Ryan the Intern (Week 2)

Well, here we are at week 2 already, it seems like the time will fly doing this interning business.

This week I was on the rotation to spend time with the BYU Grounds department! (yeah, I know it sounds like a lot of weeding and mowing lawns... but it was more fun than that!)

Day 1: I had to wake up early, (6 am) in order to be there in time for the crew I was working with... kinda sad. I worked with the on-campus shrub pruning crew. I spent the first two hours with the foreman on the crew just giving me an orientation. Then we had to go help pull tarps at the softball field because it was raining.... (I really enjoyed that and now I have been on 3 of the major playing fields on campus, baseball football and basketball.) Then I spent a while pruning around the Eyring Science Center.

Day 2: Tuesday I worked with the Landscape Development crew on campus. They are currently building a new "water feature" south of campus on the hill where the nature walk trail used to be. It is basically a man-made stream. We got to work with a guy who drives a front loader, and we helped position the rocks below the Grant building, we did the west end of the area, and I was able to use a dirt compactor... (like a big powered pogo stick with a big foot on it.) It was hard work, but it should last for a while and I can say that I helped create it.

Day 3: Wednesday I was able to work with the Arborist and his crew, which was fun! There was a dead tree on the North end of the Morris Center. The tree was really close to the building, so we had to pull it down away from the building. Two people had to climb up the tree and cut down the branches hanging over the building. At the end we tied a rope around one of the thick trunks and pulled while one guy cut down the main part of the trunk with a chain saw. I felt pretty accomplished at the end of the day.

Day 4: Thursday I was back on the shrub pruning crew, (fortunately a different crew which started at 8). We pruned at the MTC, which was fun! I had good memories of the Mission :D (For those of you who have been to the MTC we were working at building 4, the Woodruff Building, which is the main one with the cafeteria).

Day 5: Friday I worked with the grounds crew that take care of Heritage Halls (where I lived as a freshman...) I just did some edging and used a weed whacker. Nothing too exciting... but every day doesn't have to be exciting.

Well, was a good week, it was interesting to work in the rain outdoors, but totally worth it! I had some awesome experiences through the week!