So we would start hiking around the park on Saturday morning around 9:30 - 10 am and bring a lunch, and then hike about 10 miles. We do not walk that fast, maybe 2 miles an hour, but we enjoy the hiking and get to talk to people on the path. I have a walkie-talkie and look official, with my volunteer hat and shirt. We both wear long sleeves, long pants, and hiking boots, as many of the trails are over-grown and there are lots of ticks and other bugs.

Sundays I might do the rove part myself, but sometimes Sasha would come with me.  I did the Rove duty for about four weeks, and then I switched days to Monday through Thursday. So ended my Roving, and instead was doing work in the visitor center.

I started working on databases - in Microsoft Access and Excel. I am in charge of two major databases: a Mass Marketing Email database (we ask visitors for their email addresses to send them emails about the programs every week and about our newsletter that we send once a month.) So I go into that database and add names as well as take names out that have bounced. The other database is for ranger led programs. People write in to the park asking for programs, either ones that we have or sometimes new ones, like talking to the class about being a ranger, or history of the park, that sort of thing. So I started to work on those databases, and be a part of the team more often, getting to know the staff better.

Saturday June 16th, I went with the Chief Ranger, Laura Cohen, and Jessica (a Student Conservation Association ranger) on a hike with a Geologist from Northern Virginia Community College. He was running his own program and Laura gave the history of the Pyrite Mine here in the park. Jessica went back with Laura for Lunch but I had packed my lunch so I stayed with them until the end of their time here at the park. I enjoyed the program, it was interesting and a good way to get back into Geology without really trying. Although I have not really thought about Geology for a while, I started to think about it more because of the program.

Sasha and I also started to think that maybe I should start looking for a job with the NPS as a full-time job, to get rid of Sales Through Technology (my business) and get a full time gig with the government. I went onto www.USAJobs.gov and started understanding the ways of the government.  There is definitely a lot to learn regarding getting a job with the government. I had to get my transcripts from both University of Rhode Island and Oregon Graduate Institute, then set up different search agents and different resumes. You have to answer questions - and can not be too wordy as some questions have limits. But at least I started the process. I know that it takes a long while to get it done.

June was also the first time we really saw returns on the money in the bank from the house sale. I am still learning about bonds and interest rates, and how they all relate, plus setting up different bank accounts to get some CDs. Living on a National Park makes the process more difficult, as banks want you to be living in a place that you get an electricity bill, even though they are an internet bank.

We also saw the spending go way down on eating out, as there is not as many restaurants here as Loudoun County. And spending also went down for groceries as the prices here seem lower. Gas prices are also lower here in Prince William, although we are spending more in gas money because Sasha is having to commute. But NO money was spend on a mortgage, lawn care, storage, utility bills, HOA, newspaper, or taxes. It was quite a nice feeling.

One of my friends (Mary Beth Dunn) came to the park and stayed over - we have a canopy that stores our grill and table, so we took the things out of the canopy and she put her tent in there for the night.  It was great catching up with her and Sasha made a nice dinner. The next morning, I did not have to work, so we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and then she left from there to go to New Jersey, and from there up to New York.

My Mom and Dad gave us an Entertainment Book last Christmas and so we started to use it more, to go to restaurants and to the movies. So we ventured out more this month, found a Five Guys burger and fries place, Mexican restaurant, an ice cream place called Bruster's (unbelievable - outdoor seating only with hard ice cream in almost any favor you could want). Dixie Bones (I helped plan a "lunch" with Kaitlyn another SCA at the park - this food is to die for - BBQ with pulled pork, pie, and cornbread, expensive but goooood), Bob Evans for breakfast (very expensive I always forget how expensive it is), Carlos O'Kelly (Mexican with an Irish Bar) and we went to the movies too. Movie food is way too expensive, we had forgotten how expensive it was as we hadn't gone to the movies in a long while. The movie itself was good, the seats OK - but next time we will eat a full dinner before we go.

 Like I said in the previous month, we will get the finances put into a format and then will show you the spending habits of living in a truck camper, while one of us is still working full-time, and another is volunteering and working part-time.

Check out July 2007 - a few changes to the schedule, a few parties, and seeing the family.