August was a great time of adventures and arrivals. The first week of August was hot and dry with continued battles against the wildfires and smoke that settles across the west. I took a multi-day adventure south to Colorado and then north-east back into Wyoming to explore the WY Back-country Discovery Route (WYBDR). The WYBDR is an off-road trek that starts at the CO/WY boarder and winds north to the Big Horn Mountains near the WY/MT boarder. This gave me the opportunity to explore areas of WY east of Yellowstone that I had not yet experienced. It was a fun trip across wide plains, rolling hills and massive mountains. The beauty of the area is unending!
The second week of August brought some new arrivals. Heather returned to Yellowstone accompanied by my mom and Emily. We enjoyed a week of exploring the park, introducing Emily (and re-introducing mom) to all the amazing places we love to share with our visitors. Emily, of-course, had a great time seeing the fire trucks and even spending a day with me working on the ambulance. There were hikes, horse-back rides, and daily adventures. Everyone had a spectacular week and it was fun sharing all the park has to offer.
Later in the month, my good friend Dennis finally…FINALLY made it to Yellowstone! Well over a year in the planning, and overcoming a few obstacles, Dennis arrived with his photography goals and checklist of places to see. He enjoyed a few organized tours and then we set out to see the sights of Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. Being a photography buff since high-school, Dennis was able to use his lifelong skills to capture some of the amazing views. We agreed that being immersed in the beauty is the best, and photos are but the appetizers of what truly is present. We debated which words best described the views and the all we could agree on was “majestic”…while acknowledging the inadequacy of such a word in comparison to the true majesty present before us!
As August drew to a close, we received much needed rain. Unfortunately, some of the rain constrained the views but it sure did help knock down the wildfires and cleared the air of smoke. We were grateful to receive the rain. A few days later, the dry browns of summer came back to life as beautiful new greens were present contrasting against the landscapes of late summer. We are now preparing to transition to the Fall season, as the days shorten and the temps begin to drop.
The top of September brought Heather’s birthday, and we celebrated with friends as Heather enjoyed her birthday PIE!
September will bring more visits from friends, as we begin the last two months of our tour of duty in Yellowstone. Until next time, travel well and thanks for following along!
