My New Job || Conservation Coordinator for the U.P. || and other things

  

Its certainly been a while this time. I've been MIA from the blog learning my new, out of college job. I am a Conservation Coordinator for a non-profit that works within the entire Upper Peninsula (15 counties). My job is exactly as it says- I coordinate conservation projects, grants and events up here in the yoop. I get to work from home with field days and work trips so it really is a wonderful scenario for me, especially during winter. I get to spend time with Beaux and this job lets me do a lot of creative things- not to mention I work with great people!! 

For orientation I got to travel to Marquette, MI for a few days which is the largest city in the UP at a generous 20,800 residents. My coworkers and I went to Blackrock where they just happened to be doing an educational talk about wolves in 

Voyageurs National Park (only a few hours away). Now at work I have been planning a really cool project that will allow me to work at places all across the UP if it all works out. 

Besides all that I have been painting a UP waterfall series, making good food like this bread, and I have been reading a book a month. Hopefully at the end of the year I can do a post of what I read. This book I pictured above has really inspired me to get outside even more than I normally do. With working from home most days I have to hold myself accountable for outdoor time and I do a pretty good job! Even in 15 degrees. We have been walking around the neighborhood, or in the woods or if its nice hiking and going on little adventures. A few weeks ago we walked about 3 miles round trip and went to the park near our house. Beaux tried to slide down the slides, tried to swing etc but he wasn't too successful. But he did play in the creek a lot and had a lovely time. That was such a fun day. Another day we went to the frozen Lake Superior and Beaux and I walked out there as far as it was safe. We saw the ice sheets moving in the distance and had fun climbing up the steep ice mountains. Another day we climbed up a bluff to overlook a nearby town. I was proud of Beaux because it was so steep we had to let his leash go on the way down. I was at the bottom and Parker was at the top and Beaux navigated his way down the steep side right into my arms like he had known what to do all along.

Another cool thing is that Parker and I have been getting acquainted with more people at church and I have been out to get coffee with some of them. I really enjoy talking about all that God does for me because when you think about it- it can only be God. I have been praying a lot lately for the country and things and was feeling a little discouraged and for the first time in my life I felt like a Bible verse came to my head, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." - James 5:16. Even when things feel hopeless you have hope in God. Even if you are praying against something that seems hopeless God says it's not. Don't give up!

-Nichole🌿💜