Surface Tension

 

At the Baltimore Botanical Gardens. 

Skies

 

Reflected on Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland. 

Whistle Stop

 

Along Jones Falls, in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Braveheart

 

Statue of William Wallace at Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland. 

Weather Beaten

 

Box car, in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Urban Mountains

 

Sand in south Baltimore. 

No Posting

 

In Baltimore, Maryland. 

Driver 8

 

In Baltimore, Maryland. 

Stained Glass

 

Outside of Cockeysville, Maryland 

Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)

In South Baltimore (Brooklyn), Maryland.

Night Train

 

At the B & O Railroad Museum. 

Port Hole

On the U.S.S. Taney, last surviving ship from Pearl Harbor.

Going Home

The Sawtooth Hotshots, on the Dixie National Forest.

This is another of from the archives of my fire pictures. It was taken in 2004, my last summer on the Sawtooth IHC. It was a miserable fire - grass, sage, and juniper in the desert of southern Utah.

My favorite part of every fire, but on these early season desert fires in particular, was the hike out. No matter how tired I was, no matter how much my body hurt, no matter how miserable an experience I had, the hike out always made me happy.

The hike out was freedom - knowing my shift is done, that I'll get some food, a chance to take off your boots, a shower, some rest, and then a drive home. Sure there are things I still had to do - clean tools, repair gear, wash trucks, and maybe even a fire call at the last minute.

The hike out was peace. I'd drown out the complaints and jokes of my crewmates. Ignore the radio chatter about some far off division. I could think clearly, let my mind wander, daydream of hot food and cold beer, phone calls to my family, emails to my friends.

The hike out was hope. Hope for a better fire next time. Hope for some time in the timber and mountains. Hope for lots of OT, a quick summer, and a quick chance to return again next summer. Hope for a job jumping out of airplanes.

The hike out was the end. End of the fire. End of the two week roll. End of my summer. End of my fire career.

I still miss it, and wonder when I'll ever stop.

Blue Moon

Over the National Aquarium, Baltimore, Maryland.

Locked Times Three

Howard Street, Baltimore.

Slow Water

The Potomac River, below Great Falls.

Water Power

At the Prettyboy Dam, Maryland.

Anger

On The Greenehouse, Baltimore, Maryland.

Clouds

Over Baltimore.

Flower Bug

Near the Prettyboy Reservior, Maryland.

Old Baltimore

The old Baltimore City College building, Howard and Centre Streets, Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore City College is actually a high school, the third oldest public high school in the country. This building was built in 1895 and is no longer in use. Signs around note that it may be turned into loft-style apartments.

Holes

At the Baltimore Botanical Garden.

White Burst

At the Baltimore Botanical Gardens

Driftwood

In Ocean Grove, N.J.

Spiral Ginger

Costus Amazonicus, at the Baltimore Botanical Gardens.

Feathers

Seagull in Ocean Grove, N.J.

Locked Again

Outside the Paramount Theater, Asbury Park, N.J.

Casino

The old Casino, Asbury Park, N.J.

The Bell

In Providence, Rhode Island.

Not Today

Empty lifeguard chair, Asbury Park, N.J.

The 4th

On Dover Street, Baltimore, Maryland.

Queen Victoria Agave

At the Baltimore Botanical Gardens.

Banana Trees

Up close at the Baltimore Botanical Gardens.

Sawtooth IHC

Alex Williams, Lance Eacret, Pete Skrief and yours truly, somewhere on the Payette National Forest, July, 2004.


I spent four summers on the Sawtooth Hotshots, four of the best summers of my life. During that time I worked harder than I ever had before, watched my body break down only to heal and break down again, saw places in this country that few people have ever seen, learned about myself, made a good amount of money, grew up, and made some of the best friends on the planet.

This is my first summer since 2000 that I will not be involved in fighting forest fires in some way, and I miss it tremendously. I don't miss the heavy gear, the crappy food, or my feet rotting off. I miss my friends, plain and simple. Right now some of them are in Utah on a fire, some are in Idaho, some Montana, some Alaska, and some (like me) have left the fire business altogether.

This picture is for them, and for me.

Thinking

Up close with Rodin's "The Thinker" at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Torch Ginger

Nicolaia elatior "Thompsonae" at the Baltimore Botanical Gardens.

Time

I'm sorry that the updates are a bit slow in coming, but I'm busy studying for the first part of the Medical Boards. He's a couple photos for now, and I'll try and put some more up later.


Georgie K

The Thinker

Cast of Rodin's The Thinker, as seen at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Red, Blue and Yellow

At the Baltimore Botanical Gardens.

Fixin' to Storm

July clouds rolling in outside Grangeville, Idaho.

Two Suns

At the Baltimore Botanical Gardens.