Riding With Ranger Tomas

Polly woke up on the bus at sunrise. A ranger in brown was opening his office. His name was Tomas. He smiled at her. "Come ride with me."

Polly aliamka kwenye basi wakati wa alfajiri. Mlinzi aliyevaa kahawia alikuwa akifungua ofisi yake. Jina lake alikuwa Tomas. Alimtazama Polly kwa tabasamu. "Njoo uje na mimi."

Polly rode in his truck. Tomas had been a ranger for fourteen years. He drove slowly. He stopped often.

Polly alipanda kwenye gari lake. Tomas alikuwa mlinzi kwa miaka kumi na nne. Aliendesha gari polepole. Alisimama mara kwa mara.

The first stop was a wet meadow. Tomas looked for bear signs. "In June, corn lilies grow here. Bears eat them."

Kituo cha kwanza kilikuwa kwenye kijito chenye unyevunyevu. Tomas alitafuta ishara za dubu. "Mwezi wa sita, maua ya mahindi hukua hapa. Dubu huyala."

Polly hopped to the window. The corn lilies were small green spears.

Polly aliruka hadi dirishani. Maua ya mahindi yalikuwa kama mikuki midogo ya kijani.

The truck climbed. The air got cooler. At a turn in the road, Tomas pointed. A peregrine falcon sat on a rock. Polly looked at it. The falcon dropped off the rock and was gone.

Gari lilipanda juu. Hewa ikawa baridi zaidi. Katika kona ya barabara, Tomas alionyesha. Mwewe wa peregrine alikuwa amekaa juu ya mwamba. Polly alimwangalia. Mwewe aliruka kutoka kwenye mwamba na kutoweka.

"Falcons nest on the cliffs," Tomas said. "We have six pairs this year."

"Mwewe hujenga viota kwenye miamba," Tomas alisema. "Tuna jozi sita mwaka huu."

Polly watched how the falcon folded its wings to dive. She wanted to try it.

Polly alitazama jinsi mwewe alivyokunja mabawa yake ili kujitosa chini. Alitamani kujaribu.

Later, Tomas walked into the woods. He came back with a metal can. "Someone tried to bury this bear-proof box."

Baadaye, Tomas aliingia msituni. Alirudi na chombo cha chuma. "Mtu alijaribu kuzika sanduku hili lisiloweza kufunguliwa na dubu."

At noon they reached Olmsted Point. Polly saw a big view. Tenaya Lake far below. Half Dome from behind. Grey mountains in the distance.

Mchana walifika Olmsted Point. Polly aliona mandhari kubwa. Ziwa la Tenaya mbali chini. Half Dome kutoka nyuma. Milima ya kijivu kwa mbali.

"Most people drive past this," Tomas said. He poured a little coffee in his cup. He set the cup on the dashboard. "Stay a while."

"Watu wengi hupita tu hapa," Tomas alisema. Alimimina kahawa kidogo kwenye kikombe chake. Aliweka kikombe kwenye dashibodi. "Kaa kidogo."