Desktop Background

I think desktop backgrounds are important and it always kills me when I see someone using an image that's to small or out of proportion. Even worse is when it's that rolling grass windows standard. Here is my current desktop background.



The Big Picture usually has some great desktop potential.

New Job

This week I started a new job in Reno! I have moved up to the state office and will be working to integrate GIS into the Nevada BLM. It's going to take a lot of work and coordination with all of the districts.

Right now it's a lot of traveling around to different offices. Monday I flew to Las Vegas in the morning and back out that afternoon (kinda felt funny to be back so soon). Then Tuesday I worked in Reno and drove to Winnemucca that night. Wednesday it was another early morning and drive to Elko and back to Winnemucca. Thursday I got up early and drove down to Reno and Friday I'm going camping in California. I haven't slept past 6 any day this week.

It will be good once I get settled in and figure out where I'm going to live. Right now Jessica is staying in Winnemucca. My original roommate in Winnemucca, Justin, is also moving on to a job in California. Wednesday we played our last softball game of the season, and summer feels like it's starting to come to an end. Now if it would only cool down for a bit.

I'm excited to be in Reno and look forward to camping in trees. It will also be easier to get to San Francisco and the convenience of an airport. So if anyone is thinking of heading to Tahoe, I'm even closer now. I can't wait for ski season!

Las Vegas Bachelor Party

Last weekend I went to Vegas for Tony's bachelor party. We had a great time and hanging out and having fun. Not many pictures were taken which is probably best for all parties involved, but here is one of fun times and one of the sunrises that we saw.

American Eagle Speedcar

So after the getting back from the Fourth of July, the next morning I headed out to the Black Rock Playa. The office asked for volunteers to go out and monitor a land speed car test runs, and I raised my hand. So back in 1997 the current record was set on the Playa at 760 MPH. The team I went to see was the North American Eagle. They had a pretty detailed article written up on them in the New York Times.



So most of Monday I was out there, I went exploring and GPSing roads for our inventory. I finally made it out to the Black Rock that the playa is named for. I also tooled around to the Double Hot springs and found the elusive Quinn River. I got one flat tire, but that is about average for out there.




At the Black Rock hot springs there is an old abandoned sheephearders wagon there. It was also one of the stops on the immigrant trail.


The Quinn River is a neat feature because it supports small plants on a soil that nothing should grow on. It used to be much more prominent stretching out in the playa, but has dried up over the years. It's more of a mud pit now.



I also finally got to the High and Dry's. They are a set of playas above the main playa that are much firmer.



That night was an amazing full moonrise and the morning was a great sunrise and moonset.


Tuesday I hung around the car camp most of the day and got to see it do one test run before I left. The track was about 4 miles long and all I could really see was the first 300 feet, so it didn't seem to be going that fast then. It was still pretty cool to see a jet engine power up on the back of a car.







I hope I can make it out next year to see the sound barrier be broken.

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Jarbidge Wilderness

So for the fourth of July, Jessica and I decided to go backpacking in the Jarbidge Wilderness. It's a place that's way off the map and somewhere you don't show up accidentally. If you are ever remotely near the area, I highly recommend stopping by.



So on the way up, we passed through Wells, NV and stopped by a ghost town called Metropolis. The only things left standing are the enterance to the school and the spot where the temple was. It was a mormon settlement that had the idea of pulling water from the Mary's River, but were sued by people from Lovelock who weren't getting enough water.


So then we headed on to Mary's River. It was started to rain when we got there, so we were a bit delayed, and only hiked in two miles that night. The next day we got up and hiked about five more miles up to a meadow, and then back to camp.



The views on the way up were amazing. The further up we went, the more mormon crickets we saw. At the last stream crossing it was unbelieveable. I took some joy in knocking them into the water. The trail was difficult to find, in part because it was hard to look down with so much beauty around.



We came across swarms of Mormon crickets. I don't know how many I stepped on, but it was tons. They all seem to be headed in the same direction and there were tons at one stream crossing.


Sunday we got up, packed camp and headed back to the car. We tossed our stuff in and off we drove. It was a great Fourth, but no fireworks.





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