Nate Landon's Blog

As I was coming back from a movie tonight I heard a very familiar song come on the radio. Frank Sinatra’s voice echoed through my mind as he sang “(How Little It Matters) How Little We Know.” I was sent back in time to my teens, dancing at the Mercury Cafe beneath the red and blue lights, the tinkling of ceiling fan cords against the light fixtures, white Christmas lights dangling from the ceiling, and good friends enjoying each other’s company late into the evening hours. I always will remember Joe Decico dancing with joy and youthful exuberance, defying any age barriers he encountered and proving age is only a number. I can never forget the conversations I held with Christy, Alexa, Lara, Angela, Joe, Brian (Lucky), Amanda, Gill, Jessa, and countless other people that taught me the view of the world is greater than it was is in my eye. I miss carefree nights on the well worn floor of the Mercury Cafe, conversations with friends from the past, and discovering who I am in a place that was like a second home to me. Although those days are gone, I will never forget them. So much love and enjoyment was shared on that dance floor. I hope those who I knew during those good ol’ days will remember the good times and look on them with as much joy and happiness as I do.

It’s been a bad few days. I had a change in medicine that messed up my body pretty badly and forced me to miss work for a few days. I ended up getting the medicine switched back, but I am still wiped out.
On the bright side, the 4th was awesome. I met our new artist here at work who will be painting the mural for the new visitor center. We watched fireworks in town with a lot of the staff at the monument. You can check out her work on her blog called An Illustrated Life or at http://www.lizbradford.com. She also is going to do the cover art for my book when it is finished, so get familiar with her soon!
I am working on my book tonight, so I will have part of Chapter One up on the webpage soon. Be sure to send your friends to read it when I post it! I post more later.

I love my job. I get paid to do what I love, and today was no exception. I was able to go on my first rafting trip since 2004 and had a blast! I floated down the Green River from Rainbow Park to Split Mountain in Dinosaur National Monument. It was a fun trip, and I am writing a story about it. My rough draft is finished, and I hope to have the final finished by the end of the weekend. If I don’t have it done email me and remind me to work on it! It will be part of another book I am starting to write. My first book is coming slowly but steadily. Thanks for your patience. I should have pictures up soon from my trip!

Since I have been here in Dinosaur National Monument I have experienced winter, spring, and summer. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in that order. The weather fluctuates in interesting patterns here. It can be snowing in Vernal and be sunny here. Vernal is only about ten miles away as the crow flies, so it can get somewhat confusing as to what weather to expect.
Dinosaur N.M. is settled in between the Uinta Mountains and the Rockey Mountains, so we have interesting weather, as well as plant and animal communities. I have never been anywhere else where I could see a marmot and a prairie dog living in the same habitat.
I fear I am being stalked by a wild turkey. I heard it the first time a couple of days ago at work, and now it is getting closer and closer to my apartment. I am convinced he is using the mule deer as spies, because the other night I looked up and there was a deer staring at me through my window! If this legion of marmot-prairie dog-mule deer-wild turkey team up, it could spell trouble for us all!
Okay, enough of me being silly. Thanks for stopping by!

There isn’t a whole lot to report right now here in Dinosaurland. I am working slowly on my book and have the first draft on about three chapters now. Work and school are taking up most of my time, so writing has been the last thing on my mind. I have to develop three programs for children in the next few weeks, so I will be quite the busy ranger for a while.
Kaia is heading out to see me on Tuesday, so I will be back in Salt Lake for a couple of days. It seems all of our good friends are abandoning the USA for other countries lately, so now we are saying goodbye to a few more (I better get presents mailed to me when you get there!).
As always, I will push forward and keep you posted on what’s shakin’ here. Oh, and enjoy this video.

Now that I have been away from Arizona for a month, it is time to head home and see my wife and pets. This first month has blown by, and doesn’t really seem like I have been away for so long. I have had to relearn how to do a lot of things, and I am surprised at my luck in surviving away from Kaia.

So tomorrow I fly home. Hopefully I won’t have a repeat of a few years ago (I can’t believe I am even considering flying home even relatively close to April 3rd, what the heck was I thinking?). Airplanes and I are not friends. We are like oil and water, keep separate for best results. So if you don’t see me posting on either my blog or my Facebook status by Friday, check with Kaia to see if I survived my flight.

Well, it’s time to get packing for tomorrow. Fortunately I don’t have much to do since I forgot some of my good clothes at home. Catch you on the flip-side hepcats!