In The Blink Of An Eye

[Click on any photo to enlarge.]

*Critters we’ve seen on our 2015 trip so far: elk, mule, mule deer, llama, prairie dog, donkey, bison, coyote, pronghorn, Uinta ground squirrel, black bear, moose, bighorn sheep, yellow-bellied marmot, wolf, least chipmunk, fox, bull snake

*Birds we’ve seen on our 2015 trip so far: California condor, Brewer’s blackbird, American kestrel, spotted towhee, magpie, wild turkey, mountain bluebird, bald eagle, Canada goose, Clark’s


Lazuli bunting

nutcracker, sandhill crane, osprey, red-tailed hawk, mountain chickadee, Northern flicker, great horned owl, Peregrine falcon, brown-headed cowbird, cliff swallow, Cassin’s finch, western tanager, cedar waxwing, Lazuli bunting

*National Parks/Monuments visited on 2015 trip so far: 6

 

  Where has the summer gone?!?!  July just seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye!  We didn’t venture out into the park much mainly because of the huge crowds.  July set a new record for park visitations with a 14% increase over last July.  However, we did enjoy some beautiful sunrises (though this is the only one I captured on camera) and still got to

see some wildlife.  Of course there were the usual elk with their adorable calves in the campground, and a bison just hangin’ out up in town.  Our resident coyote made several appearances traveling back and forth through the campground, and there were numerous sightings of Uninta ground squirrels, magpies, chipmunks, and lots of robins and rabbits (more than we’ve seen in past years).

 

 

Several times on our way into Gardiner for groceries we spotted bighorn sheep in the canyon including an adorable lamb (below left) not far up from the side of the road, and on one occasion we were even treated to a ram close to the road!

Russ needed some routine bloodwork done, and the closest lab covered under our insurance was in Butte, MT, about 2-1/2 hours from here. It's known as the "richest hill on earth" because of its history of gold, silver, and copper.  You may recall that we made this trek a couple of years ago, and while it's a great excuse for a road trip, the drive is not all that spectacular though the canyon is
pretty.  Along the way we passed the sign pointing out Trophy Rock, which is actually Bear Mountain (pictured at right).   It's referred to as Trophy Rock because it was the inspiration for The Great Divide Trophy that has been given to the winner of the annual rivalry football game between the Univ. of Montana Grizzlies and the Montana State Bobcats since 2001.

On the approach to Butte we saw something up in the hills that we had not noticed on our last visit, but as it turns out has been there since 1985.  Known as Our Lady of the Rockies (www.ourladyoftherockies.net/), it's a 90 ft. tall statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is
   dedicated to all women, especially mothers.  It was built by volunteers using donated land and materials and is lit and visible at night (tours available, too).

 

Once the labwork was done, we stopped at Safeway for some grocery specials, got a quick bite to eat, then back to Bozeman to stock up at Walmart, a quick stop at Albertson’s in Livingston, and then home…a very long day indeed for all 3 of us (yes, Abby went along, too).

 

We were outside one morning when we heard a plane nearby and looked up to see a bright yellow one flying down the canyon right across from our site.  I grabbed the camera and later researched the number on its side discovering that it’s a 1956 Piper PA-18A Super Cub Fixed Wing Single Engine plane.  What a rare treat!

 

I had the opportunity to use my sign language skills that I learned over the winter when some campers knocked on our door.  We were off duty but the lady was looking for water to fill their rig, and I was extremely nervous and felt so awkward but we communicated.  I can fingerspell very easily but it takes so long spelling everything out and always feels like I’m taking up so much of the other person’s time.  But I know they’re always appreciative that someone can communicate at all and are always extremely patient.  A couple of days later they came up to the office to renew, and this time I felt a little more at ease talking with them (though still wished I could sign better…takes practice I know).

 

Later in the month our friends Shirley and LeMoyne made their semi-annual visit to the park.  We met them here in the campground a couple of years ago and became fast friends.  They generally spend their days fishing at one of their favorite spots, and we had some good visits including dinner in town one night but all too soon it was time for them to leave.

 

Right at the end of the month a cold front came through, dropping the temperatures considerably, and even leaving a dusting of snow in the higher elevations…so pretty!  But we knew warmer temps would soon return, and with an upcoming visit from family, we’d have an excuse to once again venture out into the park.

 

Yellowstone Tidbits:

• Bighorn sheep:  male (ram) weighs 174-319 lbs., female (ewe) weighs up to 30 lbs.; young (lamb) 8-10 lbs. at birth.  Rams’ horns can weigh 40 lbs. and their skulls have two layers of bone above the brain that act like a shock absorber for collisions during the head-on butting that occurs during the mating season.
• All visitors are required to stay 100 yards (length of a football field) away from wolves and bears, and 25 yards (length of two school buses) from all other animals.
• Elk are plant eaters and have four-chambered stomachs.