Another day in Yellowstone.

We've made several more trips to Yellowstone.   We had no idea how large the park is and how long it would take to get to the various areas.   The uniqueness of this park is the many areas and their geological differences.   One day we visited the Canyon Village area, known for its many canyons and beautiful waterfalls.  One of the most picturesque natural wonders is The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  The canyon is 10,000 years old,  20 miles long, 1,000 ft deep and 2,500 ft. wide.  There is a north rim and south rim and several trails all offering different views of the canyon, waterfall and river.

     

Brinks of Lower Falls Trail.  Every second, an average of 37,417 gallons of water plunges 308 feet over the lower falls.   Very dramatic to view.

Wildlife watch!    More bison, more elk....NO bears!

                    

Osprey nest high on a cliff overlooking the canyon and falls. Their nests are 5 feet in diameter.   

Ron always wonders why it takes me twice as long when I go on a hike.   It's because I take lots of pictures not just the fauna but I like capturing the many different varieties of flora.

            

What is a blog about Yellowstone without a few pictures of Old Faithful.  The largest concentration of geysers in the world is in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone.  Out of all of these geysers only six major geysers have forecasted eruption times.   Old Faithful erupts more frequently than any of the other big geysers, although it is not the largest.  It erupts about every 90 minutes,  lasts 1.5 to 5 minutes and expels 3,700 - 8,400 gallons of boiling water, and reaches a height of 106 - 184 feet.  

Old Faithful.

Bee Hive Geyser

Another popular geyser located close to Old Faithful is the Bee Hive Geyser.  We were fortunate to be there at the time it erupted.   It sometimes erupts 3 - 4 times a day but is not forecasted like Old Faithful.

Stay tuned for more Yellowstone  and a bear??

Hope all is well!

We have  spent several  days touring Yellowstone National Park.  This is a recount of our first visit. The park encompasses 2.2 million acres and spreads into 3 states.   From our campground that is located in Idaho, we travel through Montana and then Wyoming to reach the park.  It was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law in 1872 granting it the first national park in the world.  It is known for its wildlife, geothermal features, many types of ecosystems, canyons, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and mountain ranges.    The park is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest super-volcano on the continent.  Thousands  of minor earthquakes take place annually which keep  the geyser spouts  free  allowing them to erupt.  It is home to bison, elk, black bears, grizzly bears, wolves, moose, river otters, osprey and trumpeter swans.

Road from our campground to Yellowstone.

 The Fountain Paint Pot is named for the reds, yellows and browns of the mud in this area. The differing colors are derived from oxidation of the iron in the mud. The heat in the caldera forces pressurized water up through the ground.  Rising gasses cause the bubbling action. The bubble action in the mud varies with the seasons. In the early summer, the mud is watery from the high water table due to rain and snow melt. By the end of summer, the mud is much thicker as the water table drops.

There are geysers everywhere in Geyser Basin area.    Of course the most famous is Old Faithful.   We arrived at the Old Faithful parking lot around 10 am.     Not only could we not find a close parking space, we couldn't find any parking space.   I had no idea there were so many visitors this time of the year.   I know July and August is wall to wall people....and up to June 1 some of the roads are still closed with snow, so we thought arriving mid June we would miss the snow and people....WRONG!.   So we skipped it today with a plan to arrive much earlier on our next attempt.

 Yellowstone has approximately half of the world's geysers and  we did get to see some nice ones  along our drive.

Geysers everywhere!!

Jet Geyer

Hot spring = Celestine Pool.

We have seen lots of bison, a few elks but no bears.   I will be really disappointed if I don't see any bears.  Ron keeps promising we will see some before we leave.  Of course, he really doesn't know that we will, but for the time being it stops me from whining.

We saw several  fly fisherman.   The many rivers within the park are shallow and apparently ideal for this type of fishing.

Stay tuned for our continued "bear watch"

Hope all is well.

"There is no such thing as a bad boy"

We are back.....that is our blog is back..... and we are currently in Council Bluffs, IA.   We spent the 6 months of winter in Foley, Alabama at the Bella Terra RV Resort.  This was our third winter there and we have made many life long friends.    After leaving AL we spent a few days in Normandy TN and had a nice spot on Normandy Lake.

Luckily, we chose not to accept the initial site they had assigned us.  Here's what it looked like after a couple of days of rain.   The site we were in stayed dry. Phew!!

While in that area we were able to visit friends, Tom and Sue who live about 60 miles northeast of our campground.   They came down one day and we toured the Jack Daniels Distillery.  None of us are whiskey drinkers, but still enjoyed our day.  Another day they hosted us at their home in Sparta TN.   We got the deluxe tour of beautiful vistas and waterfalls.

We then moved north to Lafayette IN to visit with our sister-in-law Terri.   We got to be there when she adopted her new companion - Brady- a 2 year old Yorkshire Terrier.   We also enjoyed lunch with our nephew Andrew along with Victoria & their new addition Finn, and a bbq with nephew Steve and Karen and Dahlia.   We had to scoot to get to South Dakota in time for  Ron to renew his drivers license.   A minor detail when you spend all of your time on the road.

  Our ultimate goal this summer is to visit Yellowstone National Park.   We had plans to arrive there June 15th, so to bide our time we spent time in Emporia, KS, Lincoln, NE and now Council Bluffs, IA.  How did we pick these places you may ask?

 We use an auxiliary braking system in our Jeep that is distributed by Hopkins Products located in Emporia, KS.  The system is bulky and cost prohibited to mail for service, so we thought since we had time we would just drive it to them.  Besides, it was south where we were hoping for warmer weather.   We have a few things on the coach in need of repair and the closest service center is located in Council Bluffs and the earliest they could take us was June 5, so we spent a week in Lincoln NE.

   While there we visited the Nebraska University campus and the State Capitol.  The capitol is a magnificent piece of architecture.  It took 10 years to erect with completion in 1933.  It is 14 stories with a 400 ft doom.  The interior features numerous marble columned chambers, vaulted mosaic tiled ceilings and floors.  The tour is about 45 minutes, after which we went up to the 14th floor observation deck, where you can see the Lincoln area for miles. Then a quick lunch at their cafe.

State Capitol interior

  On to Council Bluffs, IA...the one item they did not have time to look at is one of our jacks that will not retract, so we are waiting for another appointment at yet another service center.   We are currently staying at the Horseshoe Casino RV parking.  It is a parking lot with electrical hook ups and water.    Unfortunately, we will have to find someplace else Friday.   The College World Series takes place in Omaha and all parks and hotels are booked solid.  Oh the joys of rving.

One of the many homes built to house the current residents.
The occupants include a couple, called Family Teachers,
their family (maximum 2 children allowed) and 6-8 residents.
Girls were welcomed in the 1970's. 

We will not make our June 15th arrival in Yellowstone, so are just playing it by ear for now.

 So far the highlight of our sightseeing while here was the day we spent at Boys Town in Omaha, NE.   Ron's father was a resident at the age of 12 and was there for almost 2 years.  There is a Hall of History Museum which documents the progression  from its inception in 1917 when Father Flanagan's dream and $90 was the beginning of Boys Town.   At that time 100 boys were welcomed and today there are 12 locations and a hotline that has serviced over 8 million calls as well as a renowned hospital.   Displayed in the history hall is the Oscar awarded to Spencer Tracey for his portrayal of Fr. Flanagan  in the 1938 movie "Boys Town".

Infamous sculpture.  "He ain't heavy, he's my brother"

Plaque displayed in the Gardens of the Bible. 

The three-acre Garden of the Bible is maintained by Boys Town youth and includes rose bushes, lilies, the rose of Sharon, a burning bush, fountains, benches and olive, fig, pomegranate and cedar trees  over 150 species, all mentioned in the bible.

Dowd Memorial Chapel of the Immaculate Conception stands at the center of Boys Town.
15th Century Gothic architecture.
There is also a Protestant Church on premise, but is not open to visitors. 

Adjacent to the nave is the Fr. Flanagan Tomb. A bronze vault with six panels embossed that briefly tells his life story.

 They have a team of researchers who at Ron's request found a few archives confirming his fathers time there.   These included his arrival documentation and a newsletter featuring a couple of articles in which his father is featured.   One other building on campus is the Historical Flanagan House, where Fr. Flanagan lived from 1927-1941.   There is one room in the house which was Fathers office.  In this room a desk made for him by his boys – is the centerpiece of the study. It consists of more than 250,000 inlaid pieces of wood, twenty-five varieties in all.   Also in that room, hanging on the wall, is a framed document listing  alumni that had served in the military and listed there was Ron's father.  He was really excited to see that during our visit.  Until we received the archival documents, this was his only proof that his father really did live there.

Fr. Flanagan's desk.   

Did you know the The "Worlds Largest Ball of Stamps" is located in the Boys Town Visitors Center?

The Leon Myers Stamp Center is a museum and office located in the Boys Town Visitors Center. The Stamp Center promotes stamp collecting among youth and adults, and supports Boys Town programs by selling donated stamps.

Now its just wait for our appointment date and hope it is a simple repair and we will not have to wait longer for parts.   So far we have resisted visiting the casino.....but we are getting weak!!

Hope all is well.

THIS KIND OF EXCITEMENT WE DON'T NEED!!

(written yesterday, Jan 28, 2014)

We'll we have had some exciting times lately.  First off Ron spent the weekend in the hospital.  He hadn't been feeling well since last Monday so we went to an urgent care center mid-week. They gave him fluids and took blood test and sent him home.  But Friday morning he starting feeling worse so we went to the ER of the local medical center.  After 11 1/2 hours and 4 tests they admitted him to be seen by a gastroenterologist.  Saturday they performed an endoscopy to remove gallstones that had lodged in his bile duct and to insert a temporary stent. Then Sunday laposcopic surgery was performed to remove his gallbladder.  It wasn't necessarily an emergency but this 112 bed facility is the only one within 25 miles and they are so busy that they run all tests, procedures and surgeries 7 days a week.   He came home yesterday feeling tired, and a little sore but all abdominal pain/discomfort is gone.   Because he has a follow up appointment with the surgeon in two weeks and will have to have the stent removed in 6 weeks, we have extended our stay in the Gulf Shores area.  All of the rooms at this medical  facility are private with sleeper sofas, so I was able to stay with Ron the entire time.  I was glad, but hospitals are the worse place to get sleep!  We luckily have a couple parked next to us at the campground who have been awesome!  They are ironically from Missouri, and have called or texted me a couple of  times everyday to see how we were doing and to offer help for anything we may have needed. They also brought Ron brownies and a card when we got home. Two other couples we have met here also stayed in touch as did the campground personnel.  Which is nice when family is not close.

The other exciting news is the weather.  A wintery mix warning is in effect for the gulf coast from Mississippi to Florida.  They are predicting 1/4" of ice followed by 1-4 " snow.  Closer to the gulf where we are, is only expecting 1" of snow but freezing rain is occurring as I write this.  Now this is not too exciting for anyone living in north, but the locals are panicking!  They have no snow plows or salt.  Since they have unlimited sand this is how they prepare the roads, however, I hate to tell them with ice then snow the sand will be pretty much useless.   The communities near I-10 and I 65 had salt trucked in from northern AL.  The meteorologist missed how far north the storm would track so the Montgomery area did not close schools today.  So when it got bad they couldn't get the buses on the road and parents had to scrabble to pick up their children.  They are leaving the schools open tonight and making arrangements for the children to spend the night if parents can not reach them.

Our poor little coach has never been in this type of weather!!!  Our goal when we started travelling was to "follow the sun".....what happened to that?!

The bushes don't like this and the palm trees REALLY don't like it!










The above pictures were taken around the campground.  The following picture was posted on line of snow at the Alabama Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, AL.

 The good news is even the worse weather does not last long down here.  Predictions are for mid 60's - low 70's this weekend.  I'm ready!  The weather since we got here in October has been unseasonably cold so maybe by extending our stay we will be able to enjoy the warm weather that brings us to the gulf!

That's all the news from "arctic Alabama".    Hope all is well!

OH NO...now what has she gotten me into?

We have about 3 weeks left in Foley Alabama.   And although the weather hasn't consistently been warm and wonderful we are enjoying our time here. 

We spent 2 weeks in St. Louis over  Christmas, surprising some family who did not know we were coming in.   This is our 5th holiday season on the road and the first time since leaving that we went back to celebrate Christmas and New Years.   We enjoyed spending Christmas eve with Ron’s family….just like ole times!   We stayed with my sister and as an added bonus my 2 nephews and their families came in….it was a full house but great to all be together again.

Once back to the coach we have been catching up on the daily, mundane tasks of unpacking, re-stocking the fridge, laundry etc.

As most of you know, one of the most interesting events we have enjoyed in our travels is attending different Catholic Churches for Sunday mass.   Here in the Gulf Shores area we have mostly frequented Our Lady of the Gulf.   They recently introduced a new pastor from Montgomery who seems to have a good sense of humor...even adding some to his sermon, but is very conservative.  They don’t have ushers, a choir and just recently substituted plastic flowers around the altar for live plants.    They do have an organist and God bless him, he tries…..

One week we attended the Mission - Our Lady of Bon Secour.   Bon Secour is a settlement located on the Bon Secour River, 7 miles southwest of Foley.   The church served its congregation for many years until it was damaged by a storm in 1917.   After that it was dismantled and carried across the river, piece by piece, and reassembled at its present location.

Our Lady of Bon Secour.

The church is so small only one side at a time could go up for communion.

Cute, little altar.

Yesterday we attended Worship @ the Water.   The service takes place every Sunday at 11:00 am at the Flora –Bama Lounge.    If you look past the flip flops and beer banners you may find the officiating Reverend Jeremy Mount  dressed in t-shirt, jeans and sandals, complete with a full arm of tattooed bible verses.  The Flora Bama is a popular honky tonk bar on the border of Florida and Alabama.  They host several events such as the Mullet Toss and the Frank Brown Songwriters Festival  along with nightly music venues, average food and lots and lots of bar drinks. Since 2011, a local United Methodist church has organized the Worship @ the Water service.   The weekly attendance is over 500 with as many as 2,400 attending on Easter.   Last month Rev. Jeremy Mount, an award winning pastor and U.S. Army chaplain announced he would be leaving the United Methodist Church to be ordained with Christian Church, a  non-denominational  organization based in Las Vegas.   His church wanted to move him, so he chose to leave the organization to continue his service at Flora-Bama. 

The members/congregation.  

 I would guess there are many churches who would love to get this many to show up every week!

 T-Shirt worn by many...."My Church is the Flora Bama"  They are sold in the gift shop with all proceeds going to the ministry.

Hymnal.    I like the subtle hint at the bottom .

If it weren't for the temporary cross on the stage and the podium you
wouldn't know you stumbled into a religious ceremony.

The "choir"   

The band/choir praying before they start.



This weeks service was not the norm.  The preaching was by two ministers from Central Christian in attendance to ordain Jeremy.   I would have liked to heard him.  The entire ceremony lasted about 1 1/2 hours.

Jeremy is third from left.  

 The ordination took all of 10 minutes....we sang I'll Fly Away, everyone picked up their chair to put away and that was the end.   

Ron is so good natured...he will do anything I want to do.   But many times I'm sure he thinks
"now what has she gotten us into?"

Take care....hope all is well!