Posted on

Wyoming

 Land of snow fences and ravens.  North through Eden, Farson, Boulder, and Pinedale.  Golden Eagles and Osprey.  Sandhill Cranes.  Bondurant.  Bald Eagle.  Alpine.  Ririe, Rigby, and Rexburg in Idaho.  Through Ashton, Island Park, and Henry’s Fork.  Over Targhee Pass and into Montana.  We’re at Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone. https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=201563872774147443355.0004c582cf68e9c98e366&msa=0&ll=36.668419,-103.007812&spn=23.988861,56.90918 From our camp at St Vrain. To our camp at Rock Springs. The good part of Rock Springs.  The foothills to walk in. And the camp at West Yellowstone. Tomorrow, float the Madison, flyfishing with Rick. 
Posted on

Tuesday

 We drove north on Interstate 25, then west across southern Wyoming on Interstate 80.  One Bald Eagle this morning in Colorado.  Two Golden Eagles in Wyoming.  Two bands of wild horses.  Tonight we’re in Rock Springs; an overnight stop. https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=201563872774147443355.0004c582cf68e9c98e366&msa=0&ll=36.668419,-103.007812&spn=23.988861,56.90918 Judy update:  no better, no worse.  For the last month, every doctor that looks at her ear infection prescribes antibiotics.  She has been on them nonstop for a month.  We just found out today from the ENT in Denver that her culture came back negative for bacteria.  She’s on four prescriptions for her ear infection, just trying to cover every possibility.  She got to stop the antibiotic today.  
Posted on

Up at 6, gone at 7

 Went to the Denver Office for a meeting.  Gave myself plenty of time to get there before 9.  I made it.  It was fun to see everybody I work with.  The office is moving to new space one floor away.  Got to see that in-progress too. We’re going to leave tomorrow and head north.  Up at 6, gone at 7.  
Posted on

It was a bonehead move.

 …but we’ve seen it so many times before.  We’re in the right lane doing sixty.  The guy in the little compact car has it floored, zooming up from the right, and merges ahead of us just before he runs out of room against the guard rail.  We recognize there is an aversion to merging behind a motorhome on the freeway.  It’s worth almost any price to get in front.  What none of us anticipated was that the hood latch on this little piece of shit sedan would fail at that moment and spontaneously release.  The hood flipped up against his windshield and stayed there.  He braked and swerved.  We were pinned in our lane and couldn’t swerve, so we just hit the brakes and the horn.  We didn’t hit him.  He decided the guard rail wasn’t a terrible option compared to us.  The truck behind us managed not to hit us as we stunk up the brakes.  When it was clear, we all rolled on, except the guy in the little car.  He was done on the shoulder.  I think he was going to have to apply a little more duct tape to get roadworthy again.  He might have had to clean off his seat as well. We were up at 6, gone at 7.  Glenwood Springs at 8, Vail Pass at 9:15, and Dillon at 9:30.  Took a short break, spotted a mountain chickadee, then headed up toward the Eisenhower Tunnel.  We passed a sign for an Urgent Care facility and *didn’t* stop.  Traffic getting heavier.  At the top by 10.  Idaho Springs at 10:30.  Some stop-and-go, but not bad.  Denver by 11, all the way through town and set up in our favorite spot at St Vrain by noon, in time for a gut-buster burger at Carls Junior for lunch. https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=201563872774147443355.0004c582cf68e9c98e366&msa=0&ll=36.668419,-103.007812&spn=23.988861,56.90918  
Posted on

Saturday

 Saw a few more birds than yesterday.  Mountain bluebirds in our yard.  Vesper Sparrows.  Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, and Rufous Hummingbirds at the various feeders.  Three hummingbirds at our feeder.  We either have all three, each trying to prevent the other from feeding, or we have none.  When we have none, they must all be at some other feeder trying to keep each other from eating. Four Lewis’s Woodpeckers in Glenwood Springs. Putting eardrops in Judy’s ear with the busted eardrum; she says it only takes a few minutes before they’re also throat drops. Chinese food for Dinner with Jim and Elle. We’re all packed up and hooked up for our drive back to civilization tomorrow.  We mean to leave really early to beat the rush.  Sunday afternoon driving down out of the mountains to Denver can be brutal.  We want to be over Vail Pass, through the tunnel, and heading down to Denver *before* afternoon.  Up at 6, gone at 7; that’s the plan.