Yellowstone Adventure - Day 74

  Another early day and hard to get up this morning. For some reason or another I have been waking up at two am for the past few mornings. This morning I heard thunder in the distance and that could have been what woke me up. Breakfast was good and I headed to the store to get my til. The day started slow and stayed that way for the morning shift. I worked for Sandy until I managed to stock all the knick knacks she needed. Then I worked with her husband Bill stocking the grocery section. This being Sunday business was pretty slow and I would imagine that after I come back from break it will only be moderately busy.
  Well I was fooled. Business was pretty busy after break and they moved me out of apparel and into grocery because grocery was getting slammed. I worked in grocery until the end of shift.  I did meet a family from Mitchell Indiana though. The dad said he likes Linton and has been there several times. Good to see some Hoosiers again.
  Being busy made the shift go faster for sure and before I knew it it was dinner time. I am now resting in the common room watching the Cubs lose to the Mariners. In a short while I will go to the church services at the rec hall. Get to sleep in tomorrow as I switch to night shift for my Friday. Looking forward to the days off as the tourists are really getting to me. I see this everytime I get close to my days off. I think it is cashier fatigue. 
  Well please take care and please remember to pray for Veronica and her cancer and Nancy dealing with the death of Chuck. Thanks.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 73

   Well I got up early today and my right knee was hurting some. I must have overdid it on the hike last night. It started out as a short hike on a trail behind the lodge and ended up being about six miles because I kept crossing areas I wanted to see and then I ventured off the trail to explore more. Suddenly I find myself walking down the highway back to the dorm and then I crossed another trail that looked like it was heading where I wanted to go and I took it. The highlight of the hike was finding a little geyser just on the edge of a river. This little guy just kept spouting and making noise that I had to get closer to see it. I took a stick and put it in the water it was spouting and sure enough it was warm. So it was not just created by the river pressure but actually by thermal pressure. I put the video of it on Facebook. Around the bend of the river was a pool that was feeding into the river. So I climbed to the top of the hill to look into it. Always careful not to fall into it because of crusty weak ground. All in all an enjoyable hike, except for my knee complaining today.
  Work was pretty much the same as yesterday. Slow but steady tourist activity. So I stocked goods in the morning and waited on customers in the afternoon. Not much in the way of tourist stories today as it was a pretty dull day.
  After dinner I changed clothes and headed for the Old Faithful Inn where I sit now writing to you. There is a violin player entertaining the tourists tonight. There is a line of hungry tourists waiting to get into the dining room. Seems like the place is popular for eating dinner.  I am on the third floor sitting in a nice chair overlooking all the lobby activity. We had rain today which cooled things off but there is no fire in the large fireplace tonight. We need the rain around here as the fire danger is approaching very high. They do not want to see lightening around her as that can cause a fire to start.
  I did meet a tourist today by the name of Veronica and she is battling cancer. She is between treatments right now and the walk around the park has wore her out. I will be praying for her tonight and can all those reading this please pray for her also.
  Also I was informed today that my friend Chuck Reburn has passed away. Please pray for Nancy and the family as they deal with the grief of his passing. Chuck and I played many rounds of golf at Boltenwood when it was in business. He was a great guy and he knew Jesus as his saviour. So I know I will see him again.
  Take care you all and please keep praying.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 72

   Well another day shift and pretty much a duplicate of yesterday morning. Business was slow and helped Sandy in putting up stock. Got chewed out by a store organizer because I put the wrong stuffed wolves in the section by our coffee mugs. They wanted the more expensive stuffed wolves in the area and I put the less expensive ones there. I told her that is because we do not have any expensive wolves in stock. She just smiled and said for me not to ruin her display and she put expensive stuffed bisons in place of the cheaper wolves, which in my opinion sell like hot cakes.
  Got relieved at eleven thirty and then headed to the EDR for a surprise. The EDR folks put out a spread today that was the rival of what they did for the fourth of July. They prepared grilled salmon and rice. For those like myself that do not like salmon, they prepared pasta shells stuffed with chicken and cream cheese. They also gave us little presents to take with us. I know I have said this before but our EDR cooks are fantastic. This lunch sure helped with morale of the staff here. 
  On a personal note, I want to wish my mother-in-law Norma Elliott a very happy birthday today. She is one special lady and has been a great second Mom to me since I married into the crazy mixed up Elliott family.
  After the lunch break I headed back onto the floor for work. Business was steady but not really bad. The tourists were mostly calm but most were surprised by the amount of traffic in the park. I tell them all to be safe and not to let the traffic get them upset.  One of the questions I keep getting is "Where are the animals?" I try to tell them they are out there but usually are staying away from high tourist's areas. I have found that since tourist season has reached its peak that you have to hike to see some animals or wait until later in the evening when things calm down for them to show themselves.
  After work I decided to have cereal for dinner so I would not feel guilty about all the great lunch I ate. I may have to take a short hike tonight too.  Well you all have a great day and keep praying for each other.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 71

   Well back to work on the early shift. Could barely get up when the alarm went off at six am. While the internet worked I looked at some web sites of cabins that Cathy and I are trying to arrange some time away when I get home. Looks like we will be heading to Branson and a cabin just outside of silver dollar city. Looking forward to spending time with Cathy.
  At breakfast all the cashiers were asking if the computers were able to process credit cards yet. The answer was "No." That did not spell an easy day for us at all. When I got my til the main boss came in and gave me instructions on how to process credit card using the old credit card swiping machine. I asked a few logical questions such as "We get a lot of credit cards declined when the computers are up. Won't those transactions fail when accounting tries to process the slips we give them manually and the tourist just basically walks away with merchandise for free?" The answer I received was "Yes that is so." So my guess is that Delaware North lost a good amount of money during this computer glitch.
  After the credit card training I worked for Sandy putting up stock. Business was so slow that I worked for her all the way until the eleven thirty break. Good news came at ten when Carrie announced that the computers were now able to process credit cards and a cheer went out in the store from the cashiers, and a few tourists.
   After lunch business picked up a little and I was fairly busy until quitting time at five thirty. I took a hike up to the overlook last night and then around the geyser basin. So tonight I think I will just take it easy and watch the Cubs play the cross town rivals the White Sox.
  So you all take care and I will leave you with a life lesson from a book I am reading by Charlie Russell. It seems that when horses are being bothered by biting flies. They will stand side by side with the head of one facing the tail of the other. So that the swishing tail of each horse will clear the flies off the eyes and nostrils of the other horse. So when you find things are tough just stand side by side and do what you can to help the other person.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 70

   Well can you believe it I have reached seventy days working in the park. I know my brothers can't.  It has been an adventure for sure. Many ups and downs and many surprises, but all in all a pretty good experience so far. The other day my floor supervisor came to me and asked if I would be coming back next year to work. I told him no rather quickly and he said "Hey you could have thought about that a little!" I told him you do not understand I do not need to work and I am doing this just so I can explore the park. After almost four months I will have seen all I would have liked to have seen. If I do this again I will be picking another national park to work at and explore that area. He said he understood and admitted my situation is vastly different than most temporary workers they hire.
  Speaking of work, with the quitting of cashiers we have not been able to cover certain areas in the store. One of those being the hunting and recreation loft on the second floor. It seems that some tourists have taken advantage of this by stealing items regularly. The boss decided to pull all high priced items out of the loft and put them in the store room. There is a note on the shelves indicated to come down to a cashier if you wish to see/purchase an item. I guess the straw that broke the camel's back was when the floor supervisor discovered someone had started cutting into the wires securing the GoPro cameras. Yes folks tourists can be thieves too. Shocking I know but I am 95 percent certain that it is the american tourists that are doing the stealing, with some local temporary workers looking for fast cash to buy booze and drugs.
   Slept in today and woke up in time to get some laundry done. After laundry I grabbed my PB&J lunch and headed south to the Tetons. I just wanted to do a photo hike near the lake and to find a nice peaceful place to lunch. Because of my late start I had to fight through the tourists to get out of Yellowstone and into the Grand Teton park. Also finding a parking place for my short hike was pretty difficult too.  I managed to find a great spot at a turnout to not only hike by the lake but take some great pictures. After hiking for a short while I got in the car and headed to the Jackson Hole airport to use their WiFi.
   I made it back to the dorm with no issues and headed to the EDR for dinner. At dinner I found out that being off today was a good thing because someone in the corporate IT headquarters decided that today they would update the cash register system. Well guess what? They destroyed the stern of processing credit card transactions and no credit cards have been able to be processed at all today. That means that every credit card has to be processed the old way of using the credit card swiping machine that was used when I was a kid. I think all the cashiers will wake up tomorrow with tennis elbow. They told me the lines were very long and the tourists were very cranky, but the floor supervisor just told them to go as fast as they can and do the best they can.  The cashiers really looked wore out in the EDR.
  I was going to hike up to the overlook tonight but it is still in the low eighties and I really don't want to sweat that much before bed time.  So take care you all and be well and I will leave you with a statement I heard today on market place. When a business woman was asked what she thought of the political environment and how that it would affect her business, she said. "I am embarrassed for America that these two candidates are the best our country can come up with." I have to agree with her.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 69

   Day off day one. Got up early as I took two guys over the Beartooth mountains to Red Lodge Montana, Stephen and Bob. Bob has been there before but the Dominican, Stephen, had not. 
   After breakfast we headed out at seven and I told them short of a bear, we would not be stopping much in the park on the way out. Little did I know the bison had other ideas. As soon as we left the geyser basin we were stopped by a herd of elk that decided to only half cross in front of me. Half went to my right and into the woods but the other half just stared at my car and stopped by the side of the road. Eventually they decided to wait for me to pass. Stephen got some good pictures of them. Just a few miles down the road a bison decided to walk down the middle of the road toward us. Each car passed by the bison slowly and when it was my turn Stephen rolled the window down and got a great picture of it passing by the car.  I headed toward the canyon area so I could turn north toward the north east entrance. We stopped by the canyon area just past Tower Falls so Bob and Stephen could see the canyon from above. We all took some great pictures. We headed down the road and made the turn toward the Lamar valley and the northeast entrance. Going a few miles down the road I noticed up ahead a road block and it was easy to see what was causing it. About forty bison were huddled on and around the road. I pulled the car up to the line of stopped vehicles and turned off the engine as it looked like a long wait was ahead. Tourists were leaving their cars and approaching the herd for photos. I noticed more bison were coming over a rise to join the herd huddled around the road. After several minutes I looked in the rearview mirror and could see flashing lights coming at us. Sure enough the park rangers finally arrived to get the herd to move. Evidently they have a device that emits a sound that the bison do not like. Once parked it did not take too long before the herd was running back up the rise and out of the road. Finally the cars started moving and we headed down the road toward Lamar valley. After a minute or two we slowed down again as a very large bison was walking down the road and every driver was easing around the bison as it crisscrossed the road. Stephen loved this as the big fella went right past my car with only a foot to spare. We could have pulled on his horn as we passed it.  We made it into the valley and saw a few hundred head of bison feeding in the valley. On our way out of the valley we were stopped by, yes another bison. This one started on my right and once it was clear of oncoming traffic I passed it slowly. Always wary that it could just turn it's head and horn right into my car. I ask Bob and Stephen, "Wish I could see bear like this."
   After leaving the valley we did not have any more trouble and headed to the Beartooth highway. Our plan was to have lunch on top of the Beartooth and then head into Red Lodge to walk around.  We reached the 11,000 foot plateau around eleven and settled in at an overlook for lunch. Stephen spent a lot of time taking selfies with his selfy stick. Bob sat down on a rock to take pictures while I ate my peanut butter sandwich. Stephen's face made the trip worth it for sure. He could not believe the views and today's weather was perfect. It was around sixty degrees and a gentle wind. That made the altitude very pleasant for sure.
  After lunch we loaded up and I stopped on the other side of the mountain so Stephen could see the ski slope. Then we headed back into Montana and the overlook that gave us a great view of the switchback roads we would take going down. On the overlook you have chipmunks and squirrels running around looking for handouts. So many tourists have fed them that they just come up and into your hand looking for food. 
   We left the overlook and headed to Red Lodge. I parked in the middle of town and Bob headed to a bookstore and cigar store he wanted to go to, while Stephen and I headed to the museum. The museum was interesting as it highlighted Jerimiah Johnston the first constable of Red Lodge. He was the guy Robert Redford played in the movie Jerimiah Johnson. I don't know why they changed his last name but hey that is Hollywood.  The museum also highlighted the coal industry that made Red Lodge prosperous. They also highlighted hard rock mining as the only palladium mine in the US is outside of Red Lodge.
   After the museum we walked around town and I showed Stephen a candy store. This candy store was massive and there were buckets of candy throughout the store. Basically you pick up a bag and put in the candy you want to buy. Then you weigh the bag and pay. Stephen said this would not work in his country as people would just steal the candy as they walked through. I laughed and said I would imagine some in the US steal candy too but most will pay for it.  Walking down the street we found a few businesses that had free Wi-Fi. So we sat on a bench and took advantage of the free service. By this time Bob had shown up and he got all his purchases made so we headed back to the car for a trip of fifty miles to Cody Wyoming.
  At Cody I needed to go to the Wal-Mart to get toothpaste and to get some cereal for Jack. I also needed to get my car washed. Stephen wanted to purchase a laptop with money his aunt sent him. The car wash did a fairly good job getting the bugs off the car and Walmart had all we needed, as usual. They also had my favorite thing. The self check out section. No waiting just technology at its best. 
  After Cody we headed back into the park using the east entrance. Getting back to the dorm in time for dinner.  That is about all and the good news is no one quit today. Well sleeping in tomorrow and then hiking a local trail around the geyser basin. Take care you all.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 68

   TGIF. I dragged myself out of bed at six to get ready for early shift. Did I tell you how much I hate a day shift after a night shift. But at least I get two days off after today.
   After breakfast I got my til and proceeded to the store. I got assigned in the apparel area and as always I stocked goods until business picked up. Around nine tourists started to come in and boy did they ever. From nine until my break at eleven thirty it was a mad house.
   The funny thing was I waited for my replacement to come and no one showed up to relieve me. Finally Garth showed up and told me I could go on break. He looked a little agitated, but then the job does that to him. I clocked out and was about to go into the cafeteria when I saw my floor supervisor looking at the schedule. I asked him what happened to my replacement and he indicated that two more cashiers just quit today. I said "With no warning?" and he replied "Nope, just packed up their camper and quit." So folks that is four cashiers lost this week. I have been told that there will be schedule changes coming and some cashiers will be getting moved to another shift. I guess I will have to wait and see if I get the call to move.
  After lunch break I headed back to the store and it was busy for the next few hours. I did managed to talk to several people from Indiana today. Mostly northern Indiana towns.  After my shift was over I decided I needed to rewind so I hopped in the car and headed to where the Firehole River is created. You see there is a Firehole Lake that is created by water being emitted from a geyser area. All this water feeds into the lake and then the lake over flows to a creek that gets fed by more and more creeks until it becomes Firehole River. Which flows down and creates Firehole Canyon. The river eventually reaches another river and makes that one larger. A great process for sure.
  Sitting  back in the dorm I was reminded about the casualty we had earlier in the year in the park.  You see a fellow decided to leave the safety of a designated trail to get close to a hot pool. He lost his balance and fell in the hot pool. His friends/relatives rushed to get help but it was too late. The hot pool likely killed him pretty quickly but very painfully. The pool also was very acidic and the park rangers decided that they could not risk getting his body out because the pool was pretty much dissolving it away. So they left it there to completely dissolved. This is a warning to all those who think the pools are pretty but not dangerous.
   Well tomorrow I will be taking two guys over the Beartooth and into Red Lodge.  Take care all and stay safe.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 67

   Well today was an interesting day. Awhile back I was contacted by the local paper as they wanted to do a story on me and my summer adventure. I thought that would be pretty cool and told them it would be OK. I was told that they would be in contact with me at a later date. About two weeks later a fellow contacted me and started to ask me questions. I gave him a few answers but I stopped him and told him to go read my blog, especially the first few entries and if he had anymore questions to call me back. As I felt the blog would answer a lot of questions had.  He said he would but before I hung up I did request one thing. I asked him to email me the article before it is printed so I could check it for errors, as I have worked with the local paper in the past and did not have a good experience on accuracy of submitted articles. Well Jacob got in touch with me today and said something was already in print and as I feared there were errors. The biggest one is the young man misspelled my name all throughout the article. Second thing was that Jacob felt he just cut and pasted from my blog and did not really put the story into his own words.  I told him I would message Chris and let him know I was not happy with the effort. So for anyone of you who read the article please verify anything in there with my blog as I did not have any chance to verify what was wrote. It amazes me that someone who cut and pasted from my own blog could not get my name correct that is clearly listed on the blog's title page. Oh well.
   I got up early today to eat breakfast with Jack. After breakfast Jack and I headed to church services at the Old Faithful Inn. It was forty degrees and the services are outside on the second floor balcony. We got a surprise as today the services were doing Christmas in July. We sang Christmas carols and they provided Christmas cookies for the attendees. While we were singing I noticed many tourists stopping what they were doing and looked up at us singing. I really enjoyed the services and with it being forty degrees the songs felt right.
   This is the last night shift for this week as I switch to day shift tomorrow before my day off.  The day was not very busy and after break I worked in the grocery putting up stock.
  I did get to meet a very nice couple from Buckinghamshire England. I have yet to distinguish accents from different parts of England but I am getting closer to recognising the differences between areas of Britain.  I also talked at length with a woman from Melbourne Australia. She really liked the park and just loved all the water in the park.  I also talked to a couple who was touring the park the right way. They signed up with a tour that takes their clients to each major section of the park. At each section the stay in a hotel two days. That gives them plenty of time to see all the attractions in each area completely. So rather than touring around the park in a hurry hitting each major place for only a short time. This couples tour gives them plenty of time to explore each major area. Food and lodging is included with the tour. I would highly recommend this method for anyone wanting to tie the park with an organized group.
   Well that is all for today. Please keep praying for each other and stay week and do good.
  

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 66

  Another late shift day and this time I slept in. Except for getting up at six and updating computer because the Verizon internet works better at six in the morning than at nine when the tourists wake up. After updating computer I went back to bed. 
  After shower I stopped by the store to see if they were busy. Said hi to some co-workers from the other shift and they said it was not too busy. Saturday's seem to be a traveling day for tourists and not a shopping day.
  There was another accident East of us that closed the road for two hours. Many of the customers in the store have been commenting on the tourist drivers and over crowding in the park. I just tell everyone to slow down and to not get mad during the drives through the park. I don't know of any casualties yet as they don't tell us, but several accidents were head-on collisions.
   After lunch I went to work and was assigned the grocery area and the cash register for employees to get their fifty percent discount. The shift was fairly busy. I got to talk to a couple from Barcelona Spain, from England and several from France.  It also seems that Texas is the state with the most tourists visiting the park. They must not like the heat at all in there state.
   Yesterday was the last day for Steve and Lorena. They gave their notice a week ago and they will be missed for sure. In a few weeks we will start to lose all our college kids. Gary indicated that he will probably alter all the shifts. So I may be working different hours and probably will be working with different people from mid August until when I leave after labor day.
  Business stayed steady until my break. The weather here today has been fantastic. Mid seventies with a nice cool breeze.
   After break I went back to the store and found business had picked up somewhat but after about an hour it slowed down. Later in my shift I worked in the walk-in refrigerator stocking pop and such.  The workday ended with nothing unusual happening.
  On a side note Cathy told me we have a sink issue at home. Wish I could beam there and fix the problem but Cathy is doing a great job taking care of the place and I am sure she will handle the leaky hose issue in the sink well.
  Tomorrow is Sunday and Jack and I will be attending church services at the Old Faithful Inn. So I can't sleep in, which I will miss. I hope you all attend church services tomorrow.   Stay well.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 65

   Well I got up early today so I could go shopping at the store for gifts for the family. Today is the day Delaware North gives employees fifty percent off any item in the store, except alcohol and grocery items. To ensure that I bought the correct sizes I took pictures of the items and got sizes approved by Cathy via text. 
  After shopping I waited for lunch and then headed to store for my shift. The floor supervisor assigned me to the apparel section today.  Business was pretty steady until the store manager reported that a head-on accident occurred in the West Thumb area and the park rangers closed the highway from West Thumb to Old Faithful. That slowed business down quite a bit. I did manage to talk to a family from northern Indiana. They live close to the Gary area. Funny thing I have noticed about Indiana folks. It seems northern Indiana folks rarely visit southern Indiana and southern Indiana folks rarely visit northern Indiana. Just an observation.
  The day is also payday and that makes the employees rather happy today also.  After dinner I headed back to the floor and found, like normal, business has slowed down. After an hour I worked in the walk-in refrigerator stocking water and pop and such. The days have been rather hot and stocking the water bottles is an all day chore.  Not too much happened with evening shift and I stocked until time to close. It always seems that when we close the doors at nine thirty that you get tourists banging on the doors wanting to get in to "I promise I only need one thing." The floor supervisor has been burned in the past and forbids us to let anyone in past nine thirty. When I have door guard I feel like Noah closing the ark door.
  Well that is all except I did get a call from my brother Rick who let me know he and the other two brothers played golf today. One of the things I do miss during this summer adventure is playing golf with the brothers. I rarely ever won but the banter between the brothers was worth every penny lost.
  You all have a great day and be well.  Good night.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 64

    Well I was able to sleep in today as my first day back to work was a night shift. Which was probably the highlight of this quite boring day.  After lunch I headed into work and it was very busy but after the dinner break it slowed down completely. I did meet a guy from Indianapolis who knew of Linton.
  Today was the day the park service inspected Delaware North's properties to ensure that the company was taking good care of the buildings and all. I had to wait in the hall this morning while they inspected the shower areas. If Delaware North is found to have damaged or altered buildings then that could be used against them when their contract is up for review.
  Tomorrow is a special day in that Delaware North is letting their employees buy items in the store at fifty percent off ticketed price. I already have my eyes on several items as gifts for the family.
  Well I told you it was a boring day. No one quit. No one got fired and no tourists were hurt in the filming of this adventure.  Take care and stay well. I hear the temps are high at home. Don't miss the humidity one bit.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 63

  Well for a day that was supposed to be mostly a rest day it turned into one exciting day, but I will get to that shortly.  I got up in time for breakfast at the EDR and some banter with my fellow co-workers. I wanted to hike today but did not want to take a long one. The road was being worked on from the west to the north. They were chip sealing twenty miles of road, so that direction was out. So after breakfast I headed east and north to see what trails I could find. It had rained overnight so in some areas the roads and trails were damp. I stopped first at DeLacy Creek trail and decided to skip it as it was not only longer than I wanted but too much increase and decrease in altitude. I went down the road to Duck Lake to see if any bears we in the meadow, but only elk were there. Just down the road from Duck Lake was the West Thumb geyser basin and some small trails. I stopped there as the overlook trail was about two miles in length and would give me a great view of Lake Yellowstone. I parked the car and put water in the day pack and set out on the trail.
   The trail went through a wooded area and then crossed the highway. Once across the highway the trail forked as this spot was where the trail loop came together. I took the left fork and proceeded deeper into the woods. As always it is pretty quiet in the woods and I stop every once in awhile just to listen for any activity. About a quarter of a mile in a bear appeared fifteen yards in front of me and approached the trail I was on. I froze in place as I did not want to startle it. The first thought that went through my brain was come on bear turn left and not right into my direction. My second thought was that this bear was not very big and I started worrying about it being a cub and a very mad mother was hanging out close. The third thing I thought was reminding the bear that it was a good day to be a non meat eater. Much to my relief the bear turned left and walked down the trail. I then reached for my cell phone and tried to video tape it walking away, but the trail veered right and it was hard to see through the trees.  I kept my eyes on it retreating through the woods. After about five minutes I walked to where the bear appeared and looked down the trail. It had left the immediate area so I started clapping my hands and whistling so it would be aware that I was around. Standing there I thought that that was one stealthy bear. I did not even hear it coming through the forest to the trail.  Who ever taught that bear to be quiet in the woods did a masterful job. I also noted the wind direction. The bear was up wind of me which is probably why it did not detect I was there but my olfactory senses were not up to par to smell it. I must work on that.
  I continued to hike the trail and believe me I was keeping a sharp eye on my back trail and in front of me. I reached the meadow where the trail started to climb up to the overlook. What I saw did not make me smile. There were no switchbacks to get you up to the top. Just one quarter mile of trail heading up. I lowered my head and plodded on. It only took a few minutes before I started to hear my heart beat in my ear. I made it to the top and could not believe how hard I was breathing. I was very very happy to see someone built a bench to sit on while my heart rate slowed down. The view was fantastic and I took some videos and pictures. I also noted that there was a few thermal areas on the top. This park is really unbelievable. When hiking you need to keep looking for these thermals because you never know what you might step in. It pays to not stray off the trail very much.
   Thank goodness the rest of the hike was downhill. I proceeded down the trail and back into the woods. No bears on the way back to the loop point. Thank God as my heart already had two workouts.  When I was about out of the trail I ran into a ranger led group of hikers. The lady ranger asked me if the hike was good and I told her about the bear. She looked at me and asked "Are you OK as that sounds like a pretty scary thing?" I looked at her and the first thing I thought to say was "Come on, you think every bear encounter needs counseling or something?" But I said, for the benefit of the people with her, "It was no big deal if you don't do anything stupid."
  I walked back to the car and unloaded the day pack. I decided that I would head to canyon and have lunch with a canyon view.  I drove north around Lake Yellowstone and headed to Canyon. I stopped at LeHardy's rapids to get a look at the Yellowstone River up close. The rapids were spectacular and I took several pictures and videos of them to upload to Facebook. The interesting thing about these rapids is that when the trout start to spawn in June you can come down to these rapids and see the trout jumping up the rapids as they make their way upstream to spawn. I wished I could have seen that. There were several fly fishermen in the river after the rapids. So I guess there was still trout in the water. The Yellowstone River heads to the canyon falls in a few miles from here.
  I walked along the river for about a half mile and sat down on the river's edge for a short while just enjoying the sound and peace. I always told Cathy that I would love to have a cabin next to a river that never runs dry. Heaven on earth for me.
  I reluctantly climbed up from riverside to head to canyon. Unfortunately the bison caused a backup of several miles. I waited for a while in the non moving line of cars before I decided that I would eat my lunch at Lake Yellowstone. I signaled the guy behind me that I was turning around and headed south back to the lake. I found an area that was called Fisherman Bay picnic area and turned down a quarter mile road that led to a parking lot. I was happy to see I was alone. I grabbed my lunch bag and headed for the picnic area near the water. I found a great table that overlooked the water's edge and unpacked my PB&J. The weather was great and I called Cathy to talk while eating. She filled me in on what was going on at home and she commented on the wind blowing. As I sat there the wind picked up and the waves picked up on the lake. I said goodbye to Cathy as I needed both hands to keep my lunch from blowing away.  Even with the wind lunch in front of the lake with the mountains in the background was fantastic.
  After lunch I headed back to the dorm to work on cleaning the car out.  It seems that a sweaty hiker is stinking up the car. So it is time to clean the seats and such and remove some clothes out of the car.
  Personal observation. People ask me if the bears worry me when hiking. Well I will tell you that the drivers in this park worry me more. Just today a guy passes in a no passing zone and comes headlong at me before he tucked himself back into his lane.  I think the odds of getting hurt by a tourist driver is a lot higher than getting hurt by a bear.
  Well back to work tomorrow and late shift. So at least I get to sleep in. You all take care and stay close to God.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 62

   Got up early to eat breakfast and to get on the road. The two Dominicans, not Puerto Ricans like I first thought, that wanted to travel with me could not get up in time to leave. I talked to them when I got back and they apologized and will try next week to go with me. We will see if they can get up early as they tend to stay up too late. But hey they are young.
  Headed out at seven to go down south to the Grand Tetons. I stopped at the overlook near Duck Lake to see if bear were out and about in the meadow. The bear were not there but five elk were. Watched them for awhile and then headed south. As I drove I smelled the smoke from the fire that occurred two days ago in the Teton area. Twenty two hundred acres burned because of a lightening strike. They got it under control but smoke was still in the air and as the Teton mountains started to show I saw the smoky haze around their base.
  I turned into Coulter Bay area because they have a dock area onto Jackson lake that offers cruises onto the lake and toward the mountains. They also have several trails to hike around the lake. Some short and some long hikes. I stopped by the dock first and bought a ticket for the ten fifteen cruise. Since I had over an hour I did a short hike around the bay area. They had several signs warning of bears because the Teton area has more bear sightings than Yellowstone at this time of year. The short hike was pretty and there were no bears just ground squirrels.
  I got back to the dock in time to board the cruise boat. Thirty people on the boat. We all sat in a covered cabin with the captain and first mate doing the entertainment. I did not care for the cabin as I wanted to get to the open area in the back of the boat. So as soon as the captain increased the engines as we cleared the bay area. I left the narrated cabin for the open area and the chance for some great pictures. Jackson Lake is huge and runs right up under the mountains. The captain's route went around a large island and then right under the mountains. I got several great pictures and videos of the mountains and the lake. We saw deer on an island and some eagles on another. The weather was perfect and a gentle wind was clearing the smoke from the area. Since no one on the cruise wanted to sit outside, as there was eight seats, I stayed out in the open through the whole cruise and just enjoyed the ride.  God created some great scenery for sure.
   After the cruise was over I head down the road to Jackson Hole and found a very nice overlook to stop and have lunch. Yes peanut butter and jelly. I also called Cathy and checked in on how things were doing at home.  The view was fantastic and the sandwich was great also.
  After lunch I headed to Jackson Hole airport to say hello to a former coworker who quit earlier this year. I wanted to see if the grass was greener on the other side of the fence but she worked in the gift shop that was in the secure area of the airport. So I just sat in the airport and used their free Wi-Fi to update my phone. The airport is really small about the size of our super Walmart. But their internet is pretty fast.
  After updating the phone I headed for Jackson pass and into Idaho for the trip back to the dorm. I really like the Idaho side of the Tetons and several towns you pass through are very nice and friendly.
  Got back to the dorm in time for dinner and I may take a little hike up to the overlook but only after the Cubs game finishes up.  You all take care and I hope you enjoyed the pictures and videos I put on Facebook.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 61

   Well it is finally Friday. Looking forward to next couple of days off. I am thinking tomorrow I will go to the Grand Tetons national park and look around.
  Woke up late as it was late shift for me today. I did not mind sleeping in because the guy in the room next to me decided it was a good night to drink and bang around at two in the morning. He has since been reminded that people need their sleep. Got up and got my laundry done before lunch. Lunch was great as always. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.
  After lunch I hit the store floor and worked in grocery section. It was fairly busy and that made the time go by fast. I met people from Slovakia and Norway today. The Slovakians said they love Yellowstone.  The major complaint from tourists today was the two road construction areas going on in the park. I guess there has been some major delays on the roads. One tourist claiming that they waited one hour for the pilot car to get them moving. Doris told me that there is five seasons in Yellowstone. Spring, winter, summer, fall and road construction season.
  After break there was very little business and I put up stock in the refrigerators tonight. I don't mind working in the refrigerators, but will have to get a hat. It does get cold in there after awhile.
  They let me go an hour early so I am in the dorm working on this blog.  I will leave you with a couple of observations. Observation one if you do visit Yellowstone try not to hit the whole park all at once in one day. Take your time and visit one area completely in one day. So many tourists tell me they just wanted to see Old Faithful as they did not have time to see anything else in the area because they wanted to see other areas. Folks it takes almost for hours just to circle the park. That does not leave much time to stop very long at any place.  It is better to see one area completely then to hit and miss area in the park. So much good stuff is missed by tourists with no time.
   Second observation. Do not buy any knives from the general stores. They are junk. Once you leave there is not much chance you can get a defective knife replaced and boy are they defective. You have been warned.
  Well that is about it. You all take care and I hope to have videos and pictures up on Facebook tomorrow. Stay well and keep praying.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 60

   Well after work I decided that after dinner and before church I would head out in the geyser basin to witness Grand geyser erupting. This geyser erupts every nine hours give out take an hour and a half. It is supposed to be pretty spectacular when it erupts. I will give it until eight pm and then I have to walk over to rec center for church.  So I will just sit and wait and write in the blog for a while.
  Early morning shift and after breakfast headed into store and worked with Sandy and Brian on putting up knick knacks. I got to stock the Christmas items today. They sell pretty well here. Business was very slow this morning and never really had any cashier work at all. So I stocked until lunch break. Lunch was fantastic. Pork chops in a great sauce and potatoes with carrots in a ginger sauce. With key lime pie for dessert. James really out did himself today.
  After lunch business was booking. Was not able to look up or take a break for two and a half hours. I worked the grocery side and it was so hectic that tourist left behind their car keys and one guy left his cell phone. Eventually they all returned for the items and thanked me for holding on to them.  I got to meet a family from Madison Indiana. I also talked a little with a couple from Germany who said it was too hot here. I said "Really!" As it was eighty degrees today with no humidity. I guess Germany is a little colder than here.
  We were short a cashier today as Race, yes that is his name, banged himself up doing mountain biking over at Big Sky. His shoulder and arm are very scabbed over now.  He may be back tomorrow or claiming injured once again.
  Well that about does it for today. I pray that all your services were good today and that you worshipped God today. I hope the campus ministry group does well tonight in our services. They are a good bunch of kids.
  p.s. Grand Geyser went off around seven ten PM and it was worth the wait. I will post videis on Facebook when I can. I will call this geyser the fireworks of geysers because that is what it reminded me of. It was hands down the most spectacular geyser I have seen thus far and really is many times better than old faithful geyser. The geyser erupted for almost ten minutes and when it started off it started with a bang.  Tourists just need to slow down and witness some of these to get a full impression of Yellowstone.  

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 59

   Another early day today for our crew. We had some bad news last night as two more people quit. The husband was a shift supervisor and his wife was a cashier. They gave their notice and will be moving on in a week. They will be missed for sure. Getting someone to step up as a supervisor is going to be hard and losing another cashier is going to hurt.  If they take a cashier to step up as a supervisor then we will be two cashiers down. A little late in the season to be hiring competent help.
  After breakfast I went on the floor and immediately started working for sandy putting up knick knacks and such. Business was relatively slow most of the morning. I did get to meet three couples from Indiana. One from New Albany, one from Anderson and one from Freedom Indiana. The one from Freedom knew of Linton and we had a great talk.  I also met a couple from Costa Rica and got to talk at length with some people from New Zealand.
  After lunch business was still slow. Everyone must be seeing attracting in the park versus buying junk. :) We had a medical emergency in the store shortly after three. A lady collapsed and there was a call to any employee who knew CPR. When the ladies head was tilted back she started breathing again. The store had the medical team and park rangers there pretty quick. Have not heard how she was or if they lifelined her somewhere. I said a silent prayer for her health.
  The rest of the afternoon was pretty slow and Old Faithful was not going to erupt until after I was off so it was very quiet.  
   Dinner was brats and hotdogs with baked beans. A cowboy dinner for sure.  Some amusing observations from the employees. It seems that some employees have a hard time keeping track of items entrusted to them. Several have lost their ID cards and keys to dorm and lock boxes. But today was the kicker when one employee declared to the boss that they lost their paycheck from two weeks ago.  If you were the boss would you replace the paycheck? Sometimes they act more like ten year olds than adults.
   Take care and stay well. Go Cubs and Phil Mickelson. :)

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 58

   I forgot to mention in a previous blog that I made it over the hump. I now have 54 days left until my contract is over and I head home. 
  Today I got some texts from prayer chain group about a few friends going through health issues. Rest assured that even though I am miles away, I pray for each and every one. Heart breaks when I get these texts but I know God hears all our prayers.
  Got up early to get computer updated and headed for breakfast. The store was pretty quiet and I worked for Anita today putting up stock. Business did not pick up until about break time. My first two customers were foreign tourists. One couple from Manchester England and the next customer was a couple from Queensland Australia. Got to talk to both at length and they were very interesting people.
  After lunch I was able to watch the Cubs during my break. Was happy to see they put a hurt on the Texas Rangers. They needed a win after all-star break to get them on the right track.
  Business was pretty steady in the afternoon, but the ice cream loft was unbelievable busy. The loft is on the second floor and the line sometimes went down the stairs. Tourists love their ice cream after watching Old Faithful erupt. 
  Was replaced at the cash register and since it was payday Friday that meant pizza night. Pizza was good and will spend the rest of the evening reading on the front porch of the store and giving the knees a rest.  Take care you all and please keep praying.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 57

   Well back to work today on day shift. I can tell I over did the hike yesterday as my right knee hurts today. Will skip any small hikes again until my next break. Ate breakfast and then headed out on the floor to open for the day. I chose to cashier in apparel again and helped Anita put up knick knacks this morning.  Business was pretty slow until eleven when Old Faithful went off. Spent a lot of time giving directions to tourist. Since I have been here I have learned quit a lot about the park and I am glad to help tourists with directions and what to see.
  At break I headed to lunch and the cooks did a great job with chicken and rice.  Was able to get a nap and rest my knees. After break I went back to work and the store was hopping. Business was steady and I noticed that we still did not get some stock in that went out during our cold snap.  Many customers kept asking for sizes that we did not have and that slowed the process of cashing people out. I did get to meet a lot of people from Indiana today. I talked to a guy from South bend and a couple from Tell City. I also talked to a woman from Bloomington who has been to Linton for our fourth of July parade. That is the most Hoosiers I have talked to in one day while here. Pretty neat.
  After the three hours my relief showed up and that was the end of my day. The weather has gotten back into the seventies so the tourists are happy. The traffic is still a problem though and it seems like everyday there is a serious wreck in the park. I talked to a couple from Arkansas that agreed with me that the tourists here could benefit from a driving lesson in Branson. There people are courteous. Letting people into traffic and slowing down and pulling aside to let people pass.
  That is about it other than Cathy sent me a picture of a tree that went down in our yard. She is trying to find someone to come and get it cut up and removed.  You all take care and stay well.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 56

   Got up early today to check the weather. I wanted to hike today but not in the rain. Got up at seven and the day was sunny and partly cloudy, but the temperature was thirty two degrees. I decided to eat breakfast  and do the laundry to let the day warm up a little. Went to the laundry room and past the activity room. Last night the dorm had a giant Jenga tournament. I was in the first round and lost immediately. My building skills are not what they should be. I may play again tonight to redeem myself.
  After laundry the temperature increased to fifty two degrees and I loaded up the car with my hiking gear and headed out. I decided to hike part of Mary mountain trail. This trail if hiked all the way is about twenty miles across. Normally you would park your car at the end of the trail and get someone to drop you off at the start of the trail and then hike to your car. For my hike I wanted to hike for two hours and then eat lunch and then hike back to the car.
  I parked my car at the trail parking area. There was only one other car in the parking area, so I doubt if I would meet anyone on the hike unless they were coming from the other direction. The first portion of the hike took me through some thermal areas and I got to see some very pretty thermal pools. I also got to see a couple of birds I have not yet I identified. They were big and walking across a meadow. They were about three and a half feet tall.  
  Soon I noticed a small river to my left and the thermal area turned more into a meadow. After about two miles the trail led me over the small river, via a sort of broken down bridge, and into the woods. I kept looking around in the woods for animals but I also, through my vast Louis L'Amour training, kept looking at the trail for tracks. I noticed some boot tracks were fresh from some other hiker. I also noticed some bison tracks and they seemed to be fresh. After walking in the woods for a while I noticed how quiet it was. Stopping every once in a while I would just stand and listen. The wind blowing in the tree tops was the biggest noise but very peaceful. After walking a bit I heard a very distinctive grunt. The first thought I had was a bear digging for grubs under the rocks that were on my left. After moving slowly for a few more steps I saw the back end of a bison just left of the trail about three feet off the trail. The bison appeared to be trying to eat grass at the side of the trail. I could not go left as the rocky hill was there so that left me to go right deeper into the woods. I chose the second option and kept the bison in view at all times. I was just about around it when it turned and looked at me coming back on the trail. It did not seem to mind me and went back to eating. So I continued down the trail. The hike was very pretty and the small river was nice to have next to me most of the day. I looked at my cell phone and it was about noon. So I decided that I would find a nice place for lunch. With the wind blowing and the temperature staying around fifty eight degrees, the mosquitos were not bad. After hiking over a small stream courtesy of well placed logs, I came to a pretty valley that had some small boulders for me to sit on. Unloading my pack I broke out the PB&J and settled down for lunch. The place was peaceful and other than the wind it was very quiet. Before I left cell reception I got two texts from the prayer group. So along with my asking God to bless my lunch I asked him for help with the two prayer requests. After that I just talked to God for a while about other issues and concerns. Lunch was great and I even did a selfy for a friend of mine who wanted to see me. I hate selfies but did it for her. I posted it on Facebook for her to see.
  After lunch I headed back to the car the way I came. I made it a point to keep my eye out for the bison I left on the trail. What surprised me was how far that guy made after I left it. I came up a hill deep into the woods and there it was laying right on the path I was to walk on. This time he saw me and looked straight at me. So I looked to the left and decided it was time to go deeper into the woods and around him. This time he kept his eyes on me and I did the same to him. After a few yards I made it back to the trail and went back for a look at him to make sure he did not get up. Sure enough he was looking at me but still resting on the trail. 
  I continued to hike back to the car and ran into a family from Switzerland who were admiring the small river. I said hi and the father was the only one who could speak English replied hello. He noticed the bear spray hanging from my pack and asked me if I had seen any bear. I told him no but if he wants to see a bison there was one a couple miles down the trail. I continued on until I reached the rickety bridge and decided I would soak my feet in the river. Taking off my shoes and socks I found out that the water still flows very cold. I could barely keep my feet in the water for more than fifteen seconds. Brisk for sure. I put back on my shoes and socks and headed down the trail to my car. It did not take me long to realize that my hike today was a little longer than my knees could take. I think I did close to thirteen miles and from now on I think I will keep the hikes to ten miles or less.  
  I was very glad to see my car and I climbed into the front seat. I headed back to the dorm and was surprised by the number of tourists parked along side the road trying to get to the thermals and such. I passed the Grand Prismatic and the tourists were parked in no parking areas. During the height of the season tourist just park anywhere they want and this causes many traffic jams. 
  I managed to get back to the dorm safe and sound. I was very tired and took an hour long nap before dinner. I think I will join the dorm group playing Jenga again and try to redeem myself.  That is all for today. Day shift tomorrow. Take care and be well.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 55

  First day off and I got up early for breakfast so I could get on the road to Idaho Falls. It is only about one hundred and forty miles from the dorm to Idaho Falls but it takes close to three hours to get there because it takes and hour just to leave the park.
  Picked up my two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, because I would be gone during lunch and dinner, and headed out.  As I was leaving I noticed that the mountains had more snow on them than was there the other day I saw them. This cold snap has brought a lot of snow up in the passes and on mountain tops. As I left today the temperature was around thirty six degrees, but as I drove to Idaho Falls and down in elevation the temperature gradually increased to where I knew I would have to shed my pullover sweatshirt. Even though the drive was long the views were fantastic. As there was always something to see. From pretty valleys, to fast moving rivers, to the Grand Tetons in the distance and to the very pretty Idaho valley. Once the mountains get into your system they're really stuck there. I know when I leave here I will miss the views the most. A song writer I know said "You never can say goodbye to Montana, just goodnight.".
  Made it to Idaho Falls Two hours before my appointment so I headed for the Cabela's to get a man fix. The developer who put the Cabela's there was very smart because he also put a Hobby Lobby right next to it in the same parking lot. The wife can go into there while the men head to Cabela's.  The strange thing about Cabela's is that they are so high priced. You would think that with as many stores as they have they would have more discounted prices. I think a person can get a better deal online for the stuff they sell there. In fact they had a few items that we sell in the Old Faithful store that were higher than we were selling them.
  After Cabela's I headed to the dealership. I was an hour early but I figured it was time for lunch and I would just eat my PB&J in the waiting room. The Hyundai dealership was small but clean. The guy taking my keys asked me what I was doing in their area from Indiana. I told him that I work at the Old Faithful general store. He asked me a ton of questions about the job and such while I was eating and waiting. He said even though he lived close he has only been to the park three times. Before he headed off for lunch he thanked me for answering all the questions and said he really did not know how they set up the employees at the park.
  Shortly before two my car was done and I paid and headed to the theatre close to Cabela's to see if there was any movie that I wanted to see before I headed back to Yellowstone. The only movie I was vaguely interested in was Tarzan but it was only being shown in 3D and I did not want to watch it in that format. So I decided to head downtown and walk around the river and see the falls off Idaho Falls.  Cathy and I  stayed at a best Western right on the river last year and I parked the car close to there. The Snake River was running fast and the falls were very loud. The river walk is about a mile and a half and it is very pleasant for sure. They have plenty of places where you can go down to the river and get fairly close to the falls. The falls are interesting in that the river runs on top and the water Cascades down the side of the river for about a mile. So instead of a river ending at a falls. The falls are created by the side of the river. I put videos on Facebook in case you want to see this.
  After pulling myself away from the river I got back in the car and headed back to Yellowstone. The drive back was just as pleasant and it went by quickly. As expected the temperatures went from the upper seventies and pleasant to the low fifties when I reached the dorm.
  On a side note. The McDonald's in Idaho Falls where I stopped to get a tea had the fastest internet I have ever experienced. I was able to update fourteen apps on my phone and download two TV shows and several podcasts in about forty minutes. Sweet.
  Well back at the dorm now and will hike tomorrow if the weather calms down. I am not much of a hike in the rain kind of guy. Take care you all and keep praying for each other. 

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 54

   Thank God it is Friday, for me anyway. Got up early for the transition from late shift to early shift.  As I left the dorm for the EDR I felt a mixture of snow and rain on me. From what I hear the passes had snow coming down pretty hard. Nothing will stick, but snow in July was pretty great for me to see.
  After breakfast I headed into the store to get my til and I chose to work in the apparel area today. Business was slow as not too many tourists were out this morning. Those that were out early wanted coffee real bad. Since it was slow I helped Anita down in the dungeon with stocking knick knacks and such. After working a couple hours stocking I went back to my cashier post as Old Faithful was going to erupt soon and then the morning herd would be coming.  Sure enough those that braved the cold to watch her erupt made a bee line for the store. When they hit the store they made straight to the cold weather section of the store. You would not believe how many winter coats, gloves and sweatpants I sold. We could not keep the shelves stocked with the cold weather stuff fast enough. Every one who came to my station bought something to help them ward off the cold. They all asked me if this was unusual weather. I told them that the veterans who live around here said this is normal and to remember we are eight thousand feet up.  So many tourists come from hot temperatures and assume that every place is just as warm. Delaware North is making a mint today for sure.
  For lunch we had barbeque ribs and baked potatoes. Great lunch but will have to hike twelve miles to get rid of the calories.
  After lunch break I headed back to the floor and replaced Doris who whispered to me "It is crazy!" After five minutes I believe Doris was not exaggerating. It was crazier than memorial day. Every tourist was freezing because of the weather and it seems like every tourist was coming into the area more for the store than Old Faithful. Two and a half solid hours of busy. Also it seems that the majority of my sales were just under two hundred dollars. I told my line boss that if this day did not set a record in sales for 2016 that I would be surprised. He agreed that business was sure consistent and heavy all day.  About a half hour left in my shift did it finally slow down to where I could breath and stretch. When my replacement showed up business just started to pick up again. Thank God it is Friday. 
   After dinner I decided to go to the Old Faithful Inn and finish this blog and to read in front of their fire place. That is where I am now and I climbed to the third floor to get a seat away from the crowds. It is peaceful for sure and they even have a cello player entertaining the people too.
   Not too many highlights from customers today but for as busy we were they were generally friendly and upbeat. I did meet a couple from Venezuela. They were very nice and told me to come and visit their country as they said I would like it. I told them that maybe one day but I would really like to see London first.  I also talked to a family from Fishers Indiana and they knew about Linton also.
  Well I will leave you with one observation from today. If you come to the mountains do not make flip flops the only shoes you bring.
  Take care all and stay well.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 53

   Got up early today to head for breakfast and to meet Jack. When I work late shift Jack and I go to worship services together. Today it is cold and rainy and they moved the services to under the awning at the inn but still outside. Outside services are pretty invigorating when a child rain is pouring down around you. The message was on Martha and Mary and Martha's worrying about things that we not important. After the services Jack and I sat on the second floor and did a semi Bible study on the passages from the service. We both agreed that Satan loves to get us on a hamster wheel of activities and worries that prevents us from fully worshipping God as we should.  
  After walking back to the dorm in the rain I read the Bible for awhile and killed time before for lunch then start of the late shift.
  It has been raining most of the morning and that still did not slow down the tourists. The store was pretty busy and I was put back in the grocery section to cashier for the day.  It seems our bosses have been prompted by their boss to start our day off with a pep talk about certain expectations that Delaware North wants all their employees to follow. I don't mind as I feel that some points need to be heard but if our bosses don't follow through and correct certain employees about what we get lectured on, then what is the point. 
  After dinner break I went back to work and was treated with a couple who knew about Crane and used to live in Loogootee. The husband works in Pax River and is well aware of BRAC and how their base and Crane was being reviewed for closure a few years ago.
   Business was slow due to the weather and the floor supervisor wanted me to learn a new area to stock. So I was assigned to stock the walk-in refrigerators. Jack ended up training me on procedures and such. Then he turned me loose. The first thing I did was get my jacket to wear. The walk-ins are pretty cold and I was in each several minutes stocking milk, pop, beer and such.  I liked the work mostly because I was doing something besides just standing at a cash register waiting for tourists to buy something. Jack said it will take me some time to find all the stock to put out but after awhile I figure I will learn their system. 
  Not too much else happened and I was able to leave work an hour early. The rain has stopped for now but the temperature is below forty degrees. I suspect it will be spitting snow soon. Snow in July. Have not experienced that before.
  Take care you all and I hope you worshipped God well today and you received a blessing of peace.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 52

   Today was another late shift day. I got up and showered and went outside to see what the weather was like. It was chilly and looked like rain was coming over the mountains. David, a co-worker, indicated that a cold spell was coming. The next couple of days will only see highs in the mid fifties and it might even snow, as the lows are going to be in the low thirties.
  I walked over to the store to say high to some fellow co-workers and to read my book on the front porch while doing some tourist watching. I stopped by a counter as I saw that the cashier was cutting tags off of a blanket we have been ordered to up sell. I asked what was going on and she indicated that the up sell deal we give the customers was that if they spent more than fifty dollars then they can purchase the blanket, regularly $34.99, for $19.99. I thought that this was a good deal until she told me the reason why she was cutting the tags off. It seems that underneath the $34.99 tag was the original price of $19.99. This really disturbed me as we were doing nothing more than tricking the tourists and I have been a part of this scheme. I can tell you that this has given me a bad taste in my mouth about my employer and from now on I will not be up selling these so called deals. If this were a small town business the store would be closed down for lack of business when customers found out how they have been taken on the so called deal.
  Watched John Wayne in the Shootist until lunchtime.  Lunch was great and after some excellent dessert I headed into the store to get my til to start my cashier day. The store was fairly busy but not overly busy. After getting my money the floor supervisor assigned me, not in the grocery area, but the apparel area. I never had worked in that area before as they always wanted me in the grocery area because I was old enough to handle the alcohol. After a few hours in that area I decided I liked it better because the items I had to scan were less in number but higher in cost. 
  I did meet a nice couple from Australia and from Portugal. Many of the customers this afternoon were foreign tourists who were very pleasant. The only drawback of being stationed where I am is that it is harder to see Old faithful erupt.
  A disturbing thing happened this afternoon when a customer gave out cashier two twenties with some disturbing messages wrote on them concerning Muslims. I saw them and I was glad that my fellow cashier had them exchanged for change and out of our circulation. Hate seems to flow so easily lately because no one has character enough to be the dam to stop the flow. Well call me Hoover because it won't flow through me.
  After dinner I went back to work and business was fairly busy but not overly so. I did get to talk to a couple from Berlin Germany. I asked them about the fall of the wall and how life was there now. They told me that it was very nice and that I should visit some time. I also talked to a traveling couple from Perth Australia. They had the same passion I do for riding trains and we both agreed the Durango to Silverton Colorado train was one of the best.
  When tourist traffic slowed down I put up stock in the grocery area this time. I do not mind working in the grocery except the people in charge of the area want the place set up expertly and get kind of mad if things are not right.  So I have to walk on egg shells while putting up stock so I don't tick anyone off.
  Well tomorrow is Sunday and I will be getting up early to get to breakfast and Sunday services at the Old Faithful Inn. So you all take care and please pray for one another. 

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 51

   Slept in today because of late shift. Don't mind that at all. I finished another book last night so I headed to the car to get another book to read. I stopped by to talk to a couple of co-worker smoking outside the dorm. The weather was great and I felt that the business in the store would be up today. 
  Heading to lunch before shift I was pleased that the lunch was roast beef and mashed potatoes. Very good lunch for sure.
  After lunch I stepped out onto a busy floor.  Old Faithful just went off and the tourist herd had hit the store running. I had to help two customers before I could even get my cash register money. It was an up stream battle for sure. As we were getting our money the boss wanted to talk to us as a group before we all started cashier duties. Every once in awhile the boss reminds us to up sell and the rules for dressing for work. The usual talk to pep us up and to remind the slackers that they need to shape up. 
  The first part of the shift was busy but after the break things were pretty slow. I worked downstairs putting stock on the floor until time to close but we could not close in time because Old Faithful went off right before we closed so a mini herd hit the store to buy groceries. Even though you tell someone we close in five minutes they hear "Take all the time you want." People get cranky at the end of the day.
  Not to many customer stories today but there were two major accidents around our area today. Both accidents required people to be lifelined out via a helicopter. Customers told me that traffic was backed up for twelve miles in one area. Some tourists were stuck in traffic for more than an hour. I heard that a motor home ended on top of a car. The rangers said that traffic has been very bad the last few days and many accidents are happening throughout the park. 
   Other than being payday, not much else happened today. The good thing is no one quit and we hired two Bulgarians also. They will work in the fountain/snack bar area, which is desperate for workers.
  Take care and thanks for reading. I pray that God blesses you all and in turn you bless others.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 50

   Well it is back to work after two days off. I read the notice that the boss leaves above the clock in station that yesterday was the best sales day of the year so far. $70,000 in sales. It seems that my days off are just at the right time to avoid the tourist mob at the store. 
  On a weather note. It sleeted/snowed here last night. Not enough to show in the morning but visible in the air coming down. The mountains can show a lot of weather changes in a short period of time for sure.
  First thing this morning I called the Hyundai dealer in Idaho Falls to get my appointment changed to an oil change as the check engine light is now staying off. Went to lunch and said hello to all the co-workers I would work with today. Lunch was pretty good. I clocked in and went onto the floor to begin the day. Business was pretty steady but not madding. Had a few laughs with some customers. I saw a man walking by with a St Louis cardinals hat on and I told him "Hey we sell Yellowstone hats to replace the lousy one your wearing now. Go Cubs!". He looked at me and laughed out loud also. It is a good thing that I see more Cub fans than cardinal fans.
  The first part of the shift went well and in no time it was break time.  After break and dinner it was pretty slow and I went down to the dungeon to put up stock. Getting pretty good at finding the future yard sale items in the stock room. I like putting up knick knacks better than clothes.
  Today I said goodbye to a co-worker who came in on the same day as I and was in front of me in the human resources processing line. I told her she will be missed as she was a hard worker and the place needed hard workers for sure. 
  On a side note over the weekend was Garrison Keillor's last broadcast with prairie home companion. I will miss him for sure. I have seen the live show several times and Cathy and I even traveled to St Paul Minnesota to see his live radio show one last time last fall. As story tellers go he is one of the best and I am sure it will be hard to replace him as he retires. Thanks Garrison for all the laughs.
  Well that is about all for my day.  Please pray for each other and pray for our young people. I am getting an education on how far morally our young people have drifted from what God wants out of us all. I have been praying daily for several here to make better choices.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 49

   Last day of being off and I had to get up so that I could call a local Hyundai dealer so my car could get analyzed on why the check engine light is on. Arranged for an appointment next Tuesday at 1pm in Idaho Falls Idaho. While waiting for dealership to open so I could talk to them I decided to do some laundry.
  I decided I wanted a repeat visit to the Beartooth highway and lunch at 11,000 feet up. So I headed north and wanted to stop at the Lamar valley to look for wolves or bear. Still have not got a wolf picture yet. The drive was pretty but I could tell the temperature was colder than normal. The car kept showing the outside temperature in the mid sixties and the wind was blowing pretty hard. On my way north I stopped at the canyon intersection to fill up my tank with gas. Guess what? After filling the tank up I started the car and the check engine light went out. It never came back on again. So I probably will change my appointment to an oil change and tire rotation. I have been meaning to drive to Idaho Falls anyway.
  I arrived at the Lamar valley around ten thirty but other than great views and plenty of bison, I saw no bears or wolves. I can't catch a break. :) I stopped a few times in the valley to hike down to the river's edge for some pictures and videos. Several what I call photogenic bison were standing by the road or next to the river. They are the ones designated by the herd to be photographed by tourists today. I am sure the herd is very organized to allow the rest of the herd to sleep while a few put on a show.
  Leaving Lamar valley I exited the park shortly and headed up to the top of Beartooth Pass. I stopped a few times on the way up and noticed the temperature was steadily dropping. When I reached the top of the pass at 11,000 feet the temperature was 48 degrees and the wind was blowing a gale. Still I was not going to let this ruin my lunch. I managed to find a spot close to the ski lift that allowed me to back my car in to face the mountain views but kept the wind direction on the front of the car.  The Cubs were playing on the Sirius radio and I climbed into the back to eat lunch. The view was good but it was cold. Several tourists stopped by to take pictures and one group of Chinese tourists ask if they could take a picture of me with their young son. I said yes and he climbed up next to me in the back of the car and his mother took our picture. He laughed and she said thank you. I told her no problem and finished my sandwich. Turkey this time in case you were wondering if I ate anything besides peanut butter.
  On a side note. Come on Cubs what are you doing lately? Thank goodness the Cards and Pirates can't play much better.
  I headed down the mountain after taking pictures and videos toward Red Lodge. It is strange to see a state line marker 10,000 feet up, but Montana proudly stated you are leaving Wyoming and entering Montana. I guess they felt the sign could be a good place for tourist photo snapping of selfies.
  From Red Lodge I took the highway to Cody Wyoming. On the way I stopped to watch some cowboys herding some cows out of the mountains. They were on horses and two were moving the herd while two kept breaking off to move up the hill to bring more cows down.  A pretty neat site and I am sure they were laughing at the tourist who was watching them work.
  Got to Cody and headed to McDonald's for a tea and WiFi. Updated my phone and called Cathy.
  I headed back to the dorm via the east entrance. I did notice driving back that some tourists were not very good drivers today. Saw evidence of three wrecks. People need to settle down driving in the park and those going slow need to pull out and let those doing the speed limit to pass by.
  Well back in the dorm now and will be working late shift tomorrow. 11:30 to 9:30.  I hope that you all reading this are well. Take care and smile every once in awhile. God loves cheerful people.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 48

  Took a look at the weather report and decided that it would be a great day for a hike. The highs were in the low seventies and a breeze was blowing. I skipped Mary mountain trail and decided to drive further north into a higher elevation and hike the Bighorn and Indian Creek trails. They were both loops or were supposed to be loops. I did the two mile Indian Creek loop first because I wanted to see if any animals could be found near the water. I only saw a doe but plenty of fly fishermen doing their best to convince some fish to take the bait. I asked several if they had any luck but not one said the fishing was good.  After the Indian Creek loop I decided to tackle the Bighorn loop. It was listed as eight miles and I thought that was a good distance so that I could eat lunch on the trail. I set out on the trail and several yards in was a sign board that indicated this was bear area and hike in a group and make noise while walking. I was not too worried about the hiking alone part and I borrowed bear spray from the store. As for making noise that was no problem at all. The trail led into a forest past the campgrounds and I proceeded on. I had a backpack with plenty of water, my lunch, my walking stick, a knife, applied bug spray and bear spray hanging from my belt. The walk was pretty level, which is why I picked the trail. Several trails are rated for their climbs. So you can know what to expect when you take a trail. After about a mile I cleared the forest and saw the mountains I would be approaching. The Indian Creek appeared on my right and I could hear it running strong. The wind was blowing pretty good and that kept the mosquitos off me, which was good. The trail is clearly marked by the park rangers and fairly clear to walk on. Except for the occasional bison dropping which I dodged expertly. The views were great but I was disappointed that no wildlife was around. I wasn't making that much noise! After awhile I thought maybe if I put fake blood on me and feigned an injury that I could get a wolf to come by. 
  After walking about four miles I decided to stop for lunch. The first place I picked was a mistake. Not enough wind and the mosquitos found me quite a lovely meal. So packing up I went to higher ground and found a giant boulder off the trail that worked out great as a table. Climbing up I felt the breeze and detected no bloodsucking insects. So out came the lunch of all good mountain men, peanut butter and jelly. Never gets old. I sat there and thanked God for his creation. Where I was sitting I could see the creek running and the meadow and the mountains beyond, but no wildlife but chipmunks. After lunch I headed down the trail and then the surprise came. The trail came to an end at the creek/small river. I walked back and checked the trail marker and was sure I did not make a mistake. Sure enough the loop was across the water. I used the binoculars to find the trail markers across the river. So the trail was a loop if you were willing to wade across. I went back to the bank of the river and looked down. There was mud for about three feet and evidence that the bison came this way, but I figured I would sink down a few inches if I stepped there. After contemplating taking my shoes and socks off for a trip across, I decided that I would just walk back the four miles the way I came. Still the walk was interesting as the view changed. :) I made it back to the car and decided to head out the north gate and visit Livingston Montana and a McDonald's WiFi. 
  Livingston was a nice town with a lot of very nice and expensive homes around. Having updated my phone I headed west on I90 to Boseman and then south to West Yellowstone and then back to the dorm.
  I uploaded some pictures and videos of my hike today to Facebook and called Myles and Oliver on the phone in the car. Seems Myles misses me and was upset about not seeing me. I miss him and Oliver too and Marek. 
  Have not decided what to do tomorrow but I sure I won't waste the day. On a side note it seems my car has developed an oxygen sensor issue. I will call the dealership tomorrow to find out what can be done. You all take care and keep smiling.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 47

   Well the fourth of July has finally arrived and it is also my Friday. I called Cathy and she told me that it was raining in Linton today but the parade was still a go. I looked at our forecast and it predicted rain also. But as in most mountain storms it passes quickly. I was able to sleep in today. I also was able to get my laundry done before lunch. I heard that the EDR was creating a special lunch for us today and boy was it special. The EDR was decorated in red, white and blue. The tables were decorated and there was already place settings with a souvenir flag for us to keep. The lunch consisted of prime rib, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, salad and fresh baked pies for dessert. I chose the coconut cream pie. Did I ever mention that we have some great cooks in the EDR? The lunch was fantastic and I was glad I had to work right after lunch so I could work off the meal.
  Out on the store floor the tourist business was pretty good but not what I expected for the weekend of the fourth. I think business was down from previous day and the fourth was not as busy as Memorial Day.
  After my afternoon break I was treated to getting to watch the Old Faithful fourth of July parade. It did not have many units but people still gathered around and watched the mixture of firetrucks, ranger vehicles and police cars. It was pretty neat.
  Business died down later in the evening and the floor supervisor let me go an hour early.  So I get to start my two days off early.
  I had a couple of good customer experienced today too. I met a couple from Catalonia. Which is an autonomous community of Spain. They made a point of expressing they were not from Spain. I also got to talk to a couple from Germany who both were over six foot three inches tall. First time I had to really crane my neck to talk to a couple.
  Well that is about all. Tomorrow I plan on taking a morning hike to Mary mountain. I will walk to a spot for lunch then hike back. Hope to see some great wildlife too. The next day off I think I might drive to see another ghost town.  Take care you all and I hope you all had a great fourth of July.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 46

  Well the day started out normally. Getting up for early shift, eating breakfast with kids half awake and working the stock room because things were very slow. That all changed after the lunch break though. I walked onto the floor into a big crowd of tourists. Old Faithful had just gone off and the herd made their way to the store for trinkets. I relieved the cashier at my station who thanked me for the break. With head down I proceeded to go to work exchanging money for Chinese junk. :) After about an hour things were easing up and I started to sense the light behind me was getting dark. Sure enough clouds were rolling in and in the distance I heard thunder. Mountain storms come in fast and hard but leave rather quickly too. I noticed that it was about time for Old Faithful to erupt again and the boardwalk around her was packed with tourists. The thunder started getting closer and then sprinkles started. As soon as Old Faithful erupted it cut loose with a very hard rain and the temperature started dropping rapidly into the low fifties. I looked out the window and the tourists were running and guess where they were heading for shelter? Yep the Old Faithful general store. I could not believe that we could pack that many people into the store. It was a mad house of those trying to shop and those just standing around trying to dry off. Observation from this is that I thought my Golden retriever smelled bad wet, but these tourists really stunk up the place being wet. I had to leave my cashier post to head down to the dungeon for a box and it was like wading upstream. People would not move and the line to the bathroom was fifteen people long and they would not move out of fear of losing their place. Sure people bought souvenirs during this time but it was a struggle to get people to form a recognizable line. Some people were getting very upset at line cutters when we really do not have a formal line at all. Observation number two. The tourists from India are the most demanding and rude people I have met. I worked with an Indian group during this maelstrom that was not happy no matter what and even when I finished with cashing them out they came back time and time again to butt into the line to request more attention.  I was beginning to think a guy from Georgia was going to ring one of their necks when they butt into his transaction time. I apologized to several customers today because of the actions of this group several times. I ask Patrick about tourists from India and he said historically from his perspective, India tourists were generally like that and he said he blames it on the caste system that they are raised under. Some think they are superior to others and demand attention and do not consider being rude to inferiors as a problem.
  Another problem with those buying and those standing around is that tourists do not feel obligated to return anything they picked up but did not want back to where it belonged. They did not want to fight the crowd to return anything to it's proper place. So after the rain left and the herd diminished. The place was a shambles of items shoved anywhere and everywhere they should not be.  I feel sorry for the late shift and the early shift tomorrow that has to put the place back in order.
  Needless to say I need church tonight. I am sitting in the Old Faithful Lodge writing this and just trying to chill before church. Cathy said I was being cranky when I talked to her on the phone, but I told her I was not just realistic in my observations. :)
  On a side note we lost two more workers today. A lovely couple, Gerald and Pam, who worked as custodians. We only have four custodians so losing half of the work force will hurt. I will miss them as they were one of the few Christian couples I have met. I don't know why they are leaving, but someone guessed they were worn out. As the work they are doing was demanding with long hours and I think they were in their mid sixties in age.
  Not much else happening but tomorrow is the fourth of July and the day before I am off. I switch shifts tomorrow to late shift, so I get to sleep in.  Also the group I work for gave all the employees new tee shirts we are to wear tomorrow. We get to keep these but the other tee shirts we have has to be turned in when we leave.
  Take care for now and pray for me. I am praying for you all.

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 45

  Got up early for another day shift.  Being a Saturday before the fourth I figured it would be busy but I was wrong. The day went pretty easy and not much happened. So I decided to take a late evening hike to see Riverside geyser go off. It was spectacular and now I am sitting in front of Mortar geyser composing this blog.  One of my co-workers works for the park in his off time as a geyser spotter. Reporting geyser activity to the main park ranger station. They use all the spotters data to let tourists know when geysers may go off. That is how I knew to walk the three miles to Riverside geyser to see it go off. As I have said before there are plenty of geysers more spectacular than Old Faithful to see in the geyser basins at Yellowstone.  I took a few videos and pictures that I will upload to Facebook later.
  I did managed to meet a couple from Holland today and a couple from Sweden. I also got a great compliment from a teenage girl who said I had a fantastic looking beard. I told her that I had fifty seven years to perfect it. Made my day.
  I also found out that a twenty pound rated paper bag cannot hold ten potatoes and a bottle of beer. Made a nice mess in front of my counter when the customer carrier it away. Lessons learned.
  I will leave you with a couple of observations before I hike the three miles back to the dorm. Observation one: Senior citizens should never be allowed to by selfy sticks. Just stick to caring a cane. 
  Observation two: When visiting the Old Faithful area to see the geyser. Ignore the main parking lot and find the parking that is in front of the stores, as there is always parking there during the day. The main parking is an eighth of a mile away from Old Faithful .
   Take care you all and be good to one another. 

Yellowstone Adventure - Day 44

   Got up early for a breakfast of raisin bran. The main conversation this morning was not payday but the dorm meeting with the boss today. Most knew what would be said but the boss surprised quite a few at the things that were going on. It seems the biggy was someone was selling underage workers some booze. The boss warned them that any hint of this in the future will be dealt with by the park rangers and reminded us all that this is federal land and the crime will be under stiffer penalties. The second thing the boss was disturbed about was the noise level and those not honoring the quiet hours. Next came a reprimand for dirty rooms and a reminder that they are not our rooms. So the boss indicated that room checks and dorm walk throughs will commence now. Those not confirming to the rules will be fired and any room damage will be taken out of paychecks. Needless to say some of us seasoned citizens have threatened the younger workers that we will not be ignoring rule breakers but will warn and if that does not work will rat them out to the boss.
   The work day was pretty slow and the day brought a very cold rain with hail. I did get to meet a couple from Lima Peru and a very nice couple from Nazareth Israel. I also had an interesting encounter with a couple who were deaf. I did not keep looking at the wife when I talked as I tend to have to keep an eye on the cash register display to ensure the items ring up correctly. Well I got a tap on my shoulder and the wife pulled my chin gently in her direction and said "I can't hear you when you are not looking at me." I apologized and said it was habit and I hope I did not offend them. She laughed and said "Happens all the time." I am getting put through the customer adjustments for sure here. The couple were great and I really respected them and the hardships of not hearing that they were navigating each day.
  Well that is about all for today. Day shift again tomorrow. I will sleep good tonight as the dorm meeting cut into my nap time.  Take care you all.