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 A Journal to impart knowledge and facts |
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July 22, 2015 I'm going to start today to record on a daily basis whatever happens to strike my fancy. So, it is a very cool breezy day. I just posted 5 short book reviews to The Monthly Reading Challenge. I'm suppose to put away some winter wood today from the woodpile outside but I'm playing hookey from work to write so starting this blog will get done. I'm having a daily fight with a flock of English Sparrows that are trying to take over my barn. They are making a terrible mess so they have to go. I have destroyed several nests so far they don't leave but they get out of the barn when I am around. I'm just starting the fight so I guess I don't know how far I have to go to discourage them. I'm trying not to spread myself to thin on WDC because I find so many things that are interesting here and I am trying to work on a new story. I really enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and reading blogs on WDC. |
| You all know by now I had a great camping trip. So good, I actually looked at tents online to buy. I want to pitch it in the back yard and spend some nighst out under the stars. We should all give Lyn a big hip, hip, hooray! She did a great job as guide. We know guiding any group is not easy. I will miss the great social aspect of ghost stories, smores, and discussing bears, wolves,elk,Indians and everything else. Wow! what a great month. See you at WDC.  |
Soda butte is located in a scenic spot. The reports are of clean rooms. Some of the reviews are not kind. I always think that can be a personal issue. If you are neat and personable the staff is usually as well. Of course, there is always the gang that sets out to prove me wrong.  .As for everything staying at WDC that happens at WDC. It would be nice. IN real life there are webcams at the lodge and casino. Many show the streets and shops but there are some inside the bar and casino. Maybe they need to keep track of the wild westerners?A lot of my carry things for returning home will be pictures. I have a big mug it says Yellowstone National Park 1872 with a big moose on the side as a souvenir. Next year, if we go international, South America or Australia would be nice. Or, the Adirondacks in the USA. I'm looking forward to winding down from Yellowstone. Onward into September. |
| I spent yesterday afternoon at the Crawford Fair. We walked the midway. Then we visited the home shows. We saw home canned vegetables, fruit, real honeybees in a display case, yummy fresh honey and maple syrup for sale, photographs of everything, plus all kinds of crafts (paintings, afghans, blankets, quilts, flower arrangements) to many things to tell about. Then we settled in the bleachers with our french fries, cotton candy and sugar waffles to watch the horse showing. We were watching the trail riding classes. Although it was fun I was disturbed that only 4 riders out of 15 could back up their horses in 90 degree figure or ride through a square on the proper lead or half pass on a 90 degree angle. One girl was jerking the bit in the horses mouth. I assume because she blamed the horse for his errors, until I wanted to jump the fence and thrash her. No trainers said anything from the side lines and I was the only one who seemed to notice the problems. So, these children and adult riders were either over horsed on under taught and put into a class they were not ready to handle. Maybe I need to go back to teaching riders??? Next, we moved on to the the 4H pig sale since my grandchildren show in 4H every year. The pigs are interesting to watch. Their young handlers do a good job but the pigs this year were selling at bottom prices and I fear that the lack of response from the buying public is going to discourage parents who are, in the end footing the bill. I like the slogan that has grown up as a counter reaction "No Farmers, No Food." When you walk through the hog barns the livestock is generally sleeping in deep clean bedding. But, when they hit the sale ring the handlers are not able to keep up with some of the rollicking pigs. Kicking up their heels at a little taste of freedom with a crowd of spectators. Many 4H rs will opt out of farming for better paying jobs. |
| Well it is almost over this wonderful virtual camping trip. I'm already looking forward to next year. And, to September blogging. I learned that I know too little about geology. I really need to take a class in geology. You can get a geology guide book at the General store. Now, I need to do some research and find one I can use on my kindle. Real buffalo wandering around in the yard of the cabin in a little disconcerting. I learned that somewhere in Montana someone is making great western hats. My son brought one home from his trip to Yellowstone this summer. I really want a real western hat again. Some new boots would not hurt either. Have not owned a good pair of western boots since 1970's. I learned that Yellowstone is a beautiful worthwhile place. Question how many people go into the 2,200,000 acres of play-land and refuse to leave? Where are all those lost people? Maybe we should send out Anna Pigeon to find them.  |
| Well it is almost over this wonderful virtual camping trip. I'm already looking forward to next year. And, to September blogging. I learned that I know too little about geology. I really need to take a class in geology. You can get a geology guide book at the General store. Now, I need to do some research and find one I can use on my kindle. Real buffalo wandering around in the yard of the cabin in a little disconcerting. I learned that somewhere in Montana someone is making great western hats. My son brought one home from his trip to Yellowstone this summer. I really want a real western hat again. Some new boots would not hurt either. Have not owned a good pair of western boots since 1970's. I learned that Yellowstone is a beautiful worthwhile place. Question how many people go into the 2,200,000 acres of play-land and refuse to leave? Where are all those lost people? Maybe we should send out Anna Pigeon to find them. |
| Well, Well. Climbing. Not my thing. But, this is virtual so I guess it's o.k. I'm tempted to delve into the fantasy: I packed trail bars, water shoes, drinking water and a price of rope just in case since I knew the trail is steep.(I know, I know climbing gear was provided) Just as I began the crossing I looked up. Grazing on the bank ahead was a small band of elk. The leader was massive with huge horns. There were a couple of young females and some half grown calves. They did not seem spooked by my crossing. The water was very cold, like ice. On the other side I found a rock to sit on and changed into some warm cushioned socks and hiking boots. Look, among the elk was an Indian pony. A small range horse about 14.3 hands in size.( Today Indians breed, train and sell some of the best blood stock available) Slowly I uncurled my rope. As I approached the elk moved away separating themselves from the horse. As I crept closer I began to softly sing the morning song . The horse stood his ground. Crooning in a quiet voice, I slipped the rope around his neck. Then I patted him gently and asked his permission for a ride. He snorted, flung his head up making his mane fly, stamped his front feet, arched his tail but he stood his ground. I attached a leather cord I wear around my neck on hikes to the end of the rope and slipped the leather into his mouth as a soft bit. As I grabbed his mane to swing up he walked forward to give me momentum. Then we turned upward on to the steep trail. We scrambled up, some of the trail was so steep I thought to dismount but the horse just kept climbing. Higher and higher we climbed almost into the pass with a view of the mountain. I stopped dismounted and blessed the horse for the ride. He turned with a flick of his tail and started down alone. I did not want to keep him on the trail because of the gathering clouds. The mountain is known for its sudden swift violent thunder and lightning storms. Hiking the remaining trail into the pass I noticed the destruction of many trees from previous storms. I took pictures of the area and Thunderer. The hike down was very steep on foot. As I progressed downward, I left behind the worst of the ruined forest and entered the wilderness of the trail again. Birds were flitting through the forest. The trees turned green as a living stand should be. I saw deer and some wild mountain sheep. The way down was swifter and as I approached the river the same group of elk with one lone horse were grazing peacefully. I saluted the animals and the horse gave a loud whinny (was it a horse laugh?) Up on the mountain a new storm was raging. Lightning flashing with rolling thunder only 3.5 miles up.  |
| The costumes and bead-work are beautiful. I hope we are going to a pow wow and I want to see the museum. My family gets together at Christmas and Thanksgiving. Once in a while I travel to them in the summer just for a visit or they come here. The last few years we needed help getting in the hay and wood for winter some of them all ways show up to help. Some of my grandchildren are in 4H and we like to go down to the fair where they are showing their pigs and watch the fun. As a general rule we are flexible about family because after the children grow up they have a family of their own and it is double sided as many families are so we try to give every one room to celebrate when they have to time. |
| You are spending my 59th birthday with me at Slough Creek for the night before we go to the Shoshone Indian reservation on the 27th. We have been invited to be their guests. We are hiking to Slough Creek from the lodge so we will be busy most of the day. Best wishes Lyn. We should have a celebration at the camp.   Slough Creek looks quiet and comfortable. There is so much to do from here; trails to hike, more fishing, and wildlife watching us and us watching them. I would like to see a wolf not just hear it howl. That might not be possible. We are camping at altitudes of 6000 ft. or more so if you have noticed a slightly elevated heart rate or more indigestion than normal it may have a relationship to the altitude. High altitude is considered 4900 to 11500 feet. I have a new library book on my kindle The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney. Some of the campers may have all ready read it, if not the first chapter is a complete ghost story and I could read it at the campfire tonight. I'm such a day person. Whenever I camped out in my youth I did enjoy the campfire and watching the stars but the most peace for me was just before dawn. There is a time when the night creatures stop roaming and the day creatures start moving. It is like the changing of the guard. Then just a lightning of the sky starts the bird calls and bird song for the morning as the earth revolves revealing the sun as it peaks across the horizon. That is even now my favorite time of day. |
| Moran's paintings are wild and woolly. Just think of standing in the wilderness with paints and an easel producing the art he exhibited in Washington. Not so many tourists around then. They had to make their own trails. Probably packed things in on horses, mules and donkeys. Now that is real camping. As for the Osprey. They eat live fish. Like owls, they have a reversible outer toe. It helps them grasp with 2 toes in the front and 2 toes in the back. A better hold on slippery prey. Because their species occurs world wide it makes them unusual. After studies by many taxidermists a classification for the species has not been agreed upon. Ospreys are possibly the fish eagle describing a mythical Greek king who was transformed into an eagle. There is no such thing as a chicken hawk. People sometimes speak of the Red Tailed Hawk as a chicken hawk. Perhaps an occasional free roaming farmers chicken in past times was seized by a hawk but not as a general rule. Like owls they eat small rodents and sometimes small birds. Owls hunt at night and Red Tails hunt in day light so it would seem the rodent populations would be well under control. Usually they mate for life. You can pick up raptor sighting forms at the ranger station. It is easy to fill out and does make a difference in keeping track of the population. Don't forget the yearly citizen bird count from Cornell University also a good population count. In our township we have had lots of raptors visible in the last few years but this year they do not seem to be so prevalent. I wondered if the extreme cold from last winter drove them out of the area. Well virtual is nice but today I'm off to reality land to watch the trotters at the fair. I will still be doing lots of hiking. |
| Packing for Tower Falls = Fully charged Paperwhite, Camera, binoculars (for watching birds and wildlife), sunscreen, yoga pad (doubles as a cushioned seat) also light to carry and I can roll my towels up in the pad all fits in the carry case which ties to my pack. The rangers should be at peace. Just sitting by the water and watching the Falls should be enough for a whole day of relaxing. |
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