Also, and this is where he really gains the points, he's a bit more adventurous than I am, more daring. He has a certain boldness that so many (men and women both) find charming. He's the second child and he and I play those respective roles pretty well.
You can take this whole summer as a prime example of this. He started with a stint on a research boat out of Woodshole on a NOAA cruise, saving baby seals or something like that.
Okay, so heavy weather gear isn't his best look, but then he drove from Massachusetts to Wyoming for the express purpose of fighting forest fires. Yeah, that's right, my brother now has firefighter chic going for him, too. It produces pictures like this:
(he's also more of a ham than I am)
He was officially stationed in Wyoming, but they sent him to California for weeks at a time. He helped fight the American River Complex fires and the SHU Lightning Complex fire, largely by creating firebreaks to contain them. Basically he and his team walked along the edge of the fire (on the windward side) and dug a trench down to mineral soil, clearing any brush that crossed the line.
The two pictures below show him using a drip torch to start a fire, clearing out underbrush and depriving potential (wild) fires of fuel.
He worked hard, clearly, but had an awesome time. It sounds like quite the adventure (helicopter rides and everything!).
(He is also, if this is not obvious yet, an expert at the one-armed-self-portrait.)
And now he has a kickass answer to the question, "What did you do this summer?"
2 comments:
Sorry, Rob, but I have decided to retroactively replace you as my college roommate. Clearly, I went with the wrong Smith brother. From now on all college stories involving a Smith will feature Will instead of Rob. For instance, remember the time Will and I inadvertently wore the same T-shirt to class? Wasn't that hysterical?!
I remember the time that I was working at my desk and looked up, only to find that Will had covered his face with nickels. Ah, good times, good times.
Post a Comment