Day Four

Promise me, dear and loving husband, promise me, Mike T, that you too will come to this place.  To walk across the bricks etched with names of our fellow brothers and sisters who have died - some for good reason, some needlessly.  Promise me that you will sit in the white-walled classrooms and listen to the instructors teach - some better instructors than others.  That you will look across at your classmates and see yourself in them.  You will hear their worries and their complaints and realize these are yours too.  And know, like they know, that what we do is an amazing privilege.  And know, like they know, that we are bound by trust and respect and knowledge.  Because with knowledge, we can keep each other safer - demand on it - and be around another day to help out others in need.  With knowledge, we can build stronger organizations and stronger teams.  Promise me you will come here one day soon.  You have earned it, you deserve it, and it will complete you as a firefighter.

The Theory Flow Chart.

Explain and Predict - that's Theory.

Scenes from a walk in the Emmitburg Park. 

Queen Anne's Lace waiting to become  puzzle! I love this image.

Nuts!

Inky Cap Mushrooms in the Nun's Lawn!

Squirrel's dinner bench.

 

Day Three

Dug in.  That's how today feels.  Dug in, doing work, trying to process, hearing much about Theory.  This is instructor Tom emphasizing the importance of image and public perception. 

The humidity and temperatures eased today.  It felt, as I remember, like the beginning of fall.  A really nice day to have to spend cooped up in a training room.  Still, that is why we came here.  To learn.

Last light, Building H, NFA Campus

Homework is finished.  Tonight's walk  took me down the alley ways off Emmitsburg's main street, both north and south directions.  This photographic challenge will get harder now the easy streets are done.  I was especially surprised and delighted to find datura growing out in front of the Catholic church.  Very pretty flower.

 

Wildlife sighting!

Interesting similarity of lines in the two above images.

Have a nice night.  Thanks for viewing my blog!

Day Two

First day of class.

There are 16 of us in this class.  Several are Chiefs, many Battalion Chiefs, some Captains, and a few Lieutenants.  A room full of thinkers. 

Two instructors work with us to help us grasp theory.  Theory - The two main purposes of theory are to explain and to predict.  A few of us are feeling a bit woozey!!  Our assignment is to come up with a problem (at work) which we can have influence to make change.  This is not an easy task.

Our day was finished with a briefing at the library.  The NFA library is a very unique and specialized library with its topic specific to our service.  I imagine I will be visiting this place once or twice in the next couple of weeks.

 

My head was spinning by now.  This is what was seen when one looked up!

 

 





 

I have limited time to decide.  What problem shall I tackle?  I query my class mates over a beer and discover some are opting for easy problems - changing a color on their helmet.  Updating a policy to reflect better practices.  There may be some serious wisdom here.  I need to stretch further.

 

 

Dead locust on the dorm step.  Apparently he had a big problem.

Sycamore bark at sunset.

 

A walk up the streets of downtown Emmitsburg to complete the day.

 

 

NFA student contemplates his problems!!  



Day One

Greetings Blog Followers.  Day One.  As a way to get to know my new camera better, I have assigned myself to a 14 day photojournalistic task.  Each day, while taking this class at the National Fire Academy, I will post pictures and thoughts from the day.

 

Shrine to Fallen Firefighters.

Today, of course, a big travel day.  Michael and I got up (with a groan) at 4:15 MST.  A quick shower, double check on luggage and items and we were off to the airport. Jackson gate below.

Today I learned there are 7 flights that commence from the Jackson airport between 4:30 am to 7:30 am.  The airport was a zoo!  I got checked in and through security without a hitch. Below, luggage at the Dulles baggage area.

A short hour in Ohare, one gin and tonic and some oriental lunch, and all aboard to Dulles.  The FEMA van showed up on time (the fire academy is under the FEMA umbrella) and several fellow students and I made our venture north to Emmitsburg, MD without incident (despite the rather aggressive operation of a van).
Two images below captured while standing in line at O'Hare.

 

 

I am now checked in and settled into Building F, Room 204.  Down the hall is the Fire Marshal from Eureka, CA - where Larry and Donna Ulrich live.  There is a place to put our business cards next to our doors.  I snooped as I made my way down the hall! 

 

Images from the campus here at the National Fire Academy.

 

 

 

Room 204, view of work area.

Shannon & Kade Tie The Knot

Great couple join up a bunch of loving family and friends as witness to their commitment to each other.  What a great wedding!

Debbie, pictured below with hubby Dave, made awesome cupcakes that women and children fought over! 

Second hand stores

You got to love this kind of deal!!

 

 

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Last Weekend

3,000 pounds of pork ribs.  Very big tents.  Picnic tables.  A caldron filled with beans.  Coleslaw.  1200 people.  The Hoback BBQ.  It's a big deal!  That's what we've been up to for the past couple of weeks.  All went well and we are glad it is done!

Vietnamese Garlic!

Wow! This new variety did well! Big cloves bulbs. Nice!

 

 

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Gifts & Thank You!

 

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Thank You!

Thank you Carol for the beautiful glads!

 

 

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Day One

Sour cherries and vodka. Day one!

 

 

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Raspberry Patch

Three weeks early this year, the raspberries are turning.  It won't be a great crop, but there should be 3-4 gallons off my patch.