Goodbye to Bozeman

Sept.7 As with all good camping experiences we started the day with a trip to Walmart – forgive us but we needed a few supplies and some food. After buying only what we needed we headed out on to the wide open highway towards Yellowstone. As the crow or perhaps eagle flies it is not that far but the windy roads and the construction added to the time spent on the road. We entered by way of West Yellowstone. We pulled in about 2:30. The lady at the entrance booth offered us a doggie biscuit for our puppy in back. Jerry and I looked at each other and wondered what we might have picked up along the way that we did not realize. Turns out she was seeing my hats that I had put over the head rest. Pheew. Decided not to stay at the campground run by the concession company that does not honor the senior pass but headed for Norris Campground that in run by the National Park System. That way we could camp for $7. per night – what a deal. (BTW-Jerry now has his own pass, a birthday gift from Joanna-that also means that he too is getting old enough to enjoy the finer things of life.) We seem to have gotten the last site available. Decent site. Turns out to be site # 75. The same numbered site we had in Glacier. Must be our lucky number. However at the information board later that day there was a sign with a box below it the box was full of scat. The sign read – grizzle bear scat found a few days ago in loop C. Did I mention that site #75 was in loop C. According to the map we were camping at about 7570 ft. I noticed a difference in my breathing right away but then add to the fact that the bathrooms were up a trail probably about 8000 ft. We sat up the tent on a ‘just the right size level spot’. Spent time riding through a little of the park. Headed back ‘home’ for dinner. A little rain and a campfire rounded out another wonderful day.

Sept.8 Woke up to frost on the car windows, picnic table and tent. Not the frost that you look at and it disappears. It hung around until the sun was out in full force. We had bought a ½ dozen eggs so we had eggs and left over bacon for breakfast. We decided to hard boil 2 of the eggs for later. Campers tip – freshly hardboiled eggs make great hand warmers. When we thawed out we rode and saw Virginia Falls and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We also stopped and hiked at the Norris Geyser Basin area. Supper was the good old hot dogs over the fire and beans.

BITS AND PIECES:
Going back a ways. South Dakota is full of sunflower fields. As far as your eye can see in some area. Next time I buy sunflower I have to notice where they were grown.
Jerry and I have found a new use for the two prong hot dog fork. We have found that if you drive one in the dirt it serves as a balance pole for getting in and out of the tent.
Night Caps have become a part of the routine. I wear mine. Jerry drinks his.
I have three hats that I’m using on this trip. One is my afore mentioned night cap. Something to keep my head warm at night. Trouble with that is when your wear it all night you feel like you have it on all day also. Then there is the new definition for hat hair in the morning – it too lasts all day. Then there is the hat I wear in public. It’s the one Clair made for me. Forest green with a cream colored leaf pattern. My favorite.
Then there is the – It’s so cold out I don’t care what I look like hat. It has ear flaps. At least I had enough sense to cut the little hang down tassels off.
Every campground has a ‘resident alarm clock bird’. In the gorge it is usually a crow. In SD it was a magpie. This morning it was an owl – he was way too early to be going off.
Saw a young osprey sitting in his/her nest on the top of a tower of rocks. Apparently the parent was flying close by calling to the young one. After a while the young one took off circles the nest and landed again. Looked like a maiden flight. This happened a second time and we were lucky enough to see it.
Saw a t-shirt the other day. A hiker standing on a rock cliff, above a cloud. It read : ‘On earth as it is in heaven’. After experiencing what we have had the privilege of over the last few days it kind of makes you wonder what heaven must be like. If it is anything like this I certainly want to go there. But I’d opt for a place on the lower plain with the buffalo. Some of these mountain goat higher places make me weak in the knees.
A Friend once made the statement that ‘God is constantly revealing herself though all of creation’. That statement becomes overwhelming in a place like this. Totally overwhelming!

Sept. 9
Up this morning to the sound of a owl calling. Wish I knew what kind it was. Frost on the tent again. Warmed up with hot tea and a campfire. As I was sitting by the campfire I happen to look up to something moving in the trees a little way from our site. I really think it was three wolves in a hurry to get somewhere. How neat! At the moment Jerry is off doing his hiking thing, in search of a petrified forest. Should take about 3-4 hours. I found a picnic area. Ate lunch. Getting caught up on the blog. Reading a book. Life is oh so good!