![]() ![]() Grian starts to clean the windows, sticking the radio in his pocket for easy access since Scar’s in a clearly talkative mood again. And really, he doesn’t mind the guy–it’s just this is nothing like what he anticipated when he took the job.įor some people, the isolation of it all is precisely the draw. He wants to ask if Scar has ever tried to strike up friendships with the other lookouts in the area, or if he always talks this much to the lookouts he’s supervising, but he feels like that question will only put Scar on the defensive. Grian’s been here for three weeks, but he’s already accepted his fate that he’s now Scar’s go-to person to talk to when he’s bored. “I’ve done this job a lot longer than you have. “I don’t think this is the job for you if you’re bored,” Grian says. ![]() At least that’s something to do,” Scar says, before complaining: “I’m bored.” It’s amazing the amount of dust that gets blown in here.” Or tracked in here from his boots every time he ventures into the forest, oops. “We only spoke an hour ago when we did morning weather reports with the rest of the Forest Service.” “Are you feeling separation anxiety already?” Grian snipes back. “Good morning, Two Forks,” Scar greets breezily. He sets down his supplies to go pick up the radio. Grian is just about to set out to clean the windows when his radio goes off again. The looking is the reason he’s paid, and as distracted Grian may be, he still intends to do this job with a determination to make Mumbo proud. You can do whatever you want in the tower as long as you remember to look. It’s a little jarring to have your attention so split between tasks, but that’s the job. Grian’s not fully sure yet what the best rhythm for looking is–he doesn’t want to miss anything, but surely there isn’t much opportunity for changes if he does it every few minutes. Work on the floor some more, get bored, set the bucket aside and begin organizing shelves and supplies. Do an in-depth scan around the tower since it’s been a while since the last time you looked. Go fetch water for cleaning, and haul the heavy bucket up the four story tower from the spigot on the ground. Go back to sweeping, sweep the dust out the door, start to scrub on the dirtiest parts of the floor, and realize you’ve got no water. After a minute, look up and scan the horizon. ![]() It’s a day he’s working, so his process goes a little like this: When Grian steps outside, he hears the sounds of running water wherever he goes–little trickles of ephemeral streams borne from the snows of the winter. There’s wildflowers on the alpine meadows in the distance, dotted between fresh green grass. And although temperatures often still dip below freezing at night, the stream in Thunder Canyon is fuller and fuller with each passing day as the snow melts off the southern slopes of the peaks. Summer is creeping into the mountains, slowly taking the frigid edge from the wind that whips around Grian’s lookout tower. It’s a sunny day, like the day before it and the day before it. ![]()
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