Another day at work.

Part of my employment has me in nature on a constant basis. Yesterday had me upsetting bats in an old barn, coming across more rattlesnakes than I ever had before, dealing with driving on dirt mountain roads that few use, and crossing rivers. The bats are a large species, with the wingspan of a jay. I stand still and the bats flit around me for several moments, then return to the rafters, clicking as they fly. There have been no reports of rabies in years from local bats, so I'm not concerned at all. It's actually fun.
I am in a constant state of wonder. On the side of a mountain, the south face baked by the sun, with low brush, golden grasses and rock formations seemingly from an alien world. With the spring rains, wildflowers in every hue adorn the terrain, fighting to show their beauty and welcome honey bees for the necessary pollination. The north side displays emerald grasses under oaks and pines. The rocks are covered in lichens and Spanish moss dangles from oak trees giving the impression of a movie set.
The air is filled with more scents than can be counted. Flowers, brush, trees, aromatic hues of earth and streams. Also in the air are the songs of birds, most of which can't be seen. Screams of hawks, calls of jays, chikadees, finches and one of my fav's, the California Thresher bird. This melodious fellow belts out ariels matching any opera, then conversational sing-song chittering.
The ground exposed on trails give tell of tracks from all sorts of denizens. Mammals like mice, squirrels, deer, bobcats and cougars. Drags of lizards and snakes. Dainty tracks of birds. A virtual news broadcast of who's going where, doing what and how fast.
I'm surrounded by life and energy. Days like this I often regret the need to return to paved roads and civilization. But I am human, spoiled by supermarket food, the joyful showers and the warmth of my bed. Although I do enjoy the occasional camp out.
I digress. My job has me checking on 100 year-old buildings in the back country for structural soundness. Some days, it's just grand coming to work.