) for veterans from the Civil War on… several musicians included.  I worked with Unit Manager A. Wilson (Will) Greene, who had studied at LSU as a graduate student, and has become a very respected Civil War historian. The highlight of each morning & afternoon was when the tour/river boat (Voyageur?) docked next to The Beauregard House, disembarked its passengers, and Rangers provided talks about the events and historic landscape: “and the British came from the area where you now see the aluminum factory…” Along with French Quarter Unit Manager, Linda Canzanelli, who founded the Jose Cuervo Training Center (JOCU), we worked with an interesting cadre on National Park Rangers. After-hours we’d meet to further various aspects of our ranger skills: I was often in need of “additional training” at JOCU.

Living in mid-city (on North Hagan Street), near Bayou St. John and City Park, provided many special memories: commuting via motorcycle through the 9^th Ward, jogging along the bayou, Tulane & Saints football (yes, we had paper bags for our heads), patrolling in my “pursuit Pinto” (Chalmette was exclusive Federal jurisdiction), St. Bernard Parrish personalities (lunches at Rocky & Carlo’s were “must do!”), “The Quarter,” the music (everywhere… but special for us were hearing Jimmy Buffett at the Saenger Theater, Michael Murphy, John Stewart, The Rolling Stones). Then of course, there is our son Justin- he wasn’t born there, but we first learned of Meme’s pregnancy while residing in NOLA (before transferring to Fort Laramie, Wyoming).

            

Susan Morton - Barataria

Then, in the late 1990’s I was asked to return, and assist the U.S. Attorney’s Office regarding the theft of historic statues from local cemeteries. As a Special Agent (SA) I had conducted several major Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) cases. SA Susan Morton (Regional Office in Denver) and I consulted, conferred and helped where we could: some of the perpetrators were convicted of theft under general state statutes (not statue statutes). It was a good trip with visits to Chalmette (of course, Rocky & Carlo’s), the French Quarter & Barataria Units of Jean Lafitte: didn’t realize it was my last visit until after the 2005 disaster struck: Hurricane Katrina.

            

National Cemetery wall

My first insight to the federal response to Karina came a couple of days before its landfall: I was asked to join a Type II Incident Management Team (IMT) being sent to/staged in Alexandria, LA. I missed the calls due to hiking in the Pecos Wilderness. However, within 24-hours I was asked by the Incident Commander (JD Swed) of the NPS All-Risk Type I IMT if I was available to be his Safety Officer on the Command Staff. I was. JD & I went back to “buck-Ranger” days together in AZ; while I was at Tonto he was at Petrified Forest, and we’d stayed semi-in-touch over the years. We’d soon be seeing the adverse effects of wind & water on a U.S. metropolitan area. 

Water level - National Cemetery area

We were fortunate to have Steve Holder, Logistics Chief extraordinaire, on the General Staff of the IMT. When deployed one of our first decisions was whether to report to FEMA or the NPS Director: we hemmed & hawed for milliseconds over that one… and decided for the latter.  Our initial objective was search & rescue, followed by resource/values assessments & protection, and restoration & repair. A NPS Special Events & Tactics Team (SETT) was the vanguard of our efforts, and during my travels around Nawlins, St. Bernard, and the West Bank (of the River) I usually had a uniformed driver: Public Health Service (PHS) Officer wearing full “Bird” Navy Captain uniform (O-6). It greased the skids at many a roadblock.

Some of my other memories include: responders from agencies and departments coast-to-coast; total destruction of Rocky & Carlo’s; mold, Mold, MOLD (everywhere, of course some of the mold in my former office looked the same as 20+ years before); blown over oak trees in National Cemetery with human remains in their root ball; R&R day trip to Baton Rogue; Rita road trip (no, not margarita: when Hurricane Rita headed towards us we evacuated to Tupelo, MS for a couple of days); the dedication by so many, to achieve the above objectives. 

covering remains

I prefer to ponder the many positive efforts, than the negative memories, and there were certainly enough, often perpetuated by people that weren’t there and recounting 3^rd or 4^th hand “information”; like the moderator at a public history conference that held-up a T-shirt that said                   “FEMA Federal Employees Missing Again”

It got a cheap laugh at the expense of a lot of emergency responders.

So again: THANK YOU to ALL that were actually there, those that supported the folks involved with our efforts, and everyone still going in Harm’s Way to protect others!

Roadway