“Your hard work on the job may appear to be finally paying off, Aquarius, as all signs indicate that a raise, promotion, or other form of advancement is coming your way. Your ambition and concentration have led and will continue to lead to significant accomplishment, which isn’t likely to escape the notice of those above you in the hierarchy. Draw satisfaction from your achievements and continue as you are.”.

This was my horoscope for today. Ironic that it showed up today, one week from the day that I move out of the cabin and onward to my next adventure. My hard work feels like it has paid off by giving me this next opportunity on Protection Island. It is a lot of responsibility – operating a boat and living alone on an island will have it challenges, but if I were not ready for it they would not have the faith and trust in me to do the job and would not have offered the position to me.

The next caretaker here will arrive on Friday morning, so I will be showing him around the area when he arrives in case he needs to get supplies and do any business he needs to do. Then I will begin training him on what happens here at The Spit. It might be a crash course in three days or so, but it is supposed to rain this week so that may keep the crowds down somewhat… but I am not holding my breath on that.

I spent the entire day on the beach today and it was a beautiful, sunny, 10-hour day. Got out to the lighthouse to do some things out there and got to see some birds. Then it was back to the mainland to get a couple of volunteers going out to look for dead birds for research (a monthly project). Wrapping up the day, I spent a few hours with some state people taking GPS data and other info for erosion studies.

I can honestly say that I do draw satisfaction from my achievements. I have gotten to do some fantastic things in my life, and this has been one of those fantastic things. At the same time it is a bittersweet thing for me to be leaving here. It has been the first place I landed after the massive upheaval my life took in early 2012 so it has had that comfort aspect offered by a soft landing in a new place. It is also the first place I have gotten to work on this career change at and learn so much about many new things as well as myself. It is such a beautiful place and this opportunity has been so incredible. I am very fortunate to have gotten to experience it. Coming into it I knew it would not be permanent and it would be part of my ongoing adventure, and it certainly has been a HUGE part of my ongoing adventure. Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge is definitely a special place in its own right, and it is more special to me in a different way on top of that. A safe haven for animals, it has also been a refuge for me the time that I have spent here.

So what is next? I guess I will be finding out soon! When I do find out I will be posting updates on here so please stop by or follow my blog.