Celebrated National Trails Day with a visit to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy HQ in Harper’s Ferry, WV. My youngest was less interested until she saw the old hornet’s nest on the table. She promised to hike the trail with me when big enough — which in her estimation means 9 years old

Put the kids to bed in the cabin and finished the night reading by headlamp, swinging in the porch-swing, and listening to the rain. Was a good night

Went camping with the kids in West Virginia using the same cheapo enamelware cook-set I bought in the Rock Springs, WY Walmart twenty years ago for my USFS seasonal position and the Mini-Mag my brother gave me as a birthday present two weeks later. Still works great. #Camping

In honor of National Trails Day tomorrow, I’m giving away free digital copies of the memoir I wrote about my time cutting trails and fighting wildland fire. I hope you enjoy it! #Hiking #Trails #Backpacking #Wildland #Firefighting #BookSky #WritingCommunity #Authors

For anyone following the Screwtape Worm news and curious to know how the United States organizes and responds to incidents like these, I recommend you take a look at the national Food/Ag Incident Annex developed by my team in FEMA’s National Planning Branch. www.fema.gov/sites/defaul...

Important announcement! Mulberry season is here!.

Camping trip was rained out, so I took the kids to Gettysburg. Youngest had her first cyclorama experience. Made some good memories learning important lessons.

FB memory from May 2020: Spent that day with my wife and newborn daughter in the maternity ward while watching my friends wheel patients into the COVID tent tent directly below me. Wild times. #MedSky #Paramedic

Spent the afternoon at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. I am beyond lucky to have such an amazing event in my backyard. #BookSky

Caught the sunrise from the South Frederick Overlook today and spent a moment afterwards giving thanks to the Civilian Conservation Corps for building it almost a century ago.

My daughter is in kindergarten and drew a portrait of George Washington that belongs in a museum

The parents of the baby I helped deliver back in February sent us a thank you card. I learned tonight her name is Miriam. #MedSky #Paramedic

Paramedic at the law enforcement candlelight vigil tonight on the National Mall until the storm rolled in. We were excellent at patient care but marginal at keeping ourselves dry.

My youngest insisted that she was going to wear her favorite pants today, and I insisted that I would not send a kindergartener to school in ripped clothes. The compromise was a sewing lesson, and all is well.

The capacitor on my old Seiko kinetic dive watch wore out, and I replaced it tonight. I don’t use my watchmaking tools very often, and it felt good to put them to use. Felt extra good that I did not curse loud enough to wake the kids when trying to un-fasten the screws.

Got a “buy one get one free” coupon when I took my kids to the used bookstore yesterday, so of course I came back. Got Junior the Metallica “And Justice for All” book he spotted yesterday, and I grabbed a classic hiking book from the 1970s for myself. #Hiking #BookSky #Metallica

We have tons of disaster-focused training on the schedule for the remainder of the spring, and I’m adding to that in my off-hours by getting AHA CPR Instructor certified and taking the NCEE exam so I can do a better job teaching EMT students. Exciting stuff!

An old Jeep and my best friend. Radar might be the only one who loves riding around in this old Jeep more than I do.

New tubes and tires on the bike I got for my boy. Had to learn some bike repair fundamentals, and I’m better fo it. It feels good to fix old things and learn new stuff

Throwback to the time I won free tickets to the dairy banquet for my pro-milk artwork. I’m glad my mom kept this stuff. It’s fun to find it again. #Iowa #Farming #Dairy

I love West Virginia and eagerly encourage people to visit, but it’s it’s absolutely bonkers to suggest the eastern WV panhandle is only an hour away from downtown DC. Like, an hour from now I’ll still be on this train.

When I was 10, a friend’s dad who knew I liked model airplanes gifted me his collection. I displayed them in my bedroom until college and then packed them away in toilet paper until I gave them to my kids last night. My 7yo now wants to fly the AC-130, and my 5yo wants to be a “Thud” pilot.

I want to cordially invite everyone who thinks farmers are millionaires to visit our farm where I will let you do backbreaking and dangerous labor. Since I’ve never pocketed a dime of income off the place but still make mortgage payments, I can’t offer wages. I will feed you taco pizza though.

Got nostalgic last night and pulled out the box of 4-H stuff my Mom saved. The highlight was finding the binder I made to explain how I spent a summer refurbishing a 1930s McCormick-Deering hay mower I pulled out of the weeds. County fair blue ribbon and qualified for the Iowa State Fair. #Farming

I let the kids decorate their bike helmets with stickers from my collection, and the results are impressive.

I let the kids decorate their bike helmets with stickers from my collection, and the results are impressive.

Working offsite over the weekend and saw this. Ate my soup cold as a result.

Farmers are back in the news, and I’d like to highlight that during the farm crisis of the 1980s, three separate Hollywood movies were made about in my native Iowa, but the only film people remember is the one that involved baseball playing ghosts serving as the deus ex machina. #Iowa

Some thoughts on the NYT dairy farm story. A thread:

Worked a half-marathon this morning and was gifted a box of “Shaq-A-Licious XL” gummies from the leftover race food, and Imma tell you right now that these are the absolute best.

Post a picture of you from another era. (early 1990s)

Post your warning sign

Some hard truth found on the wall of the simulation lab tonight.

The egg bake and cornbread turned out pretty solid too.

My 7yo didn’t have his switch, so he challenged me to a game of Super Mario 3, and he gets so excited that anytime Mario jumps, the boy jumps too. Proud dad! #RetroGaming

Annual trip to the Fort Frederick (Maryland) Colonial Market Fair did not disappoint.

Pumpkin pie tastes good year-round.

Spent Wednesday morning at the academy doing paramedic ConEd where I had the chance to catch up with my paramedic instructor from ten years ago and my EMT instructor from seventeen years ago. Both are good dudes, and I’m grateful that I got to be their student.

Someone put a stair climber in the hallway of the firehouse and removed a ceiling tile so users can stick their heads into the void space above it. I dunno about this….

Spent the night at the Inn at Blackstone. The hotel was once a women’s junior college. I did not get a chance to stay in the Bea Arthur suite, but maybe next time!

Completed the PADI Advanced Open Water dive certification today in Lake Phoenix, VA. 5 foot visibility and 48 degree water when we dropped 62 feet to swim around a sunken Cessna and later an old school bus. Absolutely worth it.

A real conversation last night: Rookie: When did you join the department? Me: Seventeen years ago this month. April 2009. Rookie: Oh wow, I wasn’t even born yet.

Told a patient last night that I enjoy working as a paramedic at rock concerts because every shift I get to do a cool job I love with a cool soundtrack playing in the background.

Spring cleaning and decided it’s finally time to rehome the PS3 I got in 2010 and have not played since the kids were born. Started it up to see if it still works, and, ah, maybe I’ll keep it.

Weather was nice, so I washed the Jeeps

Neighbors gifed my kids some Barbie playhouse items, but I have no idea how to explain a 5.25 floppy disc to my 5 year old daughter.

Up early today staffing the medical tent for an Easter event held at dawn at the Lincoln Memorial. They picked a good spot for it.

Spent my first day as a formal EMS instructor, and it was awesome. These young people are great.

It’s the weekend. Time to get lit(erate).

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