I found myself in three or four duty stations over a period of two or three days. You’d give an evening program and you’d see a certain family. Then you’re at the visitor center maybe the next day and you meet them or they might be on one of your hikes. Then the third day you’re on the boats and there they are, just by coincidence. You’re old friends by then. You’re about ready to start passing addresses back and forth. And they say, “Oh great,” and you know something about them. They just sit there and get all excited and so on. If I found anyone interesting, I’d bring them into my programs somehow. The first lady ranger at Crater Lake was on my boat trip in about ’48 (6). She lived with Leavitt in the old stone Superintendent’s house. He provided room for her and board, I guess. She was a seasonal. What an interesting person. So I got her on microphone up there and she talked to the visitors. What an interesting talk she gave. When I was working Mazama, I’d always talk to the visitors ahead of time. Try to find somebody I could interview, and just add a little bit of interest. One day I found this guy, and said to myself that this guy’s got to have s story. I made a bee-line for him and tried to find as much information as I could. Sometimes it goes flat. When I’d find somebody playing a musical instrument in the campground, I’d invite him over to play during a program. Things like that. One guy I just couldn’t get to quit after I did. Unfortunately, I didn’t tell him only two songs. You see, it’s kind of interesting, but when do you bring out the cane? One gentleman was Chief Ranger of a National Park in New Zealand. He was a tall, strapping guy, and real muscular. So I brought him up front. I asked him if I could interview him. No problem. My first question to him was “Well, sir, what do you find is different about American national park and New Zealand national parks?” And he looked at me and he says “We don’t have to worry about stupid hats.” He looked like a real ranger’s ranger. It was a great interview with his accent and everything.
