I fought nature, and nature won!

[piplover]

Or, well, I guess it was a draw.  :-)  My company, for volunteer month, has allowed those of us who were interested to volunteer one day this month on a regularly scheduled work day.   We got paid for the day, even though we didn't do our regular job.  So today I, along with 7 others, went to a local wildlife refuge.  We spent the first 3 hours chopping down huge reeds near a small lake that were encroaching on the nature trail, and then after lunch we cleared out more near the bird viewing house, two of us trying desperately to avoid landing in the water and the third finding out the hard way her hip boots had a hole in them, lol.  

Then we walked two miles around the refuge, picking up garbage.  The group I was with was incredible.  I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time!  Even though the work was dirty and hot, we were all in really good spirits.  

But OMG, so tired!  My arms hurt from using the clippers and rake, and I know I'm going to feel it tomorrow.  But work was very nice, and let us go at 3 rather than 5, as was the original plan, so rather than have to sit at my desk for another two hours in smelly, dirty clothes, they told us to get out because we stank, lol!

I'm really glad I got to do the refuge.  Some of the volunteer opportunities were things like helping at a battered women's shelter, or helping a local charity collect donations at a hockey game.  Some people worked at a retirement home, and others helped baked cookies for something.  I think ours was the most physical, but even though I'm tired and sore, I wouldn't have traded it for anything, nor the people I worked with! 

So... Yeah, that was my day!  How are you all doing? 

Comments

[piplover.livejournal.com]

It was an amazing time, and I'm really happy my company let us do that. I was sooooo sore yesterday, though, lol. We were all limping a bit!