My last baby graduated college and got a job.
I went swimming outside daily.
My first baby is expecting her first baby and we gathered the family to celebrate.
Despair turned to hope for our country.
I bought an octopus.
I experienced the magic of Tanglewood.
This post was inspired by the Six Sentence Story challenge, but I don’t write fiction. 🤷♀️
For a couple of weeks now, I’ve been seeing “Answered” under the Daily Prompt. In other words, WordPress asked the exact same question a year ago and I responded. Believe it or not, I just now figured out how to find my original response to the prompt and “reblog” it (OK Boomer!)
I’m re-posting my original answer, mainly so that I can attach the recipes I mentioned. (The Silver Palate’s Chicken Marbella came out much better the second time.)
Attached:
I don’t enjoy cooking much, or even really eating. I’m not a big foodie. I didn’t cook at all until I became a mother, and then it suddenly felt like…
Sweet tooth
I’ve already posted too many times about my recent trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. But what the heck…it’s my blog and I can post what I want, right?
As previously mentioned, spotting wildlife is a major activity in Yellowstone National Park. After your first 500 or so bison (aka buffalo), you start coveting sightings of the more rare animals— like wolves and bears.
Here’s everything we saw:
We also saw sandhill cranes and vultures, but I wasn’t able to get photos.
The wolves were the most exciting to spot, partially because everyone else was so excited! There are people that go around spotting wolves all day long in Yellowstone. They know individual members of each pack. They have special spotting scopes and they sit in certain areas watching for wolves. When you see a clump of those people, you pull over to see what’s going on. Their excitement is infectious and they are very generous with their spotting equipment.
Despite all the warnings about bears and the need to carry bear spray on hikes, we never saw one! I’ve still never ever seen a bear in the wild.
I am pleased to report that with this recent trip to Montana and Wyoming, I have now visited more than half of the fifty United States (26 to be exact). I have 24 left to go!
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PS: Is anyone else disappointed that MyGenXerLife’s blog seems to have disappeared? Did he make an announcement while I was away or something? I really loved that blog! Any info appreciated.
Brizzy Mays Books and Bruschetta is a blog I like. She likes to write about fun destinations in Australia and the unsung women of Australian history. She frequently references Aussie expressions and traditions that I’ve never heard of before—like Barbecue BOATS (do those sound fun, or what?)
Anyway, I thought of her when I visited the cabin of Maud Noble in Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming. (We went there after Yellowstone National Park.)
Born in 1879 into a wealthy family from Philadelphia, Maud Noble moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1915. Noble became a significant landowner and operated a homestead and dude ranch in the area. In 1923, she hosted a meeting at her cabin to discuss preserving the Grand Teton region. This meeting included notable conservationists and local ranchers and is credited with sparking the movement to create the national park.
And oh my…what an amazing national park it is.
Thank you Maud.
From The Atlantic:
For our October cover image, the illustrator Justin Metz borrowed the visual language of old Ray Bradbury and Stephen King paperbacks to portray a circus wagon on its ominous approach to a defiled Capitol. “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” Bradbury’s 1962 masterpiece, was a particular inspiration; it tells the story of Mr. Dark, who grifts strangers into joining his malevolent carnival. Over the course of The Atlantic’s 167-year history, only very rarely have we published a cover without a headline or typography.
My main thought on the debate is that it’s disgusting that a serious person—an accomplished woman of substance—would have to share the same stage with a criminal—a lying sack of shit. He doesn’t deserve to lick her shoe.
The fact that the GOP has allowed this is unconscionable.
Please enjoy this free gift article from my old friend Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic. He sheds some additional light on the spinelessness of Republicans.
Having stayed in Thunderbird (one of the in-park historic lodges at The Grand Canyon) last year, I wanted to do the same in Yellowstone. These historic hotels and cabins are all booked through one agency (https://www.xanterra.com) and frequently fill-up a full year in advance.
These iconic hotels have amazing locations (inside America’s most famous national parks), but sometimes lack a few modern features—like air conditioning, WiFi, or even private bathrooms. (And there are definitely no pools or hot tubs at these hotels!) In my opinion, it’s worth it to give up a few modern luxuries to stay in the heart of the parks, surrounded by their wild beauty and animals.
I already mentioned our stay at the Mammoth Hot Springs, where we left our window open at night (there was no a/c, but fans were provided) and were awakened by the rather alarming sound of a male elk “bugling.” (Click here, to hear what that sounded like.)
We also spent one night in the Granddaddy of all the American national park lodges: the Old Faithful Inn. Built in 1904, this historic landmark is known for its rustic, log-cabin architectural style and viewing porch, which faces Yellowstone’s most famous (and reliable) geyser.
As one of the largest log structures in the world, it represents a significant achievement in American craftsmanship and the “parkitecture” style that blends buildings with their natural surroundings. It hosts millions of visitors from around the world each year. The lobby is jaw dropping and hard to capture in iPhone photos, but of course I tried:
They’ve kept the tradition of live musical performance alive at the Inn. I heard two different musicians playing for the guests. Here’s a snippet of a cellist/singer playing a GenX favorite: Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics/Annie Lenox.
There’s a schedule in the lobby that lists when Old Faithful’s next eruption is expected, which is absolutely amazing when you think about it! The geyser erupts about 20 times per day and the schedule is accurate, plus or minus ten minutes. And this has been going on since explorers first discovered Old Faithful in the 1870s (and probably for thousands of years before that). Holy shit. Yellowstone is amazing!!!
Related:
In addition to amazing wildlife and geothermal wonders, Yellowstone also has spectacular waterfalls and a gorgeous canyon—“Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.”
Our selfies are not very good. I just can’t figure out how to position my arm AND take the picture. People say to hold the phone up high, but then you end up staring directly into the sun.
A word about bison.
They are a big part of the Yellowstone experience. You see both herds and loners—sometimes very close up.
They warn you not to get within 25 yards of a bison, if you’re not in a vehicle. They can run fast and have been known to rush (and even gore) people who get too close.
Related posts:
Bucket list progress: YELLOWSTONE – Part 1
The animals in Yellowstone National Park are magnificent and wild, but the thermal features are insane. I was not fully prepared for the crazy geothermal activity.
Related:
Bucket List: YELLOWSTONE – Part 1
We’re flying home from Jackson, Wyoming later today.
We had an amazing trip—especially Yellowstone National Park. Many people told me how awesome and magical it is—and they were right. America’s first national park is absolutely spectacular.
Our first stop, after a quick visit to Bozeman, Montana, was Mammoth Hot Springs, which is known for its stunning thermal features.
We took a half-day wildlife tour out of Mammoth with a National Park Service ranger named Rachael. She was terrific. She took us through the Lamar Valley.
Stay tuned for Part 2 (and possibly Parts 3 & 4). I took so many pictures!
I look forward to catching up on all your blogs when I get back. 😊
Related:
We’re finally on our way to Yellowstone! And the FlyFi is working.
The Great Lakes are very blue today 💙🇺🇸 🌎 🇨🇦
Related posts:
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