At this point, after trying to access Blogger for 2 days, I am thinking that dial-up is a dream. The employee computer internet connection I use is extremely slow and it actually takes 10 minutes to get onto hotmail. With a 15 minute computer use limit I try and get on the computer when no one is line waiting to use it.
On Thursday night I drove the north loop and got to see one of the Magnificant 7 north of Norris. He was able to stop traffic and still be 50 feet off the road. I assume that the cars that were stopping had come into the park from Mammoth and he was the first bison that they had seen. On the Blacktail Plateau I saw a fox and a lone antelope. The real excitement came when I got to Tower. A grizzly bear was between the parking lot and the campground. A ranger was standing with a group of people and he had his gun out. About 1/8 of a mile up the road I came to stop in another jam when a black bear was roaming around off the road. Unfortunately, the grizzly had started to make his way toward the campground and the ranger was in his vehicle trying to maneuver around vehicles with his lights and sirens. Still the front vehicle would not move. Eventually the ranger demanded the first vehicle move over his loudspeaker. When traffic started moving the ranger gunned his vehicle up the back road to the campground. I'm sure he was very concerned about everyones safety there and was very frustrated by the lack of movement preventing him from getting there.
Last night was weiner roasting night at Jackie & Johns. I brought along my laptop and managed to upload only one lonely picture.....and it wasn't even of wildlife. I had a great time visiting with Jackie & John, really nice people. We are hoping to get together on a Saturday in August for an afternoon of white water rafting. I'll have to trade someone a day off since their days off are Saturday and Sunday and mine are Wednesday and Thursday. Grace has already volunteered to switch with me.
Today Jim, Genevieve and River stopped into the store to visit me. It was so nice to finally meet them since we've exchanged e-mails. Tonight I was asked by my supervisor to take one of the girls from China to the clinic at Lake. She had gotten a nasty bug bite that was inflamed. I took her and one other girl (I don't even know their names) down there and on our way back it was fun because we got into a bison jam in Hayden Valley. Two wiley bison were butting heads and pushing each other around in the middle of the road. The girls were terribly excited and took a lot of pictures of it. It's nice to be around someone when they experience Yellowstone for the very first time. Further down the road as we exited Hayden Valley we got into another bison jam as one sauntered down the middle of the road. They were just as excited about that one, too. By the North Rim Road we got inot yet another jam but this time it was because two of The Boys of Summer were on each side of the road. They took more pictures there through the back windows and even managed to stop right next to Bill who was down there taking pictures.
I have been told that mosquito season here will last for another month. Being from Minnesota I know about mosquitos (laughingly referred to as our state bird). And in Minnesota mosquito season is known as 'summer'. Talking about Minnesota, I have a new co-worker from Minnesota. Mike is a new custodian here, he just started today.
I missed dinner tonight with my trip to Lake so I think I will end my evening with my Meriwether Lewis book and a box of Cheez Its.
