I spent all day out in the cold, dusty wind, watching contractors lay pipe in the ground. The lucky thing is that for once I am east of town instead of west, which means replacing Indians with Mennonites. Life is tidier, friendlier, and - well - suffice it to say that it's better to be sent east rather than west. I am all for diversity, and I am no princess, but there's something uplifting about gazing across manicured ranchlands to snow-capped peaks. Think Legends of the Fall, sans Brad Pitt, on the other side of the Rockies and north several hundred kilometres.

It's great to be out of the office. There are a million things that I should be working on there, including a stop-everything-this-is-top-priority item, but alas I was the only one left qualified to inspect this job. Hunting season = staff vacations. I could be offended that they consider using me to inspect is scraping the bottom of the barrel, but I believe it when they say that they find me more useful in the office. While I do enjoy a sunny day in the field, I also enjoy a cozy day in my little office, with a mug of tea and my space heater warming my feet, staring out the window at my tree, writing lengthy reports and manuals. I truly think that I've discovered one of the best career jobs that exists - if nothing else, the best career job for me.