My year of living Rangerously

  Two years ago, I posted that I was returning to college Today I graduated. Gaudeamus Igitur, baby. Retired Ranger Mannie

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2023/05/i-did-that-thing-i-said-i-was-going-to.html

CAREER ADVICE FROM RETIRED RANGER MANNIE. The two most commonly asked questions that I'd get asked by visitors were: 1. Where is the bathroom? and... 2. How can I get a job as a Park ...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2021/06/how-to-become-park-ranger.html

 (note: for those who are looking for my post on how to get a job as a PARK RANGER, that is the post just previous to this one.) Oh my gosh! I'll be graduating with a visual arts degree in M...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2023/01/my-how-time-does-fly.html

 For the past two Mondays I've visitied Gettysburg...I live about fifty miles from the battlefield; this is something that I think I'll be doing regularly. Happily, I no longer approach the pl...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2022/05/visiting-gettysburg.html

 (cue the music) Saturday was graduation day at Hagerstown Community College, and out of over 400 graduates, nearly 250 opted to "walk" as they say. I volunteered to help out, and my job ...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2022/05/pomp-and-circumstance.html

 Last week I gave a tour of Antietam to a group of kids from HCC, a couple of them are classmates, so I enjoyed them seeing something else that I do. The weather was perfect and the kids ...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2022/03/its-just-like-riding-bicycle.html

 I'm having a great semester at Hagerstown Community College.  I'm taking Drawing II and Sculpture I. This is some of my work: Calamity Jane, pencil The Best of Intentions, pencil...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2022/03/school-days-some-stuff-ive-been-working.html

 A snowflake on a warming day. The perfect "work group" is a rare and precious thing...not just people who work well together, but friends who empathize and commiserate with each other, who...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-dream-team.html

When I retired from the Park Service (coming up on two years ago) my plan was to take a year to totally goof-off, and then to find some sort of "old-guy retirement job." I ended up in clover. �...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2022/02/omoc-old-man-on-campus.html

In 1962 my father took my brother and I to Gettysburg.  Living in Michigan, and my parents being of very modest means, this was a major event, and one that I still marvel that my parents were a...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2022/01/you-never-know-where-road-will-lead-you.html

One year later... Gosh...has it been a year already?   I've been enjoying every (every) moment of this thing called retirement.  I'm healthier, happier, and younger than I was a year ago. �...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2021/05/a-new-chapter-is-pretty-over-used.html

 Hi gang, Though my rangering days are over, I'd be happy to talk with you about the parks I've worked at, or just rangering in general.  museumofamerica@myactv.net Happy trails, Mannie ...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2021/03/old-retired-ranger-mannie-would-love-to.html

And here we are 777 posts later, and My Year of Living Rangerously has come to a close.   Today I retire from the National Park Service. So here's an interesting thing: This afternoon I was ...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/05/trails-end.html

On May 28, I will have been with the Park Service for Fourteen years.  Here's some photos. Ranger Alann Schmidt and I during the transfer ceremony of the remains of a New York soldier th...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/05/looking-back-over-fourteen-years-of.html

Twenty-five days and a wake-up. Your favorite short-timer is racing to get a couple more videos made before retirement day on May 31st.  At Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument we...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/05/votes-for-women-for-100-years.html

It's pretty late in the game gang; ol' Ranger Mannie only has 25 days left, so I'm tying up loose ends and trying to get out a little more historic interpretation before my career with the Park S...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/05/tennessee-and-votes-for-women.html

Well loyal readers, this morning I pushed the button; I've put in my retirement papers. My last day of rangering will be June 30 It is, as they say bittersweet.

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-old-ranger.html

A note about historic preservation on my final day at Monocacy. Ranger Mannie

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/02/without-historic-preservationhistory.html

All good things must come to an end, and it's back to my regular job on the National Mall on Tuesday, but it was great to be reminded that I am first, last, and always, a cannonball ranger. ...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/02/farewell-monocacy.html

Finished, with one day to spare. It feels very good to be able to leave something behind. Tomorrow's my last day at Monocacy National Battlefield...sounds like some shenanigans are p...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/02/mannies-monocacy-murals.html

The Junior Ranger program is one of the best ideas that the Park Service ever had.  It's a great, and fun, way to get kids engaged in their park, and it makes their tax-paying parents really app...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/02/junior-raners-at-monocacy.html

The clock is ticking on the murals, I'm about seventy percent done and I have exactly four and a half days to complete them, fortunately, ranger Anthony has been a great apprentice in this proje...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-clock-is-ticking-on-murals-im-about.html

I finished the line work today and tomorrow I start applying the color. Two more weeks left in this adventure at Monocacy... what a great experience this has been. Ranger Mannie

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/02/monocacy-murals-progress.html

Today the work began in earnest on the children's corner mural.  This will be the larger of the two. I'll post pictures as it progresses.

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/02/making-mural.html

On Wednesday a group of historic structures conservation students from the NPS came  to check out the Worthington house.  I was supposed to open the door for them.  In the telephone meeting b...

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2020/02/behind-scenes-in-historic-worthington.html