Christmas Time a time to remember Jesus

    Well I am in the thick of the Christmas season.  The weather is not too Christmas like.  66 degrees one day and then 32 degrees and snow the next day.  I am trying my best to keep Jesus the focus of the season.  Especially with my grand kids.  To say this is tough is an understatement.  They are getting so much Santa stuff from their world that it is very hard to steer them back to the true meaning of this season.  I was relieved when they wanted to go with me to the Christmas walk at school.  We read every sign they had put up explaining the birth of Jesus.  I think it helped them a great deal.  I will take them to see the Christmas lights and have some hot chocolate one night also.

   I keep thinking I will try to write another short story one day but I have not had an idea stick in my head like I had in the past.  Maybe one day I will will wake up and have something stuck in my head so bad that I would have to get it down on paper.

  I have been back from Yellowstone for a month or more now and I already have itchy feet to get back to the mountains.  Once they get in your blood they can affect you the rest of your life.  I do miss my Yellowstone friends and I pray for them a lot as they all have life issues that they are working out.  I did hear from Jack and it seems that Delaware North will not be bringing him back next year.  Whether it was his age or health I don't know but I feel so bad for him.  He is 84 years old and has worked at the park for I think the last 16 or 17 years.  He said he would be contacting the HR head and hope that they will change their mind.  I hope they do but only if Jack is healthy to do the job.  This has been a tough year for him to say the least.

   Speaking of health I got my COVID booster shot today.  We will see how I feel tomorrow.  I think the shots are effective but I also think that the virus will keep on mutating to where we will never get off the vaccine express.

Back Home

    I made it back home safely. It was a great drive home.  Not too fast and not too slow.  I arrived home to a happy family.  Met first by my granddaughter Viviann who gave me a big welcome home hug.  Cathy was very happy to see I arrived safe and the dogs went nuts as usual.  After unpacking and getting things put back I proceeded to get an inventory of things I would have to fix/repair.  Being gone for a couple months does not mean that things will just work perfectly while I am gone.  So Cathy had a few things I need to attend to and also she was happy I could do the lawn mowing too.

   Less than a week home I caught a cold and as I write this blog I am onto the coughing and hacking phase of the cold.  With the COVID virus going around everyone around me seems to worry about it getting worse and turning into the virus.  I felt the cold coming on a few days ago and it felt just like it always did.  Also I have no fever and the stages of this cold are just like colds in the past. This virus has myself and a lot of other worry but I got the vaccine several months ago and I am confident that it is not COVID, but I will keep an eye on any other symptoms.

Yellowstone Adventure 2021 - Day 77 (Saying goodbye)

   Got up this morning and packed the rest of my stuff in the second tote.  I went and had breakfast and then clocked in at 8:30.  My job basically was straighten things up in grocery and help other departments.  I planned to work until 11AM and then head out to Billings and then home.  So all during my work I went around and said good bye to my friends and co-workers.  I took several pictures and videos before I left.

   So to end my blog for Yellowstone 2021 I want to say some thanks and good byes.  I want to thank my boss Ron.  Thanks for helping me get an upgrade dorm room and thanks for being such a great worker and a good person to work for.  Thanks Mark and Mary for being my co-workers and friends.  Thanks for the laughs and I wish you both well in your travels back to Nacogdoches Texas via stops to see your grand kids. Thanks to Jack for being my friend and hiking buddy these 6 years.  You are doing well for 85 years old and I wish you good health. Thanks to Chanda for being a great store manager.  It was a tough year and I am sure there was some very stressful times, but you did really well.  I wish you and your husband Brian a good journey where ever you go and thanks for the golf tips.  To Jen and her husband Eric.  It was great working with you both and I truly respect your hard work.  May God watch over you in your travels.  To Bob I will be praying for your biopsy results and I wish you a great winter working in Gardner.  To Patrick I wish your Royals well and I know you will to well this winter and be back at Yellowstone next year.  To Kathy and Jim, your the best EDR folks around and I appreciate your carrying for all that you feed.  Stay well and safe travels.  To Andrew, you did well and made your grandparents proud.  It was good to meet you and I wish you well in your future endeavors.  To all the rest Lydia, Judy, Joni, Chuck, Larry, Rachael, Emily, Nancy, and all those I fail to mention.  It was great working with you all and I wish you well wherever you go.

  To my wife Cathy, thanks again for letting me work through my bucket list.  Next year will be our year and I hope God enables us to have a great time together.  I love you very much.

   To Yellowstone, thanks for the memories and God's beautiful creation.  Thanks to all who read these blogs even when they were boring.  Take care.

Good by mountains.

Good bye General Store

Made my mark in grocery, maybe my kids or grand kids will see it one day