Day 139: It all began with the Carpenters. No, not the singing Carpenters, you aging hippies. I'm talking about the crew in the Carpentry shop at Longmire. Somewhere in the dim reaches of long ago, the Carpenters decided to host a Thanksgiving turkey dinner for Park employees. Their clever idea was picked up by one of the other Divisions, then another, then another until each Park Division was hosting a "feed" of some sort at various points throughout the year. Interpretation holds their celebration around Valentine's Day, but this year and last, the theme was changed from hearts and cupids to Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras. It was after the party when I, stuffed full of pancakes, sausage and King Cake, walked around the complex at Longmire, hoping to settle the meal sufficiently that I'd be comfortable sitting at my desk for the remainder of the afternoon. Longmire is at its best in the depths of winter, a postcard National Park scene of gingerbread buildings and drippy sugar icing, peopled largely by bundled-up rangers with a few stalwart visitors thrown in for spice. It's a quiet time, with only the voices of the ravens and the knocking of woodpeckers clear and sharp above the muffled noises originating nearer the ground.That's my office, third from the right on the top floor. Those of you who check the webcam see the scene as it appears from the top window second from the left.
