FAVORITES !!

        The summer has just flown by !   This is our last week of working here at Grizzly and it's almost bittersweet.  On one hand it's nice not  to be going to work each day but we are definately going to miss  Yellowstone.  

      I thought I would tell you some of our favorite places  in town and in YNP.   One morning a week we'd walk the four blocks to our favorite coffee shop, THE BOOK PEDDLAR .   As we enter the store we are greeted by the fragrant smell of fresh brewed coffee.   A rustic western interior with rough hewn shelves on the walls, holds a variety of books filled with the local history, tales of cowboys, ghost stories to be told next a crackling campfire, local flora and fauna and everything you could ever want to know about Yellowstone.  Toward the back of the store is a slightly raised wood plank floor, enclosed by a pine rail fence, with knotty pine tables and chairs.   The barista gives us a hot mug and we pour any of the specialty brews sitting on an old  kitchen wood cookstove.    It's always busy !   Inevitably, we find ourselves visiting with the folks at the next table only to end up exchanging business cards.   Some people are so interesting.

      The CANYON STREET GRILL is a fun place for lunch.  Big red booths line two walls as the decor is  kind of retro 1950-60's, with an old car front in one wall and posters of James Dean, Betty Boop, Elvis, etc. 
It's a Mom & Pop store run by local residents.  Quite a number of the college aged students hoping to make it in Hollywood work there during the day and act at the evening performances at the PLAYMILL THEATER.   Their menu includes Wolfman Jack sandwiches, (one of many) and a great burger with fries or green salad.   I like their chicken strips.

      THE HOMEROOM is our favorite Gallery.   The building used to be the school gymnasium and now has beautiful paintings, pottery, furniture and artistic accessories.  We never get tired of browsing here and almost always walk away with some little ' find'.

      The IMAX, aside from showing films about YNP, Amazing Caves and Tales of Lewis & Clark on a 60' - 80' screen, has the best  a 50 cent ice cream cone in town.  Not too big...not too small !  :)

      In the Park we enjoy the drive to CANYON VILLAGE.   Fabulous Visitor's Center!  Lots of displays and Rangers to answer all our questions,  a really nice outfitter store in case you need outdoor wear, sandals, boots and even fishing gear.  Artist Point is just down the road and that's where the best views of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone can be seen.

      LAMAR VALLEY is in the NE corner of YNP.  Herds of bison are grazing on the grasses across many acres of meadow.  The wolves that were introduced back into the Park in 1975 can sometimes be seen in the distance.  People from all over set up chairs and huge spotting scopes along the banks of the road and wait all day for glimpses of the wolf packs.  If asked they will give you more info about them than you really wanted to know!   This is Norm's favorite spot. He'll spend all day walking along the banks of the Soda Butte & Lamar River's fishing  thinking  he's gone to" hog heaven" or in this case "fishing heaven" !   I do have to say, it is a thing of wonder watching how, with the sunlight behind him, he casts that fishing pole, the line forms a consistant 'S" again and again until  finally  the line goes taut and you know there is a gorgeous trout fighting on the other end !   With great care, not to overly tire the fish, he reels it in.   The barbless hook is carefully removed and then Norm cradles it in his hand under water so Mr Trout can rest, get it's bearings and swim safely away.   AAHHHH !!!   What a sight !     Now, Norm's down the river a ways searching for his next catch !

      On our way back to West Y.  we like to go through MAMMOTH.   As we enter the village, Elk can be seen grazing or just laying on the well manicured lawns.   There are two nice gift shops here and a Grill that serves a decent, reasonably priced burger.   The highlight here are the terraces of alkaline that cover one hillside.  Apparently,  however,the area has been hit with a slight drought.  Water would cascade down these terraces leaving the alkaline deposited on the 'shelves'.  This year they aren't quite as spectacular because of the lack of water but......Still, pretty impressive!

      These are just a few of our favorite things (Oh...I should break out in song !) 

     

JUST STUFF.........!!

      Labor Day is past and we expected things to quiet down a bit so we could relax... but Oh No!!....it's been as busy as ever! The place is booked every night!   Those (in the office) who have been here before say now the "Gray Hairs" are out !  They are right...mostly retired folks arriving and are they ever demanding!  Holy Cow, Batman!!!    First off, they don't like to make reservations so they just show up.  Sometimes we have space for them and sometimes not.  Boy, do they have a fit when it's full.

     "This is the time of year when Campgrounds slow down,  what do you mean there's no spaces left for us?"

      It takes twice as long to get them registered (we have to get all their info while they stand there) and often they walk around looking at the  merchandise and don't pay attention to us.   OR......they see someone they met at another place and  have the 'down home reunion' right there in the office!  Sheesh!

      I loved the lady who came in to get a refund on her site for that night because she forgot the KOA (5 miles West of town) was having a one free night if you pay for two campaign !   Or...the man who wanted his money back because he didn't see ANY animals in the YNP (Yellowstone Nat'l Park).  >_<

      The weather is changing quickly, now and our nice warm 80* days and 40* nights are cooling off.   It rained Sat. and the whining we heard from campers was crazy!  Many of them shortened their trip because it was too wet, or it got too cold and we didn't bring clothes for this.   (Why wouldn't anyone who is going to the mountains , 6,666 ft altitude, in the Fall, at least bring a jacket ?)  I really think I liked the vacationers better.  They came, with money to spend and only a few days to see everything , then went home.  

       Walking thru town today we saw the businesses are putting up Christmas trees and outside lights!   We asked why so soon and they explained the snow could arrive any time and it's easier to put them up now instead of trying to thread lights on a tree covered in snow and ice.  Makes sense, just felt weird!   We're still in summer mode.   The weeks have just flown by and we're not even ready for Fall let alone the Holidays!! :(

      Last week the couple who lived next to us went home to Puyallup.  We liked them alot and it was very hard to say Goodbye.   Another couple leaves this coming Wed. so we'll be down to just the last 3 couples.   (We're  next to leave but our departure date isn't til Oct. 5th. )  SAD....SAD   Despite  a rather rocky beginning we have really enjoyed our time here.

      Oh......for those of you who saw the camera pic I posted on FB the other day.....Norm has grumbled and squirmed about getting a new ..BIGGER....BETTER... camera all summer long.  I keep saying "Get the darn thing so you'll have it here!"   He has procrastinated forever!!!   Now  he orders it, 3 weeks before we are leaving, right?   The store won't deliver it to an RV Park!  He re-orders it and tells them this is our residence, which is true.......they aren't sure if it can be sent or not ...check after the week-end.   He finally got through to them this evening and it was just shipped.   Guess we'll see how long it will take to get here!

      We actually saw that camera and it belongs to the man in the photo.  He is a professional photographer and takes and sells wildlife photos to magazines.   We expected to see a fabulous Elk, Moose or Bear on the other side of that lens.   Turns out he's getting shots of rodents burrowing in the hillside.   The native Pika, which is a cute little mouse-like creature has diminished in numbers over the last few years.  They aren't on the endangered species list yet but studies are being done to prevent that.  

      We have two more days off and the plan is to go up to the Lamar Valley and Norm's favorite fishin' hole.  I'm going to take my little "Point & Shoot" camera and see if I can get some shots of ALL these fish Norm is catching!               Think I'll take a good book along...just in case!    :)
      

FALL HAS BEGUN IN YELLOWSTONE !!

      All the big Rally's are gone and the families have their kids back in school.  Now, we have an entire new set of challenges!   The "Gray Hairs", as the office calls them ,   are now on the road & campgrounds.   These people are the Full-Timers who have no permanent house and live in their coaches traveling the country.  

      I find them rather amusing!   They often have a very playful attitude about life, travel and things in general.   Politics really get them going !   We've had a few near death experiences right there in the office while getting them registered!   The other thing that gets their 'goat' is the cost of things.   Now, I know this is a rather expensive Park to stay at but nobody forced them to drive in here!   And NO we do not combine discounts...just cuz you're an 'Old Fart' doesn't mean we can deduct 10 % for  AARP & AAA & Good Sam & your Senior Pass to the Nat'l Parks to your nightly rate!  No matter how cute and charming you are!  Sheeesh!    And, NO, we don't provide Bingo, Pochinko, Pot Luck dinners or Pancake Breakfasts!  Get your complimentary coffee, tea, cappucino or hot chocolate in the morning and go into the Park and play!

      We did just that, yesterday, and noticed the shrubs and undergrowth have begun to change colors!  Seems like we just got here and it's already feeling like Fall.   Nights have been in the high 20's or low 30's and day temps are in the 70's.  As soon as the sun starts to go down it gets cool, fast.  Had to get out our trusty Eden-Pure space heater the other day.  Got up to take showers and there was frost all over the ground and cars.  We hate it when it's sooo cold that the potty seat freezes to our toush !  That's what we were trying to get away from!

      The Bison have completed their rut and now the male Elk can be heard bugling to their harem and other males.   We watched one group of females grazing in a meadow and noticed a Big Buck trying to round up one more doe.  Another group of females came by and the Male for that group was very wary about getting too close to the first group.  The males turned, saw each other and began to charge and  dig their horns into the grass at their feet throwing up clods of sod and mud hoping the display would discourage the other male.  They snorted and pawed for a while, then when no challenge was evident they took their own harem and skeedaddled away!   It was absolutely AMAZING!!!  Something we've seen many times on TV but never really experienced  first hand.  WOW !!

      Being here for the entire season has sure given us a chance to see many wonderful things.   We have been coming here for many, many years and always find something new to see and do.   Now that we are free to travel we can only wonder at what other fabulous adventures await us!

   

LABOR DAY !! :))

      Well, guys, today is the day we have been looking forward to for many...MANY moons!  Labor Day is the official end of the camping season, just like Memorial Day is the beginning.   For the last umpteen years we would be frumped out, and grumpy with each other because we had to leave whatever fabulous place we were at and return to our jobs.  :((

      This year we are sitting in our rocking chairs, under our awning with a cuppa coffee and a plateful of assorted fresh grapes,  watching trailers, motorhomes and campers leaving this wonderful park to go home and start school, return to the office or ?.  I'm sure the faces on the people in those vehicles mirror ours in years past.

       The temps are always nice in Sept. and so it is here at Grizzly.   High 70's, blue sky, just a hint of a breeze and the smell of pine off the trees surrounding us.  Don't know that it gets any better than this !

      In general we never venture far from 'home' on holiday week-ends.  So instead of driving anywhere, we set off on foot and toured town.  The main stop, of course, was LUNCH !!  Norm's favorite!   We enjoy sitting out on the patio areas, watching the people.  Great entertainment!   People are everywhere ...many shops have big sales going on hoping to get as much revenue as possible til next year.  RV's are lined up at each signal light waiting their turn to get on the main roads out of town.  An impressive sight .   And here we sit....enjoying all the sights and sounds....knowing we are about to end one adventure and  begin another!!

END OF AUGUST !

We've been gearing up for the Summer and all of a sudden it's almost over ! Three months has gone by and now there is only one month left. Hard to believe ! Norm has been busy with maintainence and I finally feel comfortable in the office. Well... until we got a new couple that started last Sunday.

      ' John & Jane' live about 70 miles from here and come to help with the end of season 'stuff '. Apparently, I said/did something that set her off! Maybe I did, don't know for sure,( probably did ) but she told me in front of a roomfull that , I was RUDE... really..really RUDE ! HMMM. Decided it was best to leave. Came back about an hour later and we duked it out. It's been awhile since I've been involved in a 'cat fight' but wasn't going to back down. Whew...now that we have that over Mary & I can be friends! Sometimes us girls just have to clear the air !

      You may have heard our favorite Coffee Shop has been sold and the Barista, that as been there forever, was let go. We had to go and have our final cuppa Joe with her this AM. She will be missed by many. While there, we read that another Grizzly fatality took place, last week-end on the Mary Mt. Trail about 5 miles from the trailhead. A 59 yr old Michigan man was hiking alone and was mauled. Haven't heard all the details but he didn't have any Bear Spray with him. The really scary thing about this, is, we hiked this trail a few weeks ago and posted pic's we took of a male Grizzly. Don't know if it is the same bear or not, but they are territorial. This bear has not been found, yet, and will probably be destroyed when they do. The Park Ranger's are always telling people not to hike alone, take Bear Spray, make noise and if you see a bear, any bear, leave the area. SAD...SAD !

        The weather has been sooo beautiful here for the last few months. ( We hear from many of you how the heat is so miserable or.... from our friends in the Pacific NW how wet and grey the days have been.) In the last few days, there has been a slight change. The clouds set in and the thunder & lightening can clamor for hours. The temps at night will be close to freezing on Fri & Sat. Guess Fall is trying to poke through soon. We just hope the Snow God's don't arrive anytime soon.

      On one of our outings to Hayden Valley, the Bison were everywhere.....in the meadows and on the road. Traffic was backed up for miles in both directions. It's most entertaining to just sit and watch them any time but now they are "rutting". If the female is ready she curls her tail up and off to the side. They circle each other in courtship as if teasing and then play a game of cat and mouse. This goes on for a few more weeks then POOF...next Spring we have new "red dogs" ! AMAZING !!!

      Can't believe Labor Day is this week-end. Most people will be returning home, resuming their normal lives after putting the 'camper' in storage. We hadn't really thought about life after our job here at Grizzly until we realized we lose one couple every week til the middle of Oct. (Our last day is the end of Sept.) The other couples have Winter jobs and have definate plans after leaving . We don't ! Sure feels weird not having a job we must return to or for that matter a place we must be!

       So, for all you who have a job or place to be...carry on! For the rest of you who have begun this "Gypsy" lifestyle and have paved the way....See you on the road ! :))

BIG RIGS !!

OMG! You guys should see the coaches in our park this week! A Prevost Rally has taken over almost every pull/thru site we have. 60, 45 ft motorhomes that start at about one million dollars +...each is towing a trailer about 25-30 ft long, painted to match the coach...and inside the trailers they have Harley motorcycles, also painted to match...and then a hydrolic lift comes down from the ceiling and they have some kind of car also painted to match !!! We have never seen so much chrome in our lives !

A few came in last Friday and we had to check them in. Women with diamonds all over their fingers, upscale clothes, and lots of plastic surgery (eyes,lips and boobs) and make-up. Norm says "Isn't it nice that all these old guys with these big expensive rigs thought to bring their daughters and nieces!" WOW !

I was told how they could be demanding but just seeing how competitive they are about everything, money, cars, bikes, young wives, etc its a wonder they live to be old. We can feel the tension and stress in the office when they come in.

Norm told me he wouldn't feel comfortable owning a coach like these...how would you be able to drive one into a State/Nat'l Campground and worry about scratching it...even if the park could accomodate a 45 ft coach! And if we got sand in it from the beach...YIKES!!! We laughed...just can't picture these gals hiking up a trail with sweat on their brow...or racing on the beach to dig a razor clam ! They don't know what they are missin'!

Speaking of hiking up a trail...last week we did just that and as I was working my way around to take pic's of Norm I started to slide on some loose gravel, caught my left foot on a rock, fell forward ( my behind just kept on goin' downhill!) and hyper-extended my knee ! OUCHY !!! It's been almost a week and it is still sore. (Just wanted you to know in case I can garner more sympathy over it ..haha.)

We finally got to see our first moose! I've been waiting 3 months to see a moose! A mama and baby were grazing in a stream near Island Park. Really weird looking animals...with very tall ears...they look like a donkey's ears. We watched for a while until mama became nervous having a growing audience. She decided enough was enough, took Jr and went into the forest.

On Wed., we were sitting at our favorite coffee house and realized that In-Service & Route Pick was probably on Thurs/Fri. morning and for the first time neither of us were going to be attending! We would have left this area a few days ago and headed 'home' and summer would almost be over for us, again. Can't tell you how happy we are to be able to stay here. Most of the families have headed home to get ready for school so the park is much quieter. We are still full every night but the clientele is mostly couples. As soon as this rally is over it'll be even quieter... I like it !

Some of the other couples working here will start leaving right before Labor Day. I think we are one of two couples staying until the first of October. It felt weird to lose our first couple 2 weeks ago so we'll see how things go from here. We're just now getting the hang of things and the season will soon be over! We can already feel some chill in the mornings and of coarse it gets darker earlier in the PM. (I don't like to get up early enough to see when it gets light in the AM! I'll have to take Norm's word for it!)

Sooooo, to all our Bus Driver friends (and Secretaries) so sorry we're not there but we'll be think' 'bout ya on the first day of school. (Only 179 more days after that!) Luv ya guys !