Hi Gang!!! I'm alive!!! (Yes, this really is Kirby). To answer your question, Gina, I don't know exactly what prompted me to make that comment on my last post (or should I say "my most recent post?") But when I'm prompted to write something like that I figure I better!
We got to the park, and one of the first things I hear is that there are bears like crazy out around Yellowstone Lake, so of course what do I do? I head to Yellowstone Lake, leave Debbie and the kids making sandwiches on the shore, and I take off into the woods with my camera in hopes of scoring the big photo shoot in the sky!
Not only was I immediately in this near zoo-like atmosphere for moose, but within a hundred yards of the road the bear sign began in earnest. I don't know if it was one really energetic bear or a whole army of half-hearted ones, but somebody had torn up that place! Logs were thrown left and right, shredded to pieces--even the ground under some of these old rotted logs appeared to have been rototilled. I got far enough back in the timber that the sounds of civilization disappeared (those sounds being cars passing one every five or ten minutes on the highway). Then I plopped down on a log and began to soak in the surroundings. It was incredible. It was Yellowstone! There were moose droppings everywhere! It was like a mine field. So I figured I'd definitely see a moose in there, but no go. What I did see was totally unexpected. Just as I was beginning to relax, and had sat down in the duff on the forest floor, my back against one log and feet up on another, I heard this WHOOSH noise, and ducked my head in time to almost be struck by a great big Cooper's hawk. This thing missed my head by inches, then made a hard left turn and headed back the way he had come. It was cool! Of course it may not have been nearly so cool if he had actually miscalculated or if I had moved left and he had hit me. Ouch! Anyway, he found his way into the poem I'd been working on, and that was the important thing!
Back in the deepest part of the woods I found two really strange things, apparently unconnected. One, a fire circle that appeared to be decades old, and which, being as fires in Yellowstone are not exactly smiled upon, it probably was. And two, this old kind of sculpted looking pop bottle called "Nesbitt's." Anybody ever heard of it? I brought it home. There wasn't a Genie in it, though, dang it all. Oh well, she probably wouldn't have looked like Barbara Eden anyway. Probably would have been more like Roseanne, and the only wish she would have had to grant would be to disappear back inside the bottle!
Well, everyone, I can't tell you enough about how great Yellowstone was. The weather was a touch too warm, but that didn't keep the elk from bugling when it began to cool down in the evening. The owner of the cabins we stay in died of cancer two weeks ago, but his son let us in anyway--for 40 bucks a night! Three room cabins. It was great. The place was closed down when we got there, but we were able to track the guy's widow down, which was when we found out he had died and the place was probably going to shut down.
Enough about that. Got some great photos, relived some great moments with Rich and Gina and Dave and Debbie, and got renewed like I always do there. We went to the IMAX theater and saw the Lewis and Clark movie, which was very well done, if very abbreviated. That theater sure brings back the memories, too! And we found out that if you call the elk or feed the coyotes you now get a hundred dollar ticket. Luckily, we only found this out second hand, watching some photographer take his medicine as his little poser coyote skulked away "bearing gifts." The funny thing was, the ranger, in his hurry to cite the guy, almost smeared the coyote all over the road when he first came racing up. That would have been a sight for the crowd!
I'd better run. I've been on here long enough. Before I go, I have to say it's great to see Bob Atwater's name again, as his email's been bouncing back and I've been wondering when I'd ever hear from him again. And I also want to wish Gina a great birthday, at least what's left of it. Wow--you're old!!!! :O)
Kirby, When I was a kid the soda Nesbitt's was either orange or grape. I always bought orange because I didn't like the taste of grape. I don't know if they still make it or not.
I hope one of these days to go to Yellowstone. But of course that's a long way off.
The weather here has been a mild 60's degree. I love this time of year.
Barbara Eden. ha ha. Now you're really dating yourself! You just want somebody to call you 'master.' Maybe that hawk rubbed the bottle first and you're what appeared, and he wanted to attack you because you were his Roseanne :)
It sounds like a great trip. Too bad about the cabins having to shut down. I'm glad you made it back alive. I couldn't very well tease you if you didn't.
Linda and Ken, I'm sorry the Giants were eliminated. Well, with them out of the picture, you could always root for the Yankees. ALDS chamsps. Go Yanks!
You are so lucky...i am like you...i would of been out there....and if i would see any animals...i would go out and find them. sounds...like fun..nice trip.
Hey when i was a kid , i use to go to newfoundland-the rock !!! with my family for about 3-4 years in a row we would spend a few weeks of each summer there...and out there -i dont know about these days but back in the 70 s -most of the horses and cows...sheep, etc..etc... were wild or feral...
anyway after the first summer there on the way home i told my brother Mario, the next time we go back
we are going top round up one of the small bands of horses and pick out the best colt....and bring it home hidden inside the camper.....hahaahah Ya right !!!
So the next year we went again to newfoundland,and the first week i spent planning out how the heck i could a band of horses across the road,up into the mountain...for up there , there were small pens....big enough to fit a small herd....
anyway the second week came...Mario and i set out and herded up a band of about 12 horses with a couple of their young ones...and off we were...2 little blond kids(11 and 8 yrs. old)
running in back of this small herd of horses .....we got to the top across the road...and we had already had boards and pcs of wood...up there to use to prop - up the door...for it was old...
Ya so we got got the horses in the pen...got the door closed and actually had the horses in there for about 5- 10 minutes....the head mare...wise -old animal,got the band to go around in a circle and then she turned and headed right for the door -Ya right where Mario and i were standing !!!....we jumped ---and here came the mare she jumped the fence...and im sure she could of cleared it good , but she hit one of the board we had propped up against the door...and the whole door came down...she then turned and looked at us...looked like she had a smile...and cried out to her band...and off they were..it was so awesome.....when i talk about it today, and Mario is around...he will look at me ...and say -Ya we really did do that !!!! but with this look...in his eye, Mario is not a horse freak like me...but he loves thinking about that summer in Newfoundland....we had so much fun....it was the best.....i have a pic or 2 in my box of old pix....i will scan them soon , very clear shots....of the band of horses that Mario and i herded up ....we had a chance to get a picture or 2 of them as they would come around and rest in the field next to where we stayed while in newfoundland...
I worked Yellowstone 2003
with kirby quite the ladies man,
went to Cody and few other places with Dave Lindquist,
wanted to know if same person,
have you been in touch with Brandy,what a hottie,