Well, uh, if it seems like I am changing the subject, you all guessed correctly!

I was at Yosemite today -- specifically, to visit another grove of Big Trees (Tuolumne Grove; pictures later). It occured to me as I was reading about how fragile the root systems are (courtesy of the "Do Not Trample the Roots" signs) that Yosemite would really benefit by having (more) volunteer ranger docents. Whitney has our own volunteer ranger, Bob R, who has helped countless visitors enjoy and appreciate their Whitney experience all the better. I would gladly stand guard over the giant sentinals of the big tree groves (maybe all of the good looking young men would want their pictures taken with me in the spiffy ranger uniform)Perhaps the posting of volunteers throughout the park would free up even more sworn rangers to do other, more specialized jobs. Yes, I know that this is just a drop in the bucket, but the more involved the public is, the more it appreciates these parks.

PS, in Israel, simple jobs in the military such as food service & mail distribution is done by volunteers who belong to their own corps called Sar-el (which roughly translates as "volunteer")

The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.