Newsflash: Seasonal work is better for you!

I get to talk to a lot of kids working at a very busy Fire Lookout. Large groups of kids from all over the world show up here every day during fire season. I can't believe how many people are opposed to even discussing seasonal employment to these children! Some kids are
not destined for college, and I like to talk about seasonal employment which might be a good option for them. For the last 20 years I have been a seasonal employee. I've been a firefighter in the summer, and worked at a number of ski resorts in different capacities. In addition I've done a lot of other "jobs" of a temporary nature. I've had the 4 year apprenticeship, became a journeyman, supervised a union shop, got great benefits and a lot more money than I make now. And you know what? It sucked. It sucked the life out of me. There is a spirit within the seasonal worker, that you won't

 usually find with a year round employee. Lets face it: who wouldn't want to work just six months of the year and travel the other six? So many folks just say this is not possible. Maybe not for them at this stage of their lives. But I've lived that way for the last 20 years, and it has been good and keeps getting better. Thats why I like to tell the kids about the YCC, the Forest Service, and other opportunitys to work seasonally and abroad as well. There are many opportunity's for people to work temporarily if they are willing to move temporarily. Some jobs for "the younger" person, even supply housing. I can think of 50 people I know off the top of my head who I have worked with over the years, that travel 4-6 months of every year. I have a 23 year
old friend who is right now taking a year off to see the world! I see you rolling your eyes (just like yesterdays post) again! These are kids who have worked hard, lived on a shoestring, and saved all their money for adventure. Most parents would say this lifestyle is a poor one, without benefits or retirement. I say its a rich one, full fresh perspectives, new people, and new challenges. This is when the teacher who brought her class to see me, wishes she hadn't. But come on, these poor kids have had it. Their whole lives their parents have told them, "Junior, your going to college so you can get a good job and drive a great car and be fat like me". No...some of those kids want to be like me. Kayaking on a Tuesday. Spending 30 days in the Grand Canyon. Trekking thru the desert. Picking fruit for money. Sleeping on the ground, or in a car, and loving it. Taking freshies on a Monday morning in the pow pow before work. Taking a 4 dollar a day surf trip to the coast. Helping your grandma out on a moments notice because your the only one in the family who has Wednesday available to help. We spent 6 months in Australia working with the Conservancy and Land Management. We lived on pennies but did not miss out on a single opportunity to go, see, and do.

A lot of our friends are seasonal workers. They have interesting lives. They are usually fit, outdoorsy types who tend to celebrate life. Some are poor. Surprisingly, a lot of them do just fine financially. Mentally, we are just more at ease than most (usually). We work extremely hard all summer, put in all the overtime we can, work every other opportunity we get, but we know it all comes to an end when the snow flys. And next season is different. Its that change that keeps us thinking with an optimistic outlook. So, if you think you need a change, look towards seasonal employment. A little research will yield you many opportunity's, and planning will help you get where you want to be.

Until next time, I will catch you "On the Lookout". Please subscribe to my blog for more interesting story's on random topics. Cheers.

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Are we alone in the Universe?

 

Good Day People. Today's Post is a controversy I enjoy debating. This 9 year old kid has pretty much outlined my essay. Take the time to watch a couple minutes of his "lecture", not only will you be entertained, but you can't deny his logic. Many people I talk to about this subject are skeptical. I have no doubt that other life forms exist. I believe there are hundreds of thousands of earth like planets with "people" living in all manner of ways. Oh sure, roll your eyes, but how many millions of people have faith in things that have no definitive scientific basis? There is at least a lot scientific data that leads us to believe that there might be more out in the universe, much more.

Two top astronomers told Congress today that it would be “bizarre if we are alone” and asked for continued funding to detect extraterrestrial life. Dan Werthimer, director of the SETI Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley (SETI is short of “Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”) also told the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology that he thinks the possibility of microbial life on other planets is close to 100 percent. Werthimer and his colleague Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute  were on Capitol Hill to discuss the need for continued funding for the search for life in the universe. And they were bullish about the prospects that there is life in outer space.

“It would be bizarre if we are alone,” Werthimer told the committee.

“If you extrapolate on the planets they discovered, there are a trillion planets in the galaxy. That’s a lot of places for life,” Shostak argued. “We know that the majority of stars have planets,” but what “fraction of stars has planets that are more like the earth? It might be one in five.”

“It would be a cramped mind that didn’t wonder what other life is out there,” Werthimer said.

Shostak and Werthimer said there are going to be lots of different stages of life in the universe and there could be “a lot of advanced civilizations” as well.

The Mysterious Aboriginal Rock Art of the Wandjinas – Extraterrestrial or Not

One of the most intriguing and perplexing legends of the Australian Aboriginal people is that of the Wandjinas, the supreme spirit beings and creators of the land and people.  The land of the Wandjina is a vast area of about 200,000 square kilometres of lands, waters, sea and islands in the Kimberley region of north-western Australia with continuous culture dating back at least 60,000 years but probably much older. Here, traditional Aboriginal law and culture are still active and alive.

The Worora, Ngarinyin and Wunumbul people are the three Wandjina tribes – these tribal groups are the custodians of the oldest known figurative art which is scattered throughout the Kimberley.

Perhaps what is most interesting about their figurative art painted on rocks and in caves is the way in which they have represented the Wandjinas - white faces, devoid of a mouth, large black eyes, and a head surrounded by a halo or some type of helmet.

The ancient paintings have received all manner of interpretations from stylized representations of people or even owls, to ancient astronaut theories which suggest that extraterrestrial beings visited Earth tens of thousands of years ago and had direct contact with the inhabitants. Some believe that the extraterrestrials even played a direct role in creation, which is reflected not only in the Dreamtime stories of the Aboriginals but also the myths and legends of many ancient civilizations around the world.

This I find interesting on many levels. Have we had contact already, or is the "Dreamtime" a real connection to other worlds? Here is some other interesting discovery's. Astrobiologists discovered organisms that don't need sunlight to exist. In fact, extremophiles may help us understand what an alien might look like. Extremophiles (organisms able to survive in extreme environments) are a core research element for astrobiologists. Such organisms include biota which are able to survive several kilometers below the ocean's surface near hydrothermal ventsand microbes that thrive in highly acidic environments.^[58] It is now known that extremophiles thrive in ice, boiling water, acid, the water core of nuclear reactors, salt crystals, toxic waste and in a range of other extreme habitats that were previously thought to be inhospitable for life. Could this mean that a life form on another planet may be able to survive -400 degree temperatures, or breathe chemicals toxic to humans?

The author at a scientific gathering

The size and age of the universe incline us to believe that many technologically advanced civilizations must exist. However, this belief seems logically inconsistent with our lack of observational evidence to support it. Either (1) the initial assumption is incorrect and technologically advanced intelligent life is much rarer than we believe, or (2) our current observations are incomplete and we simply have not detected them yet, or (3) our search methodologies are flawed and we are not searching for the correct indicators. I believe 2 and 3 are correct. In our lifetimes alone there have been many significant discovery's. We now have a rover on Mars sending us pictures and data. How cool is that! For some of us, our tax money is well spent on space exploration. I agree that Humanity has greater issues to deal with than scientific exploration, but we must keep pushing the boundary's of science and learning for a better understanding of our world and how to make it a better place to live. When we finally receive contact from another world, you can say you read it here first! 

         Have a good day. Subscribe to my blog, " On the Lookout" for more interesting story's on random
         topics.

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Why do people stop listening to music?

In today's post, I will discuss why people stop listening to music and at what age does this usually happen? First off, do you agree that folks at some point as they age, stop listening to music? At least they don't listen to it like they used to back in the day. There is probably a multitude of reason's why we stop listening, so lets focus on what I think the main culprits are. Lets is a face it, TV news and TV in general, lays a heavy hand on the older generation. As people keep up on all the "negative story's and journalistic sensationalism" on a hourly basis, they tend to forget about the refreshing joy involved in a song that makes you want to move, dance, sing, and smile. When your a kid, the worst music in the world is what your parents are listening to. Then when your an adult, the worst music in the world is what teenagers are listening to. At some point we get stagnant with our music, simply rehashing the same stuff we've been listening to for the last 15 years. At that point a lot of folks do not seek out fresh new bands or new music, and in some cases stop listening to music all together. Ok so we can't dispel the notion that an average person works all day, is raising a family, and has other expectations that keep her from seeking out the latest rock band to hit it big in the UK. But have we forgotten the POWER that music can have over psyche?

From an artist's perspective, it seems as though people will not even give new music a chance to be heard. If your not on "The Voice" or "Idol" or a mainstream TV or cable station, your just a no talent ass clown making noise! Music for a lot of folks is simply Background noise. Ok so TV, work, family, and commitments play a big role in why we stop listening. Is this why we stop exercising as well? Or are we just plain lazy? What kind of music we do listen to can tell us something about ourselves as well. The chart below explains this in more detail.

Click to expand

To break it down, here is the connection they have found:

• Blues fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing, gentle and at ease
• Jazz fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing and at ease
• Classical music fans have high self-esteem, are creative, introvert and at ease
• Rap fans have high self-esteem and are outgoing
• Opera fans have high self-esteem, are creative and gentle
• Country and western fans are hardworking and outgoing
• Reggae fans have high self-esteem, are creative, not hardworking, outgoing, gentle and at ease
• Dance fans are creative and outgoing but not gentle
• Indie fans have low self-esteem, are creative, not hard working, and not gentle
• Bollywood fans are creative and outgoing
• Rock/heavy metal fans have low self-esteem, are creative, not hard-working, not outgoing, gentle, and at ease
• Chart pop fans have high self-esteem, are hardworking, outgoing and gentle, but are not creative and not at ease
• Soul fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing, gentle, and at ease.

At some point in their lives, people simply only listen to music they have heard in the past, or music by their favorite artist. Folks are not consumers of music at this point, but they still consume the hell out of new movies, and TV. Music can compliment a mood you are in, while movies and TV are an escape from your mood. With music, you will play your favorite song or album over and over, while a movie usually only gets watched once a year. Music compliments our lives while TV, movies, and news simply overwhelm our lives. I am reminding you that  good music is being made right now, by artists all over the world. In today's Internet age, there is a multitude of ways to seek out and hear new music, a lot of it is free! Our band uses "Reverbnation". Here you can stream thousands of artist's for free. Never underestimate the power of music. Blow up your TV and start listening to cassettes, vinyl, and cds. Go to an open mic in your hometown. Listen to your friend's band and make positive criticism .

I hope you have enjoyed today's post. Please subscribe to my blog, "On the Lookout" for more interesting story's on random topics. Cheers.

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Utah's Spectacular Parks and Monuments

In today's post we will be looking at some great country to put on your bucket list of places to see. Not only is the scenery spectacular, but the camping and river access is second to none! A few years ago, we took a month long trip and hit some cool places in our VW bus. It is hard to beat the big five. Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National Parks.

We, unlike most tourist's, did our trip off season in November and pretty much had the parks to ourselves. Camping in the parks can bit a bit pricey, but worth it. Usually there is trail access right from the campgrounds. We had some amazing free camping just outside some of the Monuments as well. The hiking and climbing here has something for everyone. From paved trails to the most technical rock climbing routes, Utah has you covered! Our funniest memory of our trip was at a viewpoint in Canyonlands. A huge Motorhome was parked and kids were watching a movie on a big screen TV. 

The parents were taking photos of the scenery nearby. The mom says, "I'll text the kids a picture of this". We couldn't believe it! Canyonlands is a massive park, one could spend weeks wandering around and camping out. Capitol Reef National Park is home to cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges. Called "Wayne Wonderland" in the 1920s by local boosters Ephraim P. Pectol and Joseph S. Hickman, Capitol Reef National Park protects colorful canyons, ridges, buttes, and monoliths. About 75 mi (121 km) of the long up-thrust called the Waterpocket Fold, a rugged spine extending fromThousand Lake Mountain to Lake Powell, is preserved within the park. "Capitol Reef" is the name of an especially rugged and spectacular segment of the Waterpocket Fold near the Fremont River.^[3]The area was named for a line of white domes and cliffs of Navajo Sandstone, each of which looks somewhat like the United States Capitol building, that run from the Fremont River to Pleasant Creek on the Waterpocket Fold. The local word reef refers to any rocky barrier to travel.

Arches National Park is a U.S. National Park in eastern Utah. The park is located on the Colorado River 6 km North of Moab, Utah. It is known for containing over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations.

The park is located just outside of Moab, Utah, and is 76,359 acres. Some of the arches here will eventually collapse, so get out there and see em' while you can!

Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile (590 km²) park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles (24 km) long and up to half a mile (800 m) deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. Zion is a center for rock climbing,^[51] with short walls like Touchstone, Moonlight Buttress, Spaceshot, and Prodigal Son being very popular. The Kolob Terrace area, west of Zion Canyon features The Subway, a slot canyon hike, and Lava Point, with a panoramic view of the entire area. The Kolob Canyons section, further west near Cedar City, features the world's second longest arch, Kolob Arch.

 .Natural Bridges National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of the Four Corners boundary of southeast Utah, in the western United States, at the junction of White Canyon and Armstrong Canyon, part of the Colorado River drainage. Natural Bridges National Monument should be added to your list while your in Utah. The three bridges in the park are named Kachina, Owachomo, and Sipapu (the largest), which are all Hopi names. A natural bridge is formed through erosion by water flowing in the stream bed of the canyon. 

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a U.S. National Monument protecting 1,880,461 acres (760,996 ha)^[1] of land in southern Utah. There are three main regions: the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Canyons of the Escalante - all of which are administered by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System. We thought this was really neat and worth seeing.

There is no way to list all the cool places to see in Utah. Rainbow Bridge, Dinosaur National Monument, Monument Valley, Cedar Breaks, and tons of others are out there waiting for you to discover them! Utah's wide open spaces rate high in my book of refreshing landscapes. Camping is everywhere, people are friendly, and sky's are mostly blue. So get out there and see this stuff if you can. I hope you enjoyed today's blog. Please subscribe to my blog for more interesting story's on random topics. Cheers.

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Multi-Day Coastal Hikes in the Northwest

Sand is hard to hike on

Dry socks anyone?

                                                                                                                                          Some of my favorite hiking is done on the coast.      Washington has over 70 miles of beach hiking, most of which is in designated wilderness! California's northern coastline is another favorite with over 45 miles of beach hiking on "The Lost Coast". Backpacking on the coast is absolutely fabulous! There is so many things about these hikes that are special, that I will only list a few here. First off, where else can you camp right on the beach (above high tide line), see only wildlife, and sleep on a suspended net? The coastal views are spectacular. You can forage for food, and cook your bounty over a driftwood fire. You can pack in a surfboard and spend the day riding the waves. You can watch whales from your tent! It can be some of the best camping known to modern day hikers. It really does depend on your perspective, as to whether or not you will have a good time.

Steep wet climbs are common

Slippery Rocks add to the Challenge!

 All of the coastal hikes I've done (all 3 sections on Washington's northern coastline, California's Lost Coast) have been moderate to difficult hikes. Hiking on sand can be brutal.  After a few miles with a heavy pack, walking on sand takes a toll on the ole calf muscles. Also, we will be walking for miles on great beds of small rocks, baseball size rocks, and scrambles on large vehicle sized rocks. Keep in mind these rocks are wet and slippery. Another reason people don't flock to these hikes is the Stream and Headland crossings. All of these hikes have challenging crossings, some streams are chest deep and swift! Headland crossings are hazardous as well. Large parts of the coastline are cliffs that can only be navigated during low tide. People misjudge the tides and get trapped like Shannon and I did a couple of years ago on California's Lost Coast. We thought we could make 4 miles in 3 hours, easy. But the loose sand, slippery tidal crossings, and rock fields made the 4 miles an all day experience! We were trapped by breaking waves against a cliff line, and had to find a way up fast! We found a small creek's drainage and managed to get up the cliff. We pitched our tent on top of the cliff in a very sloped, uneven, brushy, poison oak infested, piece of uncomfortable ground and proceeded to drink all of the wine we had brought! Also, here on the coast, it rains a lot. In fact, rarely will you get a five day hike without a downpour! Also, don't forget about the bone chilling wind! And finally, what gets most people is encounters with Black Bears. The National Park Service requires permits and Bear Proof food containers. Mostly it is just the raccoons that try to sabotage your food, but there are a lot of Bears here as well. They like to forage in the tide pools.

Wet tent's are normal here!

 These are a few of the reasons why these coastal hikes are not for everybody. It takes a hearty soul indeed to make the 40 mile trip in a few days time. The rewards far outweigh the difficulty's. A beach fire, a challenging hike with friends, and several days without a cell phone make this on the very top of my list of things to do every year for the rest of my life! I hope you have enjoyed this post. I will have another hiking post where I will list some specifics about what to pack for a coastal hike and how to plan logistics. Please subscribe to my blog, and keep doing. Cheers.



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The Lookouts Band Biography

The Lookouts Band

Refreshingly Original Rock Band.

Fun, upbeat, and sometimes hilariously funny describes our music. We are do-it-yourself people who feel as though Originality is the most important aspect of songwriting. 
Shannon and Joey have been staffing Fire Lookout Towers and fighting fires in the Oregon cascades since 1997. We have been to hundreds of Lookouts and Lookout sites in the U.S. and Australia. In 2000 we literally had three consecutive summers, when we worked with fire crews in western Australia around many Towers. We have been members of the Forest Fire Lookout Association since 1997.

Joey has been playing Guitar in bands off and on since high school. Never one to be "normal" he started writing campfire acoustic type songs to make people laugh. Always looking for a reliable bass player, Shannon started playing and joined the band a number of years ago. As a three piece, the bass is even more important, and Shannon does an excellent job! 

Shannon grew up listening to The Ventures and Elton John. She enjoys a range of music from Jack Johnson to AC/DC.
We met Ian Lasslett our first drummer working in Fire the summer of 2009 then started as a jam band in April of 2010. Our first gig was our own Halloween party as "Topso Fire" . We changed our name and released our first CD as 
"The Lookouts" in May of 2012. Ian moved away and started a family. 
Ken Mcklintock joined us as our drummer through a Craig's list add. for a few months in 2013.

Joey started taking drum lessons in the winter of 2012. Ken and Joey both drum on our  "Out of town" CD. 

Sill in need of a full time drummer. We were fortunate enough to find Ross Chambers through his drum teacher January of 2014. Ross Started taking lessons and playing about a year and a half ago. He was always attracted to the drums. He loves the technical wizardry of Neil Peart. He says “ If its got a fast rockin beat, I'm sure I'll love it! “ Ross is a commercial pilot and has been flying for the airlines since 1995. His father was a pilot and his older brother is a pilot as well.

We are excited About our 3rd CD "HWY 97" released in May 2014. Our band also has been playing a benefit gig for the Wild land fire fighter foundation "Rip-n-lips bass tournament." each summer since 2012. 
In February of 2014 we took first place for our song " L. A. Pine " in the COSA / Central Oregon song writers association. Song of the month completion. May of 2014 we won "Audience choice award" and "Presidents choice award " for our song " Bar Room Courage " at the COSA song of the year competition. The Lookouts have over 50                                                                                                                   songs that they play live, with new ones being written all                                                                                                                     the time. The future holds more fun songs and jams.

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The Volkswagon Bus

People love em', and people hate em'. I am a big fan of the older Volkswagen's, I currently own two but have had more in the past.
In today's blog I will focus on the functionality of the bus, what to expect if you are a new owner or someone who plans on getting one someday, and I will share a few story's from our travels with this incredible vehicle. I claim not to be an expert by any means, but I have traveled considerable distance's in my 1979 Campmobile. I will start by saying there is a great difference between Air Cooled VW people and Water Cooled VW people. Air Cooled people usually have to be more resourceful than newer model VW owners. Our vehicles are finicky and more prone to breakdown.

But, in some respects the air cooled buses are easier to work on, although parts for the older ones are getting harder to find. New buses like the Euro van have everything a modern R.V. has, including lots of computerized circuits that can fail. Folks with the newer vans are the type that just don't want to fool around with some old junker that is gonna break down, usually sooner than later. Us air cooled folks are OK with fixing up a junker and making the best of it. Two different kinds of owners. Of course there is collectors and restorers as well as many other types of VW lovers out there.

The important thing here of course, is the journey. We prefer a stripped out bus. Meaning we took out the back seats and got rid of all the extras that we feel that we don't need. Fridge, sink, counters, etc., we removed. We use a cooler, a five gallon jug of water, a Coleman stove, and a small fold up 2 pound plywood table for cooking on. We built a lightweight bed out of plywood in the back that works nice. Honestly, when you go light it is way easier on your vehicle and will extend the life of your motor. The best part of these vehicles is their ability to get around and the space available for actually living is small but adequate. Another advantage over more modern vehicles is the window visibility. It is very handy to be able to see in all directions as you drive around. Modern car windows are getting smaller and smaller, leaving several "blind" spots for the unwary driver. Doors, latches, and tailgate lifters are made of quality steel and usually last the life of the vehicle. Air cooled motors are relatively simple and easy to access. We have done several month long trips in our bus and have had some of the best times of our lives! Nothing like pulling up to a spectacular location and simply opening the sliding door and calling it home for the night! Driving across the Golden Gate bridge was a bit dicey on one trip. Also I don't recommend getting lost on the streets of San Fransisco as we did a few years back. I burned my clutch trying to get out of that congested rat race! At a gas station in Los Angeles I was offered $10,000.00 for the old heap (as my father in law calls it). I was ready to make the deal, but my lovely bride would have no part of getting rid of our beloved Neptune! In Ventura, Ca we were treated like royalty among the surf crowd. Everywhere you go with an older bus, people have story's to tell about their time behind the wheel. A lot of folks say they got tired of working on the buses as they do tend to break down a lot. Mostly because you have to keep up on serious maintenance on these older rigs. We have been stranded a few times ourselves. My friend Matthew Price says it best in his song,"Home is where the Van Breaks Down"! I never knew a vehicle could be so much fun to drive. There's just something about sitting over the front tires, gripping that wheel in the wind, and just cruising with no particular place to go. It is magic! I can't wait to get out on the road again. Hope you've enjoyed this post. Please subscribe to my blog, "On the Lookout" for more randomly interesting story's. Until next time, keep going and doing. Cheers, Joey River    You can check out our original rock band here: http://www.reverbnation.com/thelookoutsband?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav