April 22, 2009

• Spiralicious

  

  After years of work, 62 wells at 27 sites, drilling is officially OVER with the Snake Valley project. You might ask (as many other have) if I am happy it is over and everything has circled back. Well, the answer to that is… kinda. It’s a bitter-sweet moment for me. I am happy to be at home, not living out of a suitcase in a shakey trailer, in a seemingly endless loop between the SLC and the field. WALDSland is treating me very, very good right now, and I have a job, so I should not complain. However, the prospect of spending so much time in a cubicle is disheartening.

  

  Of course, my last week of drilling couldn’t have been complete without another tumultuous snowstorm. This is the only time Crystal Peak does not stand out.

  

  While we drilled at Needle Point Spring, this injured sheep dog hung out with us. He was very nice! He had a big chunk out of his front leg, but it looked to be healing. Of course, a little bit of Jerky never hurts…

  

  Before the drilling, I did something really cool: I visited the famous Spiral Jetty with the soon-to-be graduated Liz and Kyle! It is an anthropogenic isthmus in the northern-central part of the Great Salt Lake.

  

  It is made out of a Tertiary basalt… the area was also great geology wise for all the intertwined halite and gypsum mineralization.

  

  The place, with the jetty and the lake itself, is an eerie place… but in a good way. The only thing I can say is: there is nothing quite like it.

  

  You do have to watch your step out there. I think it’s time to buy new shoes, because 1) they are now salty/crusty from this, 2) the back is so old it’s falling apart, and the second set of soles is going out, and 3) I can’t remember buying new shoes since right after moving to Missoula, so these have had a good spin.

  That was not the only bummer about this otherwise great trip: On the way to the Jetty is Golden Spike National Historical Site. So, guess where the ‘golden spike’ that Golden Spike National Historical Site is named after is found. By a twist of fate, it’s not at Golden Spike National Historical Site, even though it should be at Golden Spike National Historical Site. It at the Stanford Art Museum. Curveball, eh? It turns out Leeland Stanford was one of the railmen in charge of the project, so he got the spike, not Golden Spike National Historical Site. Golden Spike National Historical Site just screws you over by just having a replica. Boo! Damn Trees (sorry earth day, had to say it)! I guess I’ll have to see it next time I’m up there.

  

  The rain that came in late was our cue to go. It was cool to stick around because of the pink algal bloom that came over the cove.

  

  Now that I am home, I finally got my frame work back on my Grandmother’s paining. Turned out nice, eh? The nice touch that the pic does not do justice is the purple background matting that matches the purple flower, and the golden spiral frame that matches the golden flowers. I’m really happy…. it’s like I’m all cultured ‘n’ shit.

  • 8:13 pm
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