Month: August 2013

Its Off to the Zoo We Go!

Leave a comment
So did you think I was kidding when I said we would use our zoo memberships to their fullest? Well, I wasn’t! A lot of the unpacking has been done, the girls were restless and the sun was shining so we got an early start to the day and headed to the zoo. On our first trip, we hadn’t allowed enough time to see as much as we would have liked so we made another attempt today. Another perfect day at the zoo! This time we had the chance to see a lot more and while we didn’t see it all, we covered a lot of ground.
Our first trip was through the Tropical Rain Forest. We found this Lemur hanging out and trying to catch some Z’s in his tree.  Thanks to some unruly zoo visitors (there seem to be a lot of those here) he couldn’t doze off and eventually moved from his spot.
At the rain forests edge are the Jaguars. Mama was standing watch as her three cubs napped, although she kept dozing off too. I know how you feel Mama Jaguar!
I love Jaguars and so did the girls. So beautiful and the cubs were adorable too!
We then headed to the penguin habitat, a popular spot to be. These Humboldt penguins were having a blast swimming and the girls couldn’t stop giggling as they watched them. Love an up close experience like this.
This particular penguin seemed very interested in Ellie. He or she kept swimming up to the glass right in front of her. Of course Ellie loved every minute of it.
These guys look so cute in their little tuxedos!
After our visit with the penguins we took a walk along the Northern Trail. There we found one of the two Brown Bears just hanging out and giving what almost looks like a smile to us. I love bears!
Something about drinking her juice from lunch was funny. Who can resist that smile!
Watching the trout and salmon and hoping that Mr. Brown Bear might come down for a drink. Love the viewing areas for the North American habitats.
Now, we can see these guys any time we want to in Yellowstone but this guy has a pretty impressive rack… of antlers. Couldn’t resist taking a picture.
Had a rare chance to see the snowy owl. He looked right at me and even hooted! Such a pretty bird.
Abby wanted to sit and take a picture with the ravens. This is for you Grandpa Jerry!
Ellie wanted to join in on the fun too!
After a trip through the North American Trail we made our way to Tropical Asia. The orangutans weren’t out and about but this zoo volunteer and this Siamang was giving us a great example of the bonds that are created with some of the animals. 
If you visit tropical Asia you have to stop by and say hello to the Elephants!
The girls seem to love the statues at the zoo. I think they were more interested in the statue of the snow leopard, the the actual animal itself!
I could see why they might not be interested. This snow leopard was happily snoozing. Not too interesting to a three and five year old.
Our last stop was a quick one to see the Meerkats. Love this little guys, especially this one. He looked so comfy and cozy just sitting on his rock, watching the people watching him.

Before we knew it, the zoo was ready to close. Abby and Ellie were having such a great time and didn’t want to leave. Shaun and I certainly like to encourage a love for places like the zoo but when you have to encourage two young children to leave, sometimes bribery is involved. So, as an incentive we told them that if we left, we would take a ride on the ferry and then get some dinner. It worked like a charm! I swear to you, we don’t do this often.

Sunset on Puget Sound
Sunset on Puget Sound
Sunset on Puget Sound
Abby was quiet and enjoying the wind and the water. She also didn’t want me to take her picture.
Love those girls, especially when they don’t want me to take pictures!
Watching the scenery and asking Daddy lots of questions.

The ride on the ferry couldn’t have been more perfect. We were on just as the sun was beginning to set and it was spectacular. The spectacular sight of the sun setting over the Puget Sound always reminds me of just how beautiful the Pacific Northwest is and even though I miss family and friends in California, this move was worth it. Just another day in our kind of paradise.

A Stunning Day in Mt. Rainier National Park

Leave a comment
Before summer comes to a close and the weather starts to change, there was one thing that we needed to do now that we live in Washington. Take to the road and head to Mt. Rainier National Park! This snow capped mountain is more than visible from where we are and is a iconic piece of the Seattle skyline, almost as famous as the Space Needle. Its a close drive, about an hour and a half from us and worth every moment in the car to get there.
Today was the perfect day  for a trip to Mt. Rainier. The weather was beautiful, sunny and without the threat of thunderstorms or other cloudy weather that could block our view of the mountain. With the help of Abby and Ellie, we packed up a cooler for a picnic and loaded up the car for a day out. Abby has been fascinated by Mt. Rainier, ever since her first trip to Seattle so she was ready and very excited to get a move on.
The drive up was beautiful and very uneventful, which we were happy to about. One of the beautiful things about Mt. Rainier is the journey you take from the Nisqually Entrance up to the Paradise area. You start low, driving through thick cedar rain forests (much like the ones you would see in Olympic and Glacier) and quickly climb up into pine forests. By the time you reach Paradise you are up in the sub-alpine and alpine terrain. Its amazing and breath taking, especially when you see it for the first time. 
The views on our way up were spectacular. The mountain was surrounded by a thin layer of clouds that surrounded the base, which seemed to appear from inside of the mountain. Aside from those clouds, the sky was perfectly clear. It certainly made for a beautiful picture or twelve. After a few photographic moments, we stopped at a picnic site just below Paradise for a bit of lunch and a break.
Shaun and his girls enjoying a spectacular day in Mt. Rainier National Park. The mountain is doing what it does best and creating its own set of clouds and weather. So pretty!
Me and my girls enjoying the view and having a few giggles!
Alpine meadows and Mt. Rainier
Shaun decided that Belle should have a moment too! A little Beauty and the Beast/Sound of Music Moment.
Close to the Paradise Visitor Center we stopped for a yummy picnic lunch. It might have been warm back home and in the sunshine, but sitting in the shade was a tad chilly.
So there was this carrot, see…

After lunch we made the final trek up to Paradise for a stop at the Visitor Center. That was the point in which Shaun and I were completely baffled. Our last trip to Mt. Rainier National Park was in May of 2008. The winter of 2007/2008 had been a very heavy one and the snow walls near Paradise rose about 8 ft. above our car. During that trip we stopped at the visitor center, which was still surrounded by snow but I knew what it looked like from prior trips with Shaun and with my parents and sister. When we arrived at Paradise with the girls, the Visitor Center that we knew of was gone. We drove in circles and couldn’t find it! We questioned if we were in the right place, which I knew we were, but how could you lose a building? Yes, it was surrounded by snow the last time we saw it but the terrain hadn’t changed that much or had it? Well, as it turns out in the summer of 2008, after all of that snow melted, the old visitor center was torn down and a new one was built. Shaun and I were kind of sad because the original building was pretty neat and even had an area where visitors could monitor the seismic activity of the mountain but eventually things change. Instead of being sad about this change we sucked it up and checked out the new center. In the end, Abby and Ellie really enjoyed it and that’s all that really matters.

Checking out Nature’s Compost. The girls giggled endlessly when they found out that a lot of natures compost is actually animal poop. Ahh to be kids!
“Look mommy, a book that’s bigger than I am! Neat!”
Sister’s cheesing it up in Paradise.
A better picture with the “balcano” as Ellie called it. No one in the background and all the clouds around the mountain are gone!
Beautiful waterfall near the end of the Paradise Valley Road.
It may look empty now, but you don’t want to be on this bridge during a heavy spring runoff.
Lovely cedar rain forests.

After the stop in the Visitor Center, we took the one way loop through Paradise Valley. We were hoping to see some blooming wildflowers, but unfortunately we were about three weeks too late. Oh well, the waning colors were still beautiful! We decided from there that there wouldn’t be enough time to make it up to Sunset and back so we headed back out of the park the same we we came in. The girls had seen several people with ice cream up at the Paradise Visitor Center but we could not figure out where they were getting it, so on the way out we stopped at a small hotel, bakery and coffee shop for a nice cool treat.  

We sat out on their big wrap around porch and watched the cars go by. We ate our ice cream in the late afternoon sun as a small breeze rustled through the trees. Some leaves started to fall and it was the first time I had noticed an ever so slight change in the weather. You could almost feel it, fall was starting to creep in. The breeze started warm but had a crisp feel underneath it all. I love the summer but as I sat there, I couldn’t help feel excited about our first fall in Washington with the girls. We sat there taking it all in and happily eating our ice cream. After that, we had two very happy and tuckered out kiddos who passed out on the way home.

Yay for ice cream!
“Mmmmm Mmmmm Good”
Silly Abby, the ice cream goes in your mouth!

The drive home was quiet and very peaceful. Both girls slept after a day up in fresh mountain air. It was nice to have the chance to visit Mt. Rainier before the season ended and before school begins. Enjoying all of the the little blessings that can come from the more uncertain times in life. Feeling very blessed and lucky today and everyday.

A Day Out In Kingston with Friends

Leave a comment
Today Shaun watched the girls for the afternoon so that I could spend some time with Auntie Kelli and meet her boyfriend Keith for the first time. I was excited to have a day out with Kelli and even more excited to meet the man who was making her so very happy!
We had decided to go for lunch and then take the ferry over to Kingston for some delicious crepes. Lunch at Azteca was delicious and the conversation during that time was hilarious and non-stop. When we finished we drove to the ferry and this time decided to park the car in Edmonds and walked on, something I had not done before! The ferry ride over was beautiful and we made it to the crepe place in enough time to score a table and sit down before a wave of people arrived.
A beautiful afternoon on the Sound with high clouds that helped keep the heat away.
Pretty lady!
Kelli and Keith
The amazing Crepe place on Kingston, just a short walk from the ferry and worth every penny. Yummy!
Sunset and full moon over the sound. What a spectacular night.

We sat outside, enjoyed the weather and met up with one of Keiths friends. We sat and talked for quite some time and did some people watching too. It was a much needed afternoon. As it started to get late, we headed back to the ferry and back across the sound to Edmonds. The sunset and moon rise on the sound was beautiful and a perfect ending to a lovely day with friends old and new. As for Keith, he is one heck of a great guy and I think Kelli found someone very special. So excited and very happy for such an amazing friend.

Beautiful Day in Edmonds!

Leave a comment
The last few days here have been gorgeous. Yesterday while we were at the zoo we had some rain, it was a warm rain though so it was easy to be out in it and still enjoy the day. Today the sun was out but for the first time since the move the heat and humidity wasn’t horrible. High 70’s with a nice summer breeze. Ill take it! Even with the lower temps the house still gets pretty warm, so in the height of the day we decided to head over to Edmonds and enjoy the beach. We sat along the beach, played in the sand, watched the ferries come in and out and looked for harbor seals. We did see a few out in the distance!
Mr. Crow was interested in what I was doing. No zoom on this picture. I could have reached out and touched him if I wanted to.
Thinking and enjoying the feeling of sand in her toes. They are still learning that beaches along Puget Sound are a tad different than the ones in Southern California. 
Watching the ferries come in, so pretty!
Gathering driftwood along the beach. Love those little smiles.
Exploring with daddy near the waters edge. Each time a move came in, the girls would run and scream in delight.
Sticking toes in the water. Ellie needed daddy to be brave.
As we played along the beach and long freight train passed by, honking his horn to let us know he was coming through town.
Run with us daddy!
Standing out on the jetty watching out for mermaids, whales, seals and more.

Honestly there isn’t a fun and exciting story for the day but it was perfect for pictures and some relaxation. We know it was a great time to enjoy and explore our new home and the surrounding areas before the weather changed. Gotta get as much in as we can!

First Trip to the Woodland Park Zoo

Leave a comment
When Shaun and I lived in Seattle just after we were married, one place we wanted to visit but never had the chance to do was the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Now that we have Abby and Ellie who will enjoy it even more than us and a bit of time, we thought it would be great to take them and see what this zoo is all about. 
Knowing how much we love the zoo, Shaun and I took a risk and bought a family membership for the year. It seems like a lot to do, especially with our current situation, but it wasn’t horribly expensive and we had a little money from our yard sale and my birthday. Plus the cost is worth it to get the girls out of the house and learning and having fun. A family membership for the four of us was just $114 and pays for itself in less than three visits. We can also use it to get into other zoos within the association which includes the Santa Barbara Zoo! So a visit back to California could include a trip to the SB Zoo, one of our favorite spots to go to. Completely worth the money and it gives us something to do that is outside and fun! 
Ready for an adventure at a new zoo!
Penguins! Gotta love the little guys in their tuxedos!
Waiting for some lunch!
Yummy pizza!
The first of several rides on the carousel!
Mr. Grizzly taking a stroll. He is quite a big guy!
Mommy look at the bear! He looks just like the ones we have seen in Yellowstone!
This lady comes every few weeks to sit the Orangutans. She knows about each of them and has even bonded with several of them, especially this female. That day at the zoo she was allowed to go back and visit with this female Orangutan and she gave her an orange peel. Seems silly to us but giving the peel (which is a treat, not a daily food item) is a sign that she has been accepted into the group by the matriarchal female. Pretty neat. When we came up the female Orangutan was telling her to paint, picking colors and having the woman make a rainbow. It was so amazing to watch. I love Orangutans. You can see the thought and kindness in their eyes and their human-like characteristics are uncanny.
The girls were fascinated by the Orangutans, but who wouldn’t be? They were some amazing and peaceful to watch.
Let’s ride a hippo!
Mr. or Mrs. Hippopotamus heading into the water for a nice long dip. Love these guys and so did Ellie!
Our last stop was to see the Gorillas. Abby didn’t want to leave without seeing them. They are so much fun to watch.

Our trip through the zoo was a blast even though we ran out of time. I think we underestimated to size of the zoo and the time needed to see everything. Its a good thing we bought our membership that way we can come back and explore any time that we want to.

The Woodland Park Zoo is a beautiful little zoo with some amazing habitats for the animals they have. The girls had the chance to see a lot of animals. Everything from Grizzly Bears, River Otters and Elephants to Orangutans, Hippos and a whole lot more. The zoo also has a beautiful carousel that was built in 1918, originally from the Cincinnati Zoo. The girls rode that several times and it was hard to pry them off of it once our tokens ran out.

Our day was a blast and I have a feeling that we will be coming back here a lot, especially before the fall and winter rains begin. What a great zoo to have so close by. Abby and Ellie certainly were worn out by the time we got into the car. Always a good sign of a wonderful and adventure filled day!

Flexi Girl!

Leave a comment
While we wait to find the right couch for us, the living room has a lot of open space. Abby and Ellie use it to dance around, sing and just have a good time. Today I found Ellie practicing her “stretches”. My that is one flexible little girl. I am thinking dance may just be the hobby she loves!

A Long But Pretty Detour!

Leave a comment
The day after our adventures downtown was a quiet and relaxing one.  Shaun and I ran some errands that needed to get done while Grandma Zoe stayed with the girls and played. We BBQ’d for dinner that night, making pork chops and steaks from Bill the Butcher. We love that place and the meat from there is amazing. All of their meat, milk and eggs come from local farms that are strictly organic and grass fed. Dinner was amazing!
This morning, Grandma Zoe had to head back to Porter Ranch. Its now her turn to finish packing up her house and load the moving trucks up to Spokane. Before she went to the airport we decided to take her to breakfast at the Woodinville Cafe. A local place that has AMAZING food! We filled up on pancakes and other yummy breakfast goodies and then hit the road for the airport. On the way there we noticed that traffic heading northbound on 405 and 5 was at a dead standstill. Didn’t look good for our trip back home.
At the airport we said our goodbyes to Grandma Zoe and wished her a safe flight home. We had a great time with her and will hopefully see her over the Labor Day weekend! Once we were settled back into the car, Shaun and I checked traffic before leaving and found it was still the same. So, we decided to take a major detour and enjoy the day. We took the Tacoma Narrows Bridge over to the Bainbridge Island and took the ferry back home. The traffic north of Seattle was moving just fine so we figured this would work out best.
Tacoma Narrows Bridge on another beautiful summer day.
The sun and all of the fun left Ellie a tad tired.
A peek at the Seattle skyline with a summer storm rolling in.

Mt. rainier disappearing behind thunderheads.

The Seattle skyline in all its glory. Wishing I could have captured the lightening being produced by the days summer storm.

“Look mommy its the Space Needle!” Seeing the Space Needle and the Seattle skyline never gets old for these two.

The drive over to Bainbridge was sunny and gorgeous with big thunderheads rolling in over the city. This made the ferry ride into Seattle pretty spectacular and the girls enjoyed seeing the city with a few lightening strikes over it. Its too bad the ferry was too rocky and I didn’t have a tripod to catch some of the strikes on film.

I really don’t think ferry rides will ever get old now that we live here. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. What was supposed to be just a trip to the airport turned into quite the adventure and a fun one at that. I guess that’s how us Wharton’s roll.

Pikes, the Space Needle and Ferry Rides… A Busy Day!

Leave a comment
What a busy but fun day! When we woke up this morning we knew we were in for some fun and adventures but we had no idea we would be up to so much!
We had decided to take Grandma Zoe out to the city and do some touristy things that she hasn’t done since her last visit here back in 2008. It was a beautiful day, so we thought heading down to Pikes Place Market would be a great idea. Being that it was such a beautiful day, everyone in Seattle as well as every tourist in the area thought it would be a great day too! Despite it being a week day, Pike’s was packed. But, we made the best of it and had a fun time!
Shaun really wanted to try out a well known, highly recommended and award winning chowder house in Post Alley but that is something we will have to wait until another time. The line to get in was down the alley and the girls were too warm and too hungry to wait. So we tried a sandwich place next door. The food there was good but not great, so I think it made us long for that chowder even more. Oh well, once we were all fed and had something to drink, everyone was happy.
Post Alley shops. The store on the right is one of my favorite kids shops and has special memories as we bought a few things from there just after we found out I was pregnant with Abby.
Just like the sign says… Post Alley, Seattle.
Summer Umbrellas
This gentleman has been performing on this corner near Pike’s for years. I remember seeing him for the first time when we took Auntie Kelli to Pike’s when she visited us here five years ago. Pretty talented guy!
A very talented banjo and bluegrass band playing out on the street. Both Abby and Ellie were brave enough to walk up and leave a little money in their case.

We walked along the street hoping to get inside the market area and check out all of the shops and produce, but after making one attempt at it, we quickly decided just to walk along outside and enjoy the afternoon. It was too crowded within the market to try and keep track of 3 adults, 2 children and a stroller. Another time I guess. We attempted to watch the famous fish throwers too but alas that was overly crowded as well. We did have the time and space to watch a a great little bluegrass band playing on the street! They were great and even had a album to buy, pretty good if you ask me. Abby and Ellie even had the courage to put some money in their case too! Abby had a little help from Grandma because of the dog, but she was still very brave.

From there we left Pikes and decided to go to the Space Needle. Grandma Zoe was about to face her fear of heights and head up to the top! We had to wait for a bit but we enjoyed our time together. Used some of that time to take a look in the gift shop. Pretty soon it was up in the elevator to the observation deck. Grandma Zoe did a great job and made it all the way up. I know for her the view was worth the ride. At the top, we stopped for a bit of lunch at their cafe and then enjoyed the view. It was a perfect day, clear with wispy clouds in a very blue sky. Couldn’t have asked for a better day!

The Space Needle and the EMP (Experience Music Project) Museum
Waiting in the summer heat to head up to the top of the Space Needle!
A little bit of lunch overlooking the Puget Sound
Seattle skyline view

After a breathtaking view of the sound from the Space Needle, we decided to get out of the city and take a ferry ride. It was too perfect of an afternoon not to! Traffic was pretty yucky leaving the city, but it actually worked out in the end. We made it to the ferry terminal in Edmonds and only had a short wait.

Gorgeous summer sunset on the Sound.
A picture perfect sunset on the Sound, ferry included! 
Bubble blowing on the ferry never looked so cute.
My adorable little bubble blower!

The sunset on the very was spectacular. Being stuck in traffic made the timing perfect. Grandma Zoe brought the girls bubbles to play with and they had a blast trying to blow them out on the observation deck of the ferry. When they were able to produce bubbles, the girls couldn’t help but giggle as they blew back into their faces.

After the ferry landed in Kingston, we drove around to Bainbridge and took the ferry back into Seattle. The girls fell asleep in the car and all of the adults were a tad exhausted so we stayed in the car and enjoyed the view from where we were parked. What fun adventures today. So glad we had the chance to enjoy them with Grandma Zoe.

Picnics and First Movies!

Leave a comment
Grandma Zoe arrived today for a visit! She took a break from packing up her place in Porter Ranch to come and see us, our new place and enjoy a bit of a belated birthday trip. Shaun picked her up from the airport in the early afternoon and the girls were thrilled to see her. Abby and Ellie really wanted to jump in and do lots of things but because she had spent most of the day traveling here, we decided to keep things simple for today.
Shaun and I thought it might be nice to get out of the warm and sticky house and enjoy the beautiful summer day. So we decided to grab some lunch at Dairy Queen and head to one of our favorite parks for a picnic. Denny Park sits along Lake Washington and is a gorgeous place for a picnic. Today was so clear that you could see Mt. Rainier from several of the beaches along the lake. We also had the chance to watch the most adorable dog I think I have ever seen. It is very obvious that he loves to play in the water. The minute his person let him off the leash he charged in splashing and barking with each splash of his paws. He tried to bite at the water as it came up and he barked and yipped with such joy. His person called him back to their blanket for a bit and you could tell he wasn’t ready to leave the water. He sat and whined and cried until finally his person caved and let him go. Such an adorable dog! And as I am sure you can guess, he was a Lab.
After some food and the adorable entertainment provided by the cutest dog in the world, the girls wanted to play for a bit on the playground and we were happy to let them do that! Always a good idea to get some of your wiggles about before seeing a movie, right?
Some serious cheeseburger eating during a lovely picnic at Denny Park.

A beautiful summer day along Lake Washington.

Hot! Hot! Hot! That and this slide seems to quickly spit kids into the wood chips!

Climbing is lots of fun, especially for Ellie!

Beautiful bridge and walkway over Denny Creek. Love this place!
After our picnic in the park we decided to head to the movies and enjoy some air conditioning. Now, normally going to the movie is fun but today was extra special because it was ELLIE’S FIRST MOVIE! Yup, this was the first time that Ellie has gone to the theater to see a movie and she was super excited. Today we were going to see Despicable M 2, a movie that both the girls and Grandma Zoe have been wanting to see. So with drinks and snacks in hand we headed to pick out our seats in the theater!
All set with my Icee and some goodies for my very first movie!

In my seat and ready to go! Of course I brought my blankie with me too!

A girl must be prepared to attend her first movie, complete with jewelry, blankie and her purse!

Because it was such a special day, Ellie was give the chance to pick out where we sat. She chose our seats (good ones too, not too close but not too far away) and then made herself comfortable, blankie and all. She did an amazing job watching the movie and only needed to use the potty once. I kind expected that considering she sucked down her Icee.The movie was great and the girls were so well behaved. Ellie did a great job with her very first movie and I think it helped that they loved Despicable Me and the minions. After the movie it was dinner and then home. I have a feeling we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Cant wait!

Heading Home…

Leave a comment
This morning the girls and I left my parents house bright and early after a lovely visit with my parents and sister. As with every trip to Montana, I hated to go but we have to return back to reality at some point. That and Grandma Zoe would be arriving in Seattle tomorrow for a belated birthday visit!
So we headed out jsut after the sun came up. This time I took a back route out to I-90 to see if the bull moose we had seen last night might be out again in the morning. When we got to the river, not even a deer could be spotted. Oh well, it was a hope and even though we didn’t see anything, the back route over was absolutely beautiful during sunrise.
Heading over the Continental Divide at sunrise.

According to Uncle Barry “If you cant find it at Herberger’s, then you don’t need it!”

We crossed the Continental Divide just as the sun was really beginning to rise and we stopped in Butte for some breakfast. Aside for bathroom breaks and a stop for lunch in Post Falls, Idaho the rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. As we drove through the Columbia River Plateau we saw a huge grass fire just starting to gain some strength and create some pretty heavy smoke. My hope is that this fire is put out quickly as it was getting close to several homes and the fields of electrical windmills.

We made it home in the late afternoon after a drive through Fall City, Snoqualmie and Redmond to avoid afternoon traffic. It was a beautiful drive and a nice end to the trip. It was great to be home! Now its time to prep for a visitor!

Visiting Family in Anaconda

Leave a comment
On Sunday Great Grandma Laura, Auntie Diane and Uncle Barry and David came over to Bozeman to have dinner with the family. It was a quick visit but so nice to see everyone. I have not seen my cousin David since our wedding, so it was absolutely wonderful to visit with him. I am hoping that sometime in the near furture we can get all of the family together in one spot!
After a lovely dinner with the family yesterday, we headed out to Anaconda today to visit with Grandma, Diane, Barry and David. Heading out that direction gave us more of a chance to sit and just relax with everyone. Abby and Ellie had the chance to play, chase Sasha the cat around and put on a show for everyone. Great Grandma Laura laughed and smiled the entire time. I know seeing the girls brightens her day, no matter what!
Great Grandma Laura, Grandma Denise, Abby and Ellie. Three generations of family in one place.

Cousins! Although its not complete without Michael. Hope we can all get together soon!

Ellie was putting on a fashion show. She has got the look down!

Fashion show duck face!

Great Grandma Laura, Auntie Jillian, Me, Abby and Ellie. Some very lovely ladies!

The motley crew from Anaconda (and Arizona). Gonna miss these people a lot. Until next time!

As a treat we took Grandma to the Haufbrau, one of her favorite places to eat. The food was delicious and the time spent talking with one another was even better. Anaconda is a very small town and because of that, you get to know a lot of the people who live there. Its nice to head to a restaurant where Diane, Barry and Grandma know so many of the people who work there. Such a sense of family and community!

After dinner it was back to their house to gather our things and say goodbye. I hated to leave, as I felt I needed more time to visit, but we needed to get back to Seattle. I know we will get to see everyone again soon but leaving is always tough. Yet, the show must go on and life isn’t one big vacation!

On the way home we had one last sighting that made us all giddy and happy. Standing out in the middle of  a large pasture was a big bull moose. My parents had seen this moose just a week before standing in the river not far from where this pasture was. Its not common for moose to be down in the valleys and lowlands, especially this time of year, but this moose had been frequenting the area quite a bit. He was a very big guy, even bigger then the one we had seen in Yellowstone several days ago, so I am sure he felt safe enough to stay out in the open. It was near dusk and there wasn’t a safe place to stop the car so that I could grab a picture but it was still a spectacular sight. A nice little parting gift before heading home tomorrow!

Yellowstone! Its Pretty Much A Given…

Leave a comment

Yup, its Summer (not that that matters), we are in Montana, and there is time, so guess what? We took a day trip to Yellowstone! Yeah, its pretty much a given that if we have the means and opportunity, we will take a trip. So blessed that my parents live close enough to take just a day trip to my favorite place on earth!

The day in the park was perfect, a little warm but what can you expect for August! Grandpa let the girls use his binoculars and they were really excited about it. They became our animal scouts for the day!  I worried that constantly looking through them as we drove along might result in the need for some car sick bags.

We started our trip as we usually do, heading out to the Lamar Valley area. Summer time allows for us to go a few extra places within the park, one of which is a favorite along the Blacktail Plateau. Its a nice spot off of the beaten path where you can sometimes see bear, wolves, eagles, hawks, marmots and more. Most of the drive produced a lot of dust on the dry dirt road, a prairie falcon watching us from his rock perch and some pretty wildflowers in the open fields. We had made our way through most of the drive without seeing anything and then, there he was!

A very small group of people had stopped just off of the road near an open field. We were stuck behind a small hill but got out of the car to see what was going on. Just as we made it to the top of the little hill we saw the big bull moose, sauntering across the field. He was less then fifty yards away but well within a safe a difference from us. It has been a long time since we have seen a bull moose and this close too! He seemed content with us nearby and just went about his business walking through the field and up into the trees. We hopped into the car and drove further up the road to a pull out near petrified tree. From there we pulled out our binoculars and watched the moose head to a small meadow. He took his time there, eating and drinking from what must have been a small stream or pond and then decided to lay down for a late morning snooze.

Our animal scouts hard at work.
The beautiful big bull moose came sauntering out of the trees and less then 50 yards from where we were standing.
Such a big and beautiful animal. Its been a long time since I have seen a moose this close and a bull at that.

After the excitement of the moose we continued on our way out to Lamar Valley. Lamar was pretty quiet and the heat of the day was most likely keeping the larger animals in the shade of the trees. We did see plenty of pronghorn, some of the big male bison and an eagle off in the distance. We went as far as we had time for and then turned around. The next plan of action was to find some lunch and hopefully a few more of the big animals. So with that we headed up and over Mt. Washburn and down to Canyon Village for some lunch.

After lunch we headed out to Hayden Valley with hope of seeing more then just bison and other hooved animals. But that was not the case, unfortunately. It was a beautiful drive though. Hayden Valley is just one of those places you have to see for yourself. The wide and meandering Yellowstone River and the rolling green and golden hills are peaceful and stunning. Its one of many reasons Yellowstone is my “Happy Place”.

We could only go so far through Hayden Valley if we wanted to have time to see other things, so we turned around and headed back towards Canyon Village. During the drive back both girls fell asleep. I couldn’t blame them. The day was sunny and warm and there was a nice cool breeze blowing. Who wouldn’t want to fall asleep?

Lots of fun, sunshine and mountain air makes kiddos tired. I know someone else who used to cover herself with a blanket in the car.
This yellow-bellied marmot was one regal looking fellow.
Hands off of my berries!
I think this little chipmunk was hoping to steal a berry from the marmot.

From Canyon Village we drove through Norris and back up to Mammoth. We decided to take one last drive out to Lamar and through Blacktail Plateau. Maybe, just maybe we would see a bear or a wolf. But alas, we did not. The late afternoon drive through Blacktail was beautiful. The sunlight lit up the remaining wildflowers and remnant burned trees from the fire of 1988. It was a wonderful last picture to have before getting ready to head home.

Blacktail Plateau Afternoon Sunlight
The lone coyote spotted by our little hawk eyes!

As one last little jaunt through the park, we took the secret road from Mammoth to the north gate. Last year when we took this same road Abby spotted the bones of a bison sitting right on top of a small hill. She wanted to see if they were still there. As we turned up and around the first hill she spotted them! Some of them were gone, most likely taken by tourists or other animals. Abby was pretty happy and I think she hopes to see them the next time we travel there.

On our way through the narrow, one way road we spotted a young bull elk getting an early start on his harem of ladies. Then Abby started yelling that she saw something. At first we thought that she was being silly because she had been using the binoculars to spot Grandpa Jerry. But she was being serious. Her sharp little eyes found a lonely coyote walking along the hillside. Neither Grandma or Grandpa or mommy had seen it! She spotted her first animal all on her own! What a way to end the trip through Yellowstone.

That coyote was the last animal we saw that day but it was a special sighting. The drive home was peaceful and quiet. The fresh mountain air and the beautiful day had left us relaxed and happy. Can you see why I call this place makes me so happy? No? Well then I suggest taking a trip there sometime, its worth it.