Why it's never good to post this late in the day:

Well, I've had a busy day at work (which is why I didn't post earlier), I'm tired, I only came down briefly to post before I go have a shower and get ready for bed... and I ended up spending way too long on a round of game that shall remain nameless that went on for more levels than it had any right to considering how tired I am...

Yeah. Judgment at this time of day -- and this time of week -- not always the greatest.

So. Here we are. With a photo of wishful thinking (the irises definitely aren't out yet this year, which isn't a surprise considering our completely shitty chilly spring) and no idea what to post despite the fact that I actually have the time to do it at the moment.

Yeah.

Well, I guess I could tell you a few of the things I've learned after working at a nature centre for the last five million years:

• When you're the only naturalist in the building (say, during lunch hour) and not much of a birder, the only questions people will ask will be about birds.
• If you're ready way too early for a group, the group is guaranteed not to be on time.
• I like snakes a lot more than I like salamanders (honestly? That one surprised me a bit), but both of them are ok except at feeding time when they suddenly become SUPREMELY STUPID.
• Parent helpers are often harder to teach than the students that they came to help.
• You can get paid to draw pictures of spiders. Really. If you want to see some of them you'll have to check the other blog, though. Click the Doodles slide show on the sidebar to go to the web album. If you're so inclined, that is. Doesn't bother me either way if you are or aren't.
• A fair portion of my job would go away if people realised that they could probably find the answers themselves with a decent search engine and a little common sense.
• Many people lack common sense.
• You can take a science degree to avoid using the family teaching gene, but you're probably going to end up teaching in some form or other anyway.
• Insects aren't actually icky (honestly? That one surprised me a bit as well. I was petrified of insects when I was a kid).
• You can get paid for standing on a viewing deck and watching muskrats swim around. Well, as long as you remember to tell the other people on the viewing deck a few interesting facts about muskrats.
• There are people in the world who truly believe that we only let the animals out at certain times of the day for visiting hours. Seriously.
• Doing a Grade Five pond study with a buggered-up knee does not fix the aforementioned buggered-up knee.
• Having a naturalist on the other end of the phone listening to the lengthy story of the unusual squirrel who came to your bird feeder can be almost as comforting to you when you feel lonely as having a cat to keep you company would be. Actually, I'm just guessing on that one.
• Kids mature a lot faster today than they did fifteen years ago. And I'm not talking in wisdom here, folks. The hormones floating around your average middle school? Frightening.
• Interpreters are some of the weirdest, most multi-talented, most eclectic, and most amazing jack-of-all-trades that you could ever work with.
• Sometimes my job makes a difference in a small way, and that's pretty cool.
• People are, for the most part, well-meaning but a little odd.

I could go on, but my brain is starting to tell me that I shouldn't. Besides, I'm sure that at least some of my two fans are surprised that I was able to go on for as long as I did just now. Yes, I know that things haven't been exactly verbose here lately. I'll try to do better this weekend.

Or maybe I'll just draw some more spiders.

Either works.