Thanksgiving on Fire Contract

Clouds rolling in and around the helibase all day on Thanksgiving Day.

Where I sit in my truck most of the day to get ATnT signal with my wireless card. Sorry Verizon, but you just don't work up here. Lol. I recently purchased an ATnT phone and wireless card, but still hang onto my verizon phone.

Clouds in the early morning trying to roll around the base most of the day. Super pretty day.

As I drove to the helibase today for work, I couldn't hold back the big kid grin as I drove up Hwy 243 in the rain, only to come out higher in the mountains to the snow. It was a beautiful sight. I couldn't help but think how cool it is that my job allows me to work up here in the gorgeous mountains only a two hour drive from my home. The snow covered all of the higher elevation mountains. It was quite the sight. Our base sits at 5,000 feet, so unfortunately no snowfall at the helibase, darn it! lol. Instead I had the unique opportunity to enjoy the clouds rolling in and around the helibase all day long. As always, it appears that our little helipad is based up in heaven if this is what heaven were to look like. Sitting atop white puffy clouds all day next to the helibase in the sky, not a bad way to spend the holiday at work. Everyone brought something for our Thanksgiving feast which was super tasty. Firemen are always great cooks.

Something I forgot to mention when I first started flying up here over the summer is that Garner Valley is just south of us and it's where they filmed Bonanza! Remember that show? I grew up watching that show as a little kid with my dad and brother. The big open plain where the opening shot of them riding up is what I now get the opportunity to fly over on occasion when we fly up here. It's awesome! My dad would have totally gotten a kick out of that one.

The contract comes to and end this Sunday. I will for sure miss coming up here to work and miss spending time in the wonderful town of Idyllwild and flying over the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains. What a great experience and pleasure it was to work up here. I love fire contract work, we always have some amazing places and locations, even every fire I work on there is always some history and some beauty. The last big fire I was on, the Chalk Fire had alot of history where we were based up in Hunter Ligget. Too much to list. Google it if your bored and share it in your comments.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!