On Hold
I guess I am taking the bulk of the week off from my blog. It wasn't planned. It just
sort of happened. I have oh so many things to share like dancing at
reggae concerts with my mom, and putting up apple pie filling, cool,
weird bug larvae in the woodpile that I think might be from a mud
dauber, and trying to start the house on fire (not really, but sort
of...a potholder went up in flames, but that is it), but school started
again this week and I have been just too swamped with helping the new
students and training the new employees that I haven't had a spare
moment.
Adding to the usual craze of the start of the new year on Tuesday (the second day of school) I was informed that half of my student staff no longer qualified for funding and so they couldn't work for me anymore. (That number has since been reduced to just two of my staff members which is still a pain and a loss to the library, but a significant improvement.)
Its all good though. I have a nice little nest-egg of comp. time to use up already. I finished training the last newbie today. Tomorrow is at LONG last Friday. So...I'll be back next week with lots to tell. Have a great weekend in the meantime.
Adding to the usual craze of the start of the new year on Tuesday (the second day of school) I was informed that half of my student staff no longer qualified for funding and so they couldn't work for me anymore. (That number has since been reduced to just two of my staff members which is still a pain and a loss to the library, but a significant improvement.)
Its all good though. I have a nice little nest-egg of comp. time to use up already. I finished training the last newbie today. Tomorrow is at LONG last Friday. So...I'll be back next week with lots to tell. Have a great weekend in the meantime.
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| A rainbow streaks through the smoky clouds over a cow pasture in western Montana. |
You work very hard. Blessings on you in your library, and in your home, on your working hours, your rest, your playtime, your time with Matt. Blessings on your garden, your family, your fun times. xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Penelope! You are so kind.
DeleteSounds like you've been very busy! Do you work at a college? I worked at my college library for one semester before I took a student assistant position in the theater/communications department. I would *really* love a job as an administrative assistant for one of our local universities, but they're simply not hiring (or offer enough pay/benefits).
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to hearing all your interesting stories!
I do work at a university library. Its the second one I've worked in and I am really, really lucky. I really enjoy what I do and the people I work with which is more than so many people say. Its a real blessing. That said, I am not highly paid by any stretch...but the benefits (both vacation time and other less tangible ones, like job satisfaction) are well worth it.
DeleteMatt says I get paid to read magazines all day. Its not really true, but you get his point. I love it here.
Hope your blog-vacation works, and sorry to hear of your student helpers losing their funding. I do hope the U.S. gets back on track by supporting students and education at all levels--before we become a second-rate nation with illiterate, uninformed voters.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, your grouse question:
Blue grouse are noticeably larger than other species and tend to live high where there is whitebark pine. On mature males, tale feathers are very dark--black or dark bluish in the right light. Tail is longer and squarish.
Spruce grouse tend to lower elevations with thicker foliage and wetter climate. Males have reddish eye patch.
I'm not sure I could tell young birds apart, though in the hand the squarer tale of even young blue grouse is distinctive.
Ruffed grouse have a distinctive dark band on the tail edge and in males the ruff collar can't be missed. Ruffs come in red and grey phases. Lower elevations here in Montana--usually in or near aspen/willow.