Goats & Turkeys

 Yes, this is me with a mountain goat... they can be vicious! One killed a man up at Glacier National Park in Montana a few months ago... Obviously I used my authoritative ranger skills to put this goat in his place.

Several anecdotes to post today... people are INSISTENT that another president is going to be carved on the mountain.  Yesterday, some woman tried to convince me that Obama was going to be carved up there, and when I told her that wasn't possible, she said "Oh, they'll find a way" and walked away.  There are also people who can't resist expressing their political opinions: "If Obama's face goes up on that mountain, I'm never coming back here to visit again."

I have noticed that there's a pretty good mix of liberal and conservative visitors, but I'm happy to say that most of the park rangers are quite liberal... you kind of have to be, as a park ranger, as you preach about conservation all day long.

Today I was working in the information center and these two humongous men walk in, telling me they just shot a turkey and wanted to know if they could pose with it in front of Mt. Rushmore... welcome to the West!  Speaking of the West, I've noticed there are almost no black people in South Dakota... everyone is white and there are a few Native Americans (and like, two Jews, as the stand of gefilte fish in the Rapid City Safeway proved).  I really feel like I'm in a different country!

Jake