Whorled Peas + New Job

Fingerprinting for the background check reveals important details about my character

So the exciting news is that it looks like I'm going to be a Ranger with the National Park Service here in Acadia: there's a part-time gig under the Interpretive division to staff the Islesford Historical Museum. There is some irony in that one of my childhood dreams was of being a Ranger, even to the point of touring Paul Smith's College as a prospective student. As it turned out, being a Ranger is less the romanticized "Strider" and more Natural Resource Management, and after observing that a significant number of graduates were getting employment in Alaska, I opted instead to just move up there anyways.

The outpost

Located out on Little Cranberry Island, I'll be catching a 45-minute long mail-boat ferry ride out of North East Harbor at 7am, for three 10's a week. Already did a sortie by accompanying a group of volunteers to mow the lawn - folks from the ranks of "Friends of Acadia" - a nonprofit conservation organization that provides innumerable efforts towards stewardship of the park. Being a life-long landlubber, the commute alone is entertaining on its own...

Assuming I pass the official background check for Federal employment (being a "James Smith" is probably an automatic red flag) - see the leftover fingerprint posted above - I'll undergo some training sessions and take the oath. 

I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God. - 5 U.S.C. §3331

Aside from boning up on local history with a stack of books, it'll be an intense summer season coupled with a formal internship as well. I'll be doing more public demonstrations and drawing a series of images for usage in the Park: both pen & ink spot illustrations of various subjects around the island + generating a bunch more cartoons of "Chippy" engaged in random activities.

Being effectively marooned has always proven to be most inspirational, and given my previous experience with many years of being a waiter, in between the intermittent waves of visitors to the museum it'll surely prove to a rich resource in coming up with new material. I should probably stop using bad words on the blog, only promote wholesome family values, and not draw any more editorial cartoons making fun of the Feds. At least I'll have access to official US Government Skilcraft brand black ballpoint pens now, which is good seeing as how my stash of preferred implements (the free pens from Gold Hill Liquor & Gas on the Parks Highway) is running low.