Labor Day Weekend

This is a big horse weekend in Ruidoso. Two big races with big purses and a lots of Texans in town. The weather is cooling down and fall is on its way.

Neighbors had a cookout last Thursday night and Thena and her fiance announced their engagement.

Friday Night we went with Thena and Mosley's to Cree Meadows for the fried catfish buffet.  Very good but everything is fried, not good for us. They stayed for the band and dancing.  After I danced with Elree and Fred we went home to check on Abby.

Abby is doing better but is still taking medicine and Don has had to get up in the middle of the night for the last two nights and let her out, we haven't had to do that since she was a baby.  I guess it is the medicine. Hope she gets back to normal soon.

Don started playing pickleball with me Thursday.  He hadn't played since last year when he hurt his calf muscle.  His  body was extremely sore the first day.

We went to garage sales on Friday and Saturday. Didn't find much. I got mom two pairs of shoes and me one.

Tomorrow is 15 miles an Monday is 11 miles. I hope I make it.  I will let you know. I've been walking and playing pickleball so much this summer I have quite the sock tan. 

Cont Yellowstone 8/14/10

Don asked Marilyn if she would drive today. We had 1500 miles on the rental that we could use without being charged extra and we already had 1300. She was glad to do it and I was glad because I was able to look around more.

Our destinations for the day were, north to Mammoth Hot Springs and then east to the Lamar Valley where there was more chances to see bear, wolves & moose.

We hadn't seen a grizzly bear yet and Marilyn kept saying she hadn't ever seen one. We were all ready for a restroom stop so she turned off the road at Sheepeater Cliff picnic area.  As we drove up there was a bus & a couple looking out towards the trees. We asked what they were looking at and about that time a grizzly was going into the trees across the little river. WE WERE SO EXCITED!! I got out and tried to take pictures but he kept moving and was out of sight very fast.  Marilyn wouldn't step away  from the protection of the car and kept telling me to be careful.  I felt like the bear was long gone, but Marilyn wasn't so sure.

I was taking a picture of the bear here but I don't see it, do you.

Scenery along our drive to Mammoth Hot Springs.

In the early days this road was a very narrow wooden bridge.

We made it to Mammoth Hot Springs, walked the boardwalk and enjoyed the white formations. Limestone, deposited here millions of years ago when a vast sea covered this area, provides the final ingredient.  Hot water(164 degrees) with dissolved carbon dioxide makes a solution of weak carbonic acid.  As the solution rises through rock, it dissolves calcium carbonate, the primary compound in limestone. At the surface, the calcium carbonate is deposited in the form of travertine, the rock that forms the terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. These terraces are like living sculptures, shaped by the volume of water, the slope of the ground, and objects in the water's path.  They change constantly, and sometimes overnight.

This is the Park Headquarters and Visitor's center.

As we headed towards the Lamar Valley area, cars were stopped along the road to take pictures of this large horned elk.

Views of the Lamar Valley.

We began to see herds of buffalo even on the road.

I like this picture. I was trying to take a picture of the pronghorn antelope. I just got its white buttocks, but I got myself in the mirror taking the picture.

Better picture of the pronghorn. Enlarge the picture by clicking on it.

All along the road there were pull offs and cars would be stopped with tourist looking through their binoculars. Some had mega binoculars on tripods and had been watching for hours hoping to see bears or wolves.  At this location they had spotted a bear.  We never saw it.

It took these two quite a while to get across the road. Amazing creatures and could do major damage to your car. They were the king of the road.

We saw this bull on the way home. If you will enlarge the photo you will be able to see a large hole in its side. Looks like he and another bull got into it and he got gored. He wasn't dead but wasn't moving any either.

We got back to the room early so that Marilyn and I could walk downtown and do a little window shopping. Then went back downtown later and ate at a small little Italian restaurant.  A great ending to a great day.