What I Do

I hunt with a video camera. When Jim was alive, we hunted together. I spend a great deal of time on the West Desert taking video of raptors. While I'm out there I track their nesting habits, their successes and failures, and turn the data in to the BLM. They use the information to make land use decisions. I work with others in the Raptor Inventory Nest Survey (RINS) group. Right now my territory is fairly extensive with probably 150 nests to monitor. It's a bit much, but no one else wants my area because it's pretty far out and remote. I love it out there. I could live there, if I could figure out how to eat! Ironically, I'm not a city girl, even though I live in the biggest metropolis in the state. I am only half joking when I say I work and eat and sleep in the city, but I live in the desert. After losing Jim, I head out alone for the most part, and can't say that I mind. Well, I can't really say I go alone since my dog, Jessie, usually goes with me--along with any other dog(s) that happens to be passing through my house. I've heard people describe it as desolate, but in reality it's one of the most vibrant places I have ever visited. There's more diverse wildlife and flora out there than in the mountains. I watch the nests of four types of owls, three types of buetos, two types of accipiters, and two types of falcons as well as eagles, corvids, and vultures. And that's only the raptors. Gosh, I think I'm getting carried away.