Well I am sitting up on the third floor of the Old Faithful Inn and I am enjoying the cellist entertaining the evening dinner crowd. A very peaceful place to blog and to read. Today marks the one hundredth anniversary of the national park service. Also being August 25 the park is celebrating Christmas in August for the employees and tourists. The inn even has a Christmas tree up in the lobby. I guess this tradition started many years ago but few can prove why. I will go with the story that here on a cold August 25th many years ago. A snow storm trapped many tourists in the park as the roads were impassable and the lodging and stores took on a Christmas theme to take the tourists thoughts off being stranded for many days. Our store last night had a Christmas celebration with good food, bingo, a scavenger hunt and gifts for all the employees. I got a very nice centennial coin and an ornament. Plus I got a Christmas tee shirt and a centennial tee shirt to wear. We all had a great time and many laughs.
For lunch today the EDR went all out for a Christmas dinner. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, home made rolls and pecan pie. Kathy the EDR cook even made a special snowman silverware holder for each employee to take with them. I gave her a hug of thanks for all the great work her and the rest of the EDR folks did.
The store was not very busy today and I spent pretty much all my time stocking the grocery area. I think the grocery is out selling the store lately in terms of sales. With the south entrance being closed business has slowed down considerably. I also heard from George that fishing has also been restricted to a lot of the park due to a parasite getting into the lakes. The fire in West Yellowstone is getting contained I hear and that is good but the Teton fire is still problematic. Also I heard today that the snows have started in the Beartooth mountains and the pass is closed. I was hoping for one last trip over them next week but that may not happen. It is definitely colder here. Woke up this morning to twenty eight degrees and it never got higher than sixty five degrees today. Many tourists still buying blankets and coats because they were not prepared for the temps here.
The managers are preparing for next week when many people start leaving. After I leave the store goes back to winter hours and I think the workers will start to work straight shifts instead of the split shifts we have now. They have also put up a sign up list for anyone wanting to work in the EDR on their off days or off hours.
That is about it for today. Gonna enjoy some music and read for awhile. Take care and stay well. Only eight more working days left.
This is a blog set up by me, Bret Hobbs, so that those who are interested can read about my adventure of working in Yellowstone. As well as other things I have written. Maybe one day when I am dead and gone my kids and grand-kids will be able to read this blog because I don't see Google going away soon.
My friends on the cycle trip came thru Beartooth Pass the other day on their way home. They were told the next morning that overnight the snow closed the pass. Later that day it was open again because of snow melt.
ReplyDeleteThey are on their way home and should be back in e'ville on Sunday evening.
Thanks for sharing your trip with everyone. I really enjoyed hearing about all of your adventures. Keep up the good work and have FUN!! Prayers for you the rest of your time there.
I would like to get up on Beartooth again before I leave but the weather may be problematic.
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