Wildlife in our Room

(For some reason I cannot insert photos today.  I will try to put them in tomorrow.  I have some great ones. Imagine a colorful picture at every paragraph break. The internet is SLOW.  George says we're roughing it.)

Last night I heard an animal in our room.  It woke me up at 2:39.  There was this loud noise of something eating and scratching. I wish I had woken George before I turned on the light.  But I didn't.  So I turned on the light, and a sheepish tiny mouse crawled out of our trashcan and whisked away.  He and I met eyes.  What was he eating in there?  I stayed awake for quite a while, wondering if he would return, wondering whether we would go to Grand Tetons or be turned away by fires, wishing I were a better hiker.  Finally, I fell asleep until morning.


Breakfast and the AJC

Today was great.  We drove from Old Faithful to Madison, stopping to see geysers and springs and to hike.  Since it's Saturday, the park filled up around 11:00. Parking got more difficult. So glad I'm not a bus driver here. We walked around lovely blue springs and saw more geysers.  We visited the Grand Prismatic Spring, which has orange, yellow, green, and blue waters.


Sapphire Pool at Biscuit Basin



The Grand Prismatic Spring has orange, yellow, green, and blue waters. 
Even the mist shows a rainbow.

We walked on the Sentinel Meadows Hike along the Nez Perce Creek, which was lovely.


Sentinel Meadows

We ate lunch at Fire Hole River.  Perfect.  Beautiful spot + a few other folks at the picnic tables and no smells or signs of bears.


Our view at lunch.

We came back to the inn and napped.  Then we took a hike up to Observation Point to see Old Faithful from the other side and on the mountain.  It was just a mile hike, but we are bad hikers.  One year ago we hiked up to Lake Topaz in Canada, and George got a bad sprain and was on crutches for two weeks.  So we start up this easy hike, and I feel deja vu all over again.  Last year he didn't have any dramatic injury or any pain until many hours past the hike.  So I will not be totally relaxed until 10:00 pm.

Anyway we start out, I fret, and I ask about the bear spray.  Oh, it's back in the car.  Why did we buy that stuff?  There seem to be no other hikers, and it looks like the perfect spot for a relaxed bear to watch Old Faithful.  So I sing, "Row, Row, Row, your boat..."  We trudge along.  Finally, we reach the top, and there are nine other hikers up there.  Woohoo!  We sit and breathe.  Old Faithful erupts.  It is magnificent.  More photos.  Here comes a young couple.  Oops.  They missed it.  We all walk down.


Old Faithful


George and I retrieve some better clothes from the car because we are going to the better restaurant for dinner.  Then we take our wine out to the balcony and people watch.  What a great spot!

Now I am going to the Tub Room across the hall for a soak.  George reports that it is 1920s luxury at its finest.


This is my favorite spring - Blue Star Spring, located close to Old Faithful.

Update from Sunday - George is fine today.