And So It Ends

One more day Yellowstone

Up at 5:00AM to meet with Taylor.  I need to say a bit more about Taylor.  He owns and operates EcoTour Adventures based in Jackson, WY.  He is extremely knowledgeable, easy going, great sense of humor...everything we wanted and needed.  I would highly recommend him and his company.  They mostly do day tours but also become part of the family if you want a multi day adventure.

Part of the group

More pictures (there are so many to choose):

Elk

Bison

White Pelicans

Baby Bison

Weasel

A word about the Weasel.  I spotted this.  I had been ribbed all week because I thought I had spotted Pronghorn when it was really Geese.  Anyway, Taylor yelled "Watch Out!"  as he went running back to the truck for his camera.  I had visions of Chevy Chases's Christmas Vacation with the squirrel in my mind.  Was the damn thing going to attack?  Come to find out weasel are a rare siting and Taylor didn't want us to scare it away before he had a chance to get a good shot.  He was quite giddy.

Baby Osprey in Nest...look hard

Naomi, it's a rainbow!!!!

Mule Deer

Frick and Frack

*****

 Back in bed that night.  Still no fire.  Storm rolls in.  I thought we were going to blow away.  Up the next morning.  We got to sleep in!  Breakfast.  Uh-oh...Hunter needs a plunger.  Have to walk up front, ask for plunger.  Guy asked Hunter if he wanted him to do it.  Really?  I would never ask that.  Hunter told him he could plunge his own shit.  Well...nope, he can't.  Uh-oh...Emily needs it.  Let's just say we left Yellowstone Under Canvas with a little something.

Drive to Idaho Falls for our flight out.  I asked Hunter to please not tell all the Mormons I thought Mormonism was a cult.  He was good.  Flight to Minneapolis, no problem.  Tyler gets on his flight back to Atlanta.  The three of us..delay three hours.  Finally home, with time changes, at 1:00AM.

Good to be back!

Yellowstone - Yay!

Yellowstone - Day 1

Hunter started us a fire in our tent away from home and off we were in slumber.

We were meeting taylor at 6:00AM so up at 5:00AM...Hunter needs plenty of time to do his business, can't be rushed.   My God it is freezing when we woke.  A balmy 37F and no fire left.  Hunter went to go get more firewood.  Left the gate open and in came the horses.  Hunter, my mountain man wanna be, can't get the fire going.  So, I end up dressing under the covers but my clothes are so cold.  No problem, we can do this...the toilet seat is freezing but Hunter warms that up for me.

When you go, do go out as early as you can to avoid the throng of tourist that all show up late morning.  Here we go...

Old Faithful getting ready

There she blows

We watched Old Faithful at around 8:00AM.  We were there with maybe eight other people.  She blows roughly every hour and a half.  There is a hot line you call to find out when she's going.  We went back close to the sight for lunch and there were hundreds and hundreds of people there to watch.

See, we were really there

Below is the Lone Star Geyser.  It erupts roughly every three hours.  We timed it perfectly.

And just like that, it's over.  Not nearly as impressive as Old Faithful but still neat.

We went back to our tent for a quick nap.  Uh...it had gotten up to 90F this day and was absolutely sweltering in our little abode.  No nap.  A dip in the arctic river nearby...that'll cool you off.

Taylor picked us up for pizza dinner, Dairy Queen, and a game of spot the American tourist (they were few and far between).  Then off into the park in hopes of seeing some wildlife.

This is all I got.

Bald Eagle

By now we were tired and cranky.  Hunter told Tyler he wouldn't amount to much since he didn't tie his tent flaps correctly.  I told Hunter he was no mountain man...GASP...since he couldn't start a fire.  The water to our shower was scalding hot, no adjustment.  Emily's shower would only stay on if she held the chain which made it very difficult to bathe.  Tyler was now refusing to shower.  There was no ice for Hunter's bourbon and my red wine was hot.  We are deep into this Family Vacay!

The Fun Continues

Back to our fun filled days in Wyoming for all that are interested.

Day 3

White water rafting with the one armed wonder was fun.  At first Hunter wasn't going to go, which I suggested, but he changed his mind.  Afraid he might miss out on all the FUN. No pictures but we thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

Nap, dinner, drinks, rodeo...

**All photos taken by iPhone**

Bull Riding

More Bull Riding...I think out of fifteen riders only two made it the eight seconds

Two man calf roping...husband and wife team won

Bareback Bronco...this guy was great, he won.  The horse took him all over the ring.

Still on.

 We saw a little bit of everything.  Even Joe Biden and all his Secret Service friends.  At the end of the rodeo they had the peewee bull riding.  Don't worry, the kids wear helmets and the small "bulls" simply saunter around looking for grass.

*****

Day 4

Up at 5:00AM for 6:00AM pick up with our new family member and guide Taylor.  Poor guy, not sure he knew what he was getting into.  He will be taking us through the Grand Tetons, on our way to Yellowstone, and two full days in Yellowstone.  Three full days with the Harrisons...gonna be fun!

What's better than an animal?  A baby animal!  Moose.

Elk

More Elk

More Moose...have never seen a moose before

Glacier

Ground Squirrels

An Asian tourist asked me if this was a donkey...it's a moose.

More Bison

Me looking for wolves

This guy, Joe Biden, was everywhere.  Spotted him again.

My little herd

We rest our heads here:

Yellowstone Under Canvas

*****

Two more days....and it's ALL about Yellowstone, finally!