Today has been a very busy day, as I had an important client meeting this evening and a bit of a security scare as well. The meeting went very well, so that was a relief. Earlier today we had a group of local men approach some of our crew and tell them that they can't work in the part of our spread that we are currently shooting in. It was worrisome enough to send our crew back to the safety of the camp and our walls. Later in the day groups of armed locals with machine guns were seen patrolling around on our spread. Apparently one of the local sheiks is offended by us being here collecting seismic data. The military and oilfield police have been called out and are patrolling the area surrounding the camp tonight. It is a bit tense around here this evening to say the least. Interestingly, for as dangerous or worrisome as it all sounds, I feel completely safe...I can't really explain just how much security there is for us out here, but it is impressive.
Aside from the security issues going on today it is a pretty slow and boring day over here, much the same as always. The flares are burning all around us, the sky was clear except for the smoke from the flares, and it was in the mid-60s. I am sitting in my office right now listening to the QC guys argue with each other in Arabic, or I think they are arguing...one can not be sure. It is funny, they are all very laid back guys when they speak in English, but when they return to their native tongue they speak much faster, louder, with much more passion. Hands up in the air...they remind me of the stereotypical Italians from movies. One of the guys is going home tomorrow, and he is REALLY excited. I will miss him, as he is the one who always shares his culture and religion with me...he calls me "Americano" in a really terrible Italian accent. He, still being in training, works a murderous schedule of 6 weeks on and only 2 weeks off. I feel bad for him and for all of the guys who are working that training schedule as they work their way through our training program.
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| Moon still up with dawn breaking over the camp |
I was reading quite a bit this morning before sleep overtook me about Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and I think more and more that it is where I will head for five or six days while I am in the US. It sounds like it contains some very challenging hikes as well as some inspiring views. I am usually not so much of a desert person, but it seems that the high Guadalupes enjoy a climate similar to someplace much further north because of the elevation. I am definitely getting excited for this little trip, now I just need to decide when to do it. I guess that I need to check the old calendar and see what is on the agenda so far.the first two weekends are booked for sure already, so I know that the week between them is out for a trip. The following week will be out as well, because I will be driving back to Houston on that Sunday from New Orleans and the last thing I will want to do is continue driving for another twelve hours to make the National Park. It shouldn't be so challenging to plan a trip when I have almost five free weeks, right?! Perhaps it is simply further evidence that we are over-scheduled and complicated these days...I really wish that it were just easier...leisure shouldn't be full of stress.
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| Looking towards the Guadalupe Mountains |
For the next break which will be late April and through May I have made myself a deal involving an intermediate goal in regards to my getting in shape resolution. If I have lost 25 pounds by the time the break comes, since the year 2013 started, then I am going to treat myself to a trip to either Romania or to a few of the National Parks of the West...perhaps Grand Canyon, Zion, and Death Valley or Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Yosemite. That trip will be a real vacation...not five or six days, but two weeks or so. A chance to really enjoy and get into the backcountry of the places that I will visit...also it will be one last reprieve from the heat that will be coming both to Iraq and to Houston. I have plenty of time still to plan that trip, but I really want to have it be good, so I don't want to skimp on the planning (though I am normally not so much of a planner). I actually tend to like traveling about without much of an itinerary or agenda...that way I don't feel stressed by getting places at a certain time or feel bad stopping to enjoy a view or place that I found. It is nice to sort of know where you are heading but not be constrained about when to get there. I think what I will do if I decide to go the National Park route is to pick a two or three day trail in each place that I want to visit and then really just have those six or eight days truly planned, and that will give me about a week to drive out and back and mess around along the way. SO EXCITING!
Do you know one thing that I have never done before that I would really like to do...slot canyoneering. I have been in a slot before, but have only barely hiked into one...only about a mile and a half, and that slot was in the alluvial fans of Death Valley, not one of the super deep, super narrow slots of Southern Utah. I think that I will take a trip out west to try slot canyoneering with a guide service. I think it would be really challenging and exceptionally fun. I don't know exactly what inspired that thought, but I thought I would share it...perhaps I will talk more about it in a later post.
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| A Utah Slot Canyon |
That's what I've got for the day...later!
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