Wilderness and Ignorance…. A Rant

Leave a comment

Ok, so in my last Montana Adventure post I promised that I would elaborate on our run in with stupidity and the wilderness. Its something I am passionate about, stupid people that is, and honestly I agree with comedian Bill Engvall when he says that we should give stupid people a sign to warn the rest of us that we are in the company of stupidity and ignorance.

So… as I was saying… on our last trip into Yellowstone we came across a lone male black bear. To make a long story short (you can read about it in Montana Adventures Part Three) this little black bear made his way to the side of the road. When I say side of the road I mean, he was so close to our car that I couldn’t take a picture with my larger lens because he was too close. My lens wouldn’t focus! Well by this point a “bear jam” had ensued and people were everywhere, including off to the side of the road with the bear outside of their cars with less then 10 feet between them and a hungry male black bear. When the bear would move so would they. Even worse, the stupid adults were allowing their impressionable children to get even closer to the bear then they were! This is where I need to freeze for a moment and explain some things.

Ok, so I can understand that people new to visiting Yellowstone might not know some of the rules when it comes to animals, but who in their right mind gets less then 10 feet away from an animal that has razor sharp teeth and claws that can pull apart logs??!! With that in mind, visitors to Yellowstone are warned. When a visitor enters the park, they are given a newsletter that contains important information about animals, camping, etc. If you click the link below and scroll to page 2, the information is made very visible. Please note that the link is to a PDF formatted document.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/upload/yt09sum_mod.pdf

STAY 100 FEET FROM BEARS AND WOLVES. There it is in plain English! If a visitor cannot read English, these news letters are available in more then 40 different languages.

Now I am not a mathematician nor am I great at math for that matter, but I know that 100 yards is not the equivalent to 10 feet! The realistic conversion is 100 yards = 300 feet! Now if I remember correctly most of those people were missing about 290 feet of distance between where they were standing and that black bear. Knowing this, Jillian and I began to inform those people who were too close of what they were doing and that they should back up or get into their cars. A few people genuinely did not realize that they shouldn’t be this close and backed off, while a good portion of them just started at us and continued to move closer. Talking loudly, circling him and getting closer to an animal that is feverishly eating after a long hibernation! The best was listening to one of the children of these idiots yelling back at us that bears could “kill and eat a human”… well yeah!!!

I think what bothers me the most about all of this is that if that bear were to suddenly attack because it felt threatened or cornered and hurt someone, that bear would be destroyed. It bothers me and saddens me that a beautiful animal would have to die because people cannot follow or refuse to follow simple rules. Unfortunately this happens all the time and its not often that people learn a lesson. Luckily this time around, the black bear was too concerned with the shrubs and grubs to care about all of the people nearby. But this isn’t always the case and an innocent animal has to pay for it.

To continue my point of the general ignorance and stupidity out there, here are several questions that rangers in Yellowstone and Glacier have been asked by visitors… this is not a joke….

1. When do you turn the waterfalls on and off??
2. When do you let the animals out of their pens and when do you put them away??
… and last but certainly not least…
3. At what elevation do the elk become moose?????

I will leave you to think about those questions and ponder the quality of education in this country (as most of the ignorant questions and behaviors come from our very own citizens!) It is my hope that this can be changed in the future.

*Awesome Product Alert*

Leave a comment

Ok, so I usually don’t preach about products… but this one is worth telling anyone who will listen about. As many of you may know, mosquitoes and spiders love me…. and I mean LOVE ME! Therefore my concern, yet again, during my trip to Yellowstone was being eaten alive. Now most people wouldn’t care but I do. I have a very bad reaction to mosquito bites, so I fear those tiny, buzzing little pests. Not only that but I now worry about Abby and her health. I can cover myself in Cutter Deep Woods repellent and be ok, but what about her? She needs to be protected but at the same time, who wants to cover their 9 month old in chemicals? There is a solution and I find it works very well!I have been a fan of Burts Bees products for years and they have made another winner! They have an insect repellent and as always it is made out of all natural ingredients. This stuff was great! I had to reapply it more often then your heavy duty repellents but I didn’t mind at all. The oil was great and I basically smelled like a citronella candle. You might be making a funny face about smelling that way, but hey… its better then the chemical smell of Cutter and Off brands. The other huge plus is that it is all natural, so I felt good about putting it on Abby and having her be protected without showering her in chemicals. Yay! Jillian even put some around the window sills of the car to keep the mosquitoes away if we were stopped and wanted to keep the windows to be open. It worked! Boy those little buggers hated the smell of that stuff! Score one for me!

Happy 4th of July!!… A few days late.

Leave a comment

Before I say anymore… I have to remind everyone that on July 1st, Abby turned 9 months old. Can you believe it?? I really feel like time moves faster as each day goes by. Its a little nuts if you ask me, but I guess its something that parents have to get used to.

The 4th of July was a pretty quiet and relaxing day. Time was spent with family and friends but we also had the chance to spend some time together; just Shaun, myself and Abby. Abby had the chance to try some new foods and boy was it an adventure. She had her first taste of mashed potatoes and boy was she in heaven! Abby loved them but more importantly, she loved picking them up in her fingers and playing with them. Mommy also had the bright idea of letting Abby try to eat her peaches with a spoon from her bowl… HA! As you can see that turned out to be a mess. Luckily, we had time to take a bath before we had to be anywhere!


After a well deserved bath, we headed off to Zoe’s house to watch some 4th of July fireworks. Shepard of the Hills church in Porter Ranch puts on a very nice fireworks show and it seems to be quite popular with the locals in that area of the valley. Luckily Zoe’s house sits up in the hills of Porter Ranch and the area in front of her house is still a dirt lot, for now, so we had a fairly unobstructed view. Emerson, Jackie, Matthew, Jacob and Emily all came up as well to enjoy the show and I have to say that it was nice to finally spend some time with them. Emily has grown so big! The fireworks were received with mixed emotions when it came to Emily and Abby. Both of the girls were celebrating their first 4th of July. Emily didn’t seem all that pleased with the noise while Abby was completely engrossed with what was going on. Its amazing how different babies can be! I have to say that it was a fun night had by all!


While its fun to celebrate, watch fireworks and eat great food please don’t forget the reason we are celebrating. As citizens of this wonderful country we may not always see eye to eye or have the same views, but instead of yelling and screaming at each other lets remember how wonderful it is to be able to share those differences with one another and express who we are. Lets honor our freedom, our independence and the beauty that is America… God Bless America! To everyone out there… Happy 4th of July!

Montana Adventures 2009 Part Three

Leave a comment

Well it seems as though it would be hard to top such a lovely trip out to Yellowstone like that, but the rest of my trip was fantastic as well. Sunday June 28th, was my 28th birthday! Yes I turned 28 on the 28th! It was a great day and I received a lot of love and special messsages from many of my friends. I couldn’t have asked for more honestly. When I woke up that morning, my parents hit me with yet another surprise. Because we missed going to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park while we were in Yellowstone, my parents planned to drive down to Jackson on Monday, stay the night and then drive home through Yellowstone again on Tuesday! I was beyond excited… I was going to have one more chance to see my favorite places before I left!

After a wonderful breakfast and some time spent getting ready, my Aunt Diane, Uncle Barry and my grandma Prueter came over from Anaconda to go out to dinner with us. Grandma Prueter was very excited to see Abby again and she is looking fantastic. After some time spent hanging out, talking and catching up… we opened presents!! I received some really cute things, but its all too hard to explain here. My big treat was dinner at the Rib and Chop House in Livingston and so after gift opening we took off.


The Rib and Chop House was amazing!! That’s about all I can say. When we arrived Abby had just fallen asleep in the car, so she spent some of the time cuddling up with her grandpa. Grandma Prueter (Great-Grandma to Abby) had her margarita on the rocks with light salt. She might be almost 90, but that little Irish voice inside her still wins when it comes to well made libations! The steaks there were amazing! I don’t eat red meat often, but holy cow! Ruth Chris Steakhouse eat your heart out! Wow! I cannot wait to visit again so that I can take Shaun there. Better yet, I cant wait to take Tommie there!

When dinner was over, we piled back into our cars, pants buttons undone and headed home. After giving our yummy dinners some time to settle, it was time for…. you guessed it…. cake!! And not just any cake, my favorite…. a Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream cake from Baskin Robbins. Ahhh the little things in life. It was yummy and the whole day was great! I couldn’t have asked for anything better. After Aunt Diane, Uncle Barry and Grandma left it was time to pack for our trip to Jackson and Yellowstone. Another exciting few days!

If you would like to see a few extra pictures, please click on the following link to see our slideshow! Birthday Dinner

Jackson and Yellowstone or BUST

The morning after my birthday we woke up and hit the road. On the way to Jackson we decided to stop in Anaconda one last time to visit. My Aunt Diane wanted to take me to her favorite store in town called Beyond Necessity. Many of her gifts to Abby have come from this store and I was eager to see what they had. Let me tell you… it was worth the trip! The store was great and I wanted to take everything home with me. Unfortunately I am not made of money and had to leave most of it behind. I did get a few things though. I couldn’t help myself. They have a website you can shop at, but its not quite the same as shopping there. Take a look though at http://www.beyond1989.com/ . After we had lunch with them, it was time to leave. I was sad to say goodbye, but we had a wonderful day ahead of us.

The drive from Anaconda to Jackson took about five hours and was gorgeous. The entire way we chased a thunderstorm, but kept missing it. I was really hoping to have a nice thunderstorm while I was there, but they were always off in the distance. The drive from Driggs Idaho take you along the West side of the Teton Range and still allows you to see the Grand Tetons from a different perspective. It was definitely pretty, especially to see a storm work its way over the peaks. When we arrived in Jackson we unpacked the car at the hotel and headed out to downtown to have dinner at the Bunnery. The Bunnery is a little bakery and restaurant that we have been eating at since I was a little girl. Its tradition and is fantastic! Hey they have survived 28 plus years… there has got to be something to it to last that long! After dinner we walked around and visited some of the shops that were still open before heading back to the hotel. I got Abby a really cute creeper and I promise to take a picture of her in it and post it soon!

The following morning we woke up very early so that we could have breakfast at another Taylor family tradition, Jedidiah’s House of Pancakes. If you haven’t been to Jedidiah’s, they aren’t just any ole pancake, they are sourdough pancakes. Its an acquired taste, but they are great and they fill you up fast! After breakfast we had the chance to take pictures in front of the antler arches, yet another family tradition! This is where I really wish Shaun could have come with us… another time soon I hope!

Finally we were on the road and headed to Grand Teton National Park. It was a gorgeous day, bright skies and even though there were storms headed our way, you could see the peaks of Teton without any problem. I took plenty of pictures and had the chance to take some great shots of yet another thunderstorm rolling over the mountains. As a note…. we missed that one too by about an hour. We stopped at the new Visitor Center at Moose Junction which was beautiful and then at Colter Bay for a few snacks. All in all we spent about 5 hours driving around through Teton, discovering a few dirt roads that took us to a few spectacular views. We finally had to move on and get to Yellowstone so that we could grab some lunch and enjoy the park before we had to head home. It was quick, but I am sure glad that we had the chance to make it through Jackson and Grand Teton.

We stopped for lunch in Yellowstone at Grants Village, which is on the lake near West Thumb. It had been a while since I had stopped there and eaten at the cafeteria and explored the gift shop. Some things had changed, but not much. It was nice to stop somewhere we hadn’t been in a while. After lunch we headed up the road along the lake to Canyon. At Lake Village we stopped to take a look at The Lake Inn. Its not a well known inn but it is beautiful. I don’t think I have ever been there before and I hope one day to stay there. It was built back in the 1930’s as a luxury hotel in the park and it certainly appears that way even now. It even appeals to Jillian as well as several locations within the hotel are supposed to be haunted. Very cool!

After our visit there, we headed through Hayden Valley hoping to catch another glimpse of our Grizzly. We didn’t… but it was worth a shot. We stopped at Canyon for a quick break and a look around the Visitor Center one last time, and then decided to head up and over Washburn and make a quick trip out to Lamar again. Ov the other side of Washburn people were stopped and we had just missed a Grizzly. They said he was headed up and over a particular ridge. Well luck would have it that he was headed up and over to an area that had vehicle access for the public. So we turned around and headed up that road. When reached the top there was no sign of the bear. We waited a while, walking along looking at the flowers and the lone bison up there with us. Yet, nothing… but its ok. He could have been over a hill or two, but none of us wanted to see him that much. Oh well… we had seen some pretty spectacular things so it wasn’t a bust.

Once we left, we decided to head down to Tower Junction and out to Lamar for one last look. The drive was beautiful as another thunderstorm was rolling in and we were quickly approaching sunset. On the way out to Lamar, we did spot a male black bear up on a hillside, staying far from the road. At the same spot as our first trip, there was a wolf feeding on the same bison carcass, but he or she was quite a distance away. Feeling a little disappointed we turned around and started our journey back to my parents house. But on the way back the male Grizzly had moved all the way down the hill, to a meadow near the road! He walked around, not oblivious to us, but seemingly indifferent to the fact that all of us were there.

The little black bear moved along in the meadow, pushing weeds and plants around with his nose, eating the bugs he could fine. But after a few moves down the road in our car, hopping out to snap photos when we could, the black bear was no more then 10-20 feet from the road side. All I can say is wow, for several reasons… seeing a bear that close in the wild and because of the amount of ignorance and stupidity out there. I will tell you the rest and rant about it later in another blog. Eventually our little black bear crossed the road and headed toward the Yellowstone Picnic Area and Trailhead. Three young guys had their propane grill going, cooking dinner. We had to drive up and warn them that they had a bear heading their way. Luckily they packed up and got into their truck because sure enough, not more then 5 minutes later that black bear came over a rise and down into the picnic area. After he crossed the picnic area and headed into a meadow, we could no longer see him. It was yet another amazing experience.

After watching him and following for nearly an hour, we had to get into the car and go. It was getting dark and late and everyone was hungry. Luckily we had a nice thunder and lightening storm roll through on our drive home. The lightning lit up the sky all over the valley in multiple directions. Its storms like that that make me want to live in the mountains even more!
The following day was spent relaxing and packing to go home. It was a bittersweet day, but a good one none the less. Jillian, Abby and myself had the chance to grab some Subway sandwiches and drive up through Hyalite Canyon. It was a wonderful end to a perfect trip!

To see a complete slide show of our trip through Jackson, Teton and Yellowstone please click the following link… Jackson,Teton and Yellowstone

There is more to tell I am sure! Hope you enjoyed the play by play of our trip!

Montana Adventures 2009 Part Two

1 Comment

Well we are back where technology is available, so as promised I will fill you in on the last few days. All I can say is that the time spent in Yellowstone was amazing and it once again confirmed to me why Yellowstone is one of my happy places. Here is what happened over our three days in Yellowstone. (Its long, but its a fun read!)

Day #1-Wednesday June 24th
On Wednesday morning we left for Yellowstone, with the car stuffed full of bags, food and well…. us! Us being my mom, dad, Jillian, myself and Abby. We took a long drive through the Gallatin Gateway, through Big Sky down to West Yellowstone. It was a perfect day! Once we arrived in the park we drove from West Yellowstone in search of the perfect picnic site. After passing by some sites because that were too crowded, we finally stopped at the Virginia Cascades picnic area. We enjoyed a nice lunch and took in the open meadows of Virginia Cascades, a place that I have loved since I was a kid. After some turkey sandwiches, cookies that Jillian baked and drinks we packed up and moved on to see the park.

After lunch we made our way to the hotel in Gardner Montana at the North Entrance, going over Mt. Washburn to Tower Junction, up to Mammoth and out to Gardner. We wanted to drop off all of our bags so that we could move around the park freely. On the way through the canyon near Gardner, you could see Big Horn Sheep all along the mountain sides and out on a few rock ledges. There were several females watching over their new lambs. We had the opportunity to take some amazing pictures as several of them were right along the roadside. One little lamb seemed to be very young, maybe a few weeks old and did not want to cross the road with her mom.

Once we arrived at the hotel we unloaded, rested for a few moments and then made our way back into the park. Our plan that afternoon was to drive out to Lamar Valley to see what we might be able to find. (Wolves, bears, foxes, etc.). On our way out to Lamar Valley, between Mammoth and Tower Junction, Jillian spotted something she has never had the opportunity to see in Yellowstone. Off in the fields near Blacktail Lakes, was a beautiful Gray Wolf! My parents and myself have seen wolves up close in the park before, but Jillian had not so this was quite a treat. No one else was around when she spotted him either, so that made for a very special moment. We watched and snapped pictures as the lone wolf crossed the road and made his way towards the plateaus on the other side of the road. It was quite an amazing experience! As a note, for those that may not know, I have been obsessed with wolves for a very long time so to see them roaming in the wild is amazing and very special to me.
After that experience we turned back and headed towards the hotel again, all of us on cloud nine. It was an excellent start to the trip in Yellowstone! If you would like to see a complete slide show of our first day in the park, please click here…. Day One.
Day #2-Thursday June 25th
The next day we woke early and headed out the door ready to see some more amazing things. After the afternoon we had the day before, it was hard to imagine that we could see anything more spectacular, but we would eventually be proven wrong. Our plan that day was to Tower Junction, over Mt. Washburn to Canyon and then out the South Entrance. My mom and dad wanted to take me out to Grand Teton and Jackson Hole for lunch. It would be a long drive, but completely worth it.
As we entered the park, we found that the canyon out at Gardner had some new friends that wanted to be seen. Some Canadian Geese and their little ones were searching for bugs and such in the tall grass. They made for some wonderful pictures and were cute to watch as well. After stopping to admire them, we made a quick trip out to Lamar before heading over Mt. Washburn. At the Lamar Valley trail head it seemed as though people had their sites set on something, or a few things to be exact. Off in the distance, there was a female Grizzly with her two cubs. She was hard to see, even with a spotting scope. In a tree line across the river someone had also spotted a nest. Through the spotting scope you could see that it was a Bald Eagle’s nest and it was occupied. It looked as though one of the parents was in the nest with the babies at that time. Unfortunately the nest was too far away to take any pictures, but it was a wonderful memory to say the least.

After enjoying the eagles and the grizzlies from a great distance we made our way out to Tower Junction and over Mt. Washburn. Mt. Washburn is a wonderful place to see Grizzlies and wolves, but the morning turned out to be a bit disappointing. There wasn’t much that we could see at that moment, but we still moved forward, hoping to see more. As we made our way down through Canyon and out to Hayden Valley, we wondered if we would see the usual bison and elk. We did, and so much more!
At one of the pull outs along Hayden Valley and the Yellowstone River, a group of people began to form. I pulled out the binoculars and began to scan the areas that people were looking. Sure enough, along the banks of the Yellowstone River there were two gray wolves, a black and a grey to be exact. They were hunting and had chased about four or five female elk and their young into the river. It was amazing to see! As Jillian and I started to talk with some of the people standing around, there was a more detailed story to what was going on. The elk in the river had not been chased there by the wolves, but instead by large male grizzly that seems to be on the hunt. As he was trying to take down an elk, several wolves appeared and began to take over the hunt. The grizzly was now out of sight, but close by and the wolves continued to try and hunt. Unfortunately a few groups of people allowed their curiosity to get the best of them and they took off out into the field looking for the missing grizzly and to get a closer look at the wolves. Luckily a ranger appeared and backed them off just in time. As people were focused on the wolves, the grizzly appeared over the hill and looked as though he was going to cross the road… and he did.

After he crossed the road, the grizzly made a casual B-line for the bison that were grazing. There was a large heard of males, females and their young and at first it didn’t seem as though they noticed the grizzly. The grizzly moved along, stopping to sniff and eat bugs in the grass, but he had one thing in his mind… bison. Once he was close enough, he charged a group and that was it. The male bison began to push the females and young away from the grizzly and move them across the road. As the females and young got out of harms way, the males began to form a line in front of the grizzly, making it known that he was not at all welcome in the area. After several attempts the grizzly finally gave up and moved on, the males had successfully pushed him out.

IT WAS AMAZING to stand there and watch all of this unfold. It was Yellowstone’s ecosystem at its best being played out right in front of us. Its hard to describe it, but it was truly amazing.
Because the stop in Hayden lasted nearly an hour and a half, we lost time and ended up not going to Jackson for lunch. I was sad that we couldn’t go, but it gave us more time in the park. Instead, we headed over to Old Faithful for some lunch and then decided to drive back towards Mammoth. On the way we took several small drives along Firehole Lake and Nez Perce. We also got out and hiked a small trail out to Artists Paint Pots. This was a new trail for myself and my family, and it was worth exploring. The hot springs and the boiling mud pots were strange but beautiful. We also had the chance to try out the “baby backpack” and Abby seemed to enjoy it quite a bit!



As the sun started to set, we decided to make our way back to Gardner to get some dinner and get to bed. Along the way we stopped for a few pictures and took the Upper Terrace Drive in Mammoth. Its amazing to see how things have changed. Several springs along the terrace have come back to life again since I was there last.

The day ended in our room after a fun dinner of Pizza from Outlaw’s (which is super yummy) and a big bath for Abby. The excitement of the day had worn all of us out, but that was definitely a good thing.

To see more pictures from our second day in Yellowstone, click the following link… Day Two.
Day #3-Friday June 26th
The next morning we awoke to a nice cloudy and somewhat rainy day. While most people would be upset by this, we were thrilled. Gloomy days often brings the animals out and allow them to stay out in the open later in the day. Because of this, we thought our first stop would be out to Lamar Valley.
Throughout the drive from Mammoth to Lamar, the bison could be seen everywhere. All of the females seemed to be busy with their young. Luckily I was able to snap some great pictures of the bison with their babies. Too cute!


As we approached the stop for the Lamar Valley trail head, we noticed that something out by the river had the attention of a few people. Through our spotting scope we could see what appeared to be a black Gray Wolf feeding on a bison carcass. It was incredible! I know, most people wouldn’t find the idea of watching an animal eat incredible, but I do. After watching for a while, we were told by a few passing travelers that several wolves had been spotted up the road at Soda Butte. So we took off to see what we could, and sure enough they were right. Several gray and black colored Gray Wolves were up on a bluff keeping watch. Closer to us was a female, who seemed to be trying to cross the river and the road. Apparently on the other side of the road, up in the mountains behind us, this particular pack had a den. We feel that the female was probably trying to get to it, but unfortunately stupid people kept her from doing so. They kept hiking out to where she was, hoping to get a close picture which in turn scared her back towards the bluff. Oh well, I was able to get some great shots of her before those people scared her off.

After we watched her join the rest of the pack on the hill, we turned around and headed back toward Tower Junction. On our way back we drove out to the Slough Creek campground, which was a gorgeous drive. This area is the origin of the Slough Creek wolf pack and we definitely knew they were out there somewhere. At one point we had to stop to change and feed Abby, so we decided to do that at a pullout along the gravel road to the campground. As we took care of things and took some pictures, we started to hear howling off in the hills in front of us. It was incredible! We sat and listened to them talking for a good forty five minutes or so.
We eventually had to leave and move on. We drove over Mt. Washburn down to canyon and decided to take a drive along the canyon rim. We only had the chance to stop at a few of the look outs and after catching a glimpse of Artists Point from the other side of the canyon, we realized it was far too busy to get a view of the Lower Falls. Oh well, next time I suppose.
After we stopped at the Canyon Visitor Center and gift stores to do a little bit of shopping, we took off for Old Faithful. We had dinner reservations at the Inn and had to book it to get there. At that point, all that could keep us from getting there on time, kept us from getting there on time. A large storm started to make its way over the mountains which left us stuck in a huge downpour. We also found all of the slow drivers who couldn’t seem to get up to speeds over 20 mph. We also got stuck in a “buffalo jam” for a good 30 minutes. The bison were walking down the middle of the road, which happens all the time, but people were just dumb. When they were able to pass them, they didn’t and everyone had to have a picture! Ugh, oh well… we did eventually make it and because I had called to let them know what was going on, they were nice about us being late.
Dinner at Old Faithful was amazing, as always and it certainly made my day. Once we were finished we took off and headed back towards Hayden Valley, hoping to get a glimpse of that Grizzly again. On the way we stopped at Kepler Cascades, a spot that I love and have the best picture and memories of from past vacations.
The drive through Hayden was beautiful at sunset with a storm building again in the distance. We saw our Grizzly off on some hills in the distance, but that was OK. We had the chance to see him up close the day before. We drove back to the hotel in the fading light and it was gorgeous and at times a little eerie. The cold rain hitting the hot pavement created low hanging fog, which looked a little creepy at times. It was definitely a ride to remember.
To view a slide show of more pictures from our third day in the park, please click the following link Day Three .

Day #4-Saturday June 27th

Our 4th day was our final day in the park and a short one as well. My parents had a wedding that afternoon and needed to be back in time to change and get ready. We got up early and packed the car and took one last drive out to Lamar Valley. Again the bison were out enjoying the warm sun after a night of cool rain. At the same spot as the day before, several animals could been seen feeding on the bison carcass. With a closer look through our spotting scope we could see that several wolves and a grizzly bear were fighting over the bison. Eventually the wolves chased the grizzly off. Once again it was incredible to see all of this unfold before our eyes. Unfortunatly they were too far off to take decent pictures.

As we left Lamar and headed towards the North Entrance to head home, my dad spotted something along one of the hillsides near Tower Junction. Once we stopped for a better look, we discovered that it was a mama black bear and her two cubs. They were sooooo cute! We watched them play and move around for quite some time. Because they were not too visible from the road, we tried to keep our find a secret from passing drivers. Everytime someone drove by we would pretend to take pictures of the wild flowers or other things. Evetunally they moved close enough to be seen by passers by, but thats fine… we started our very own “bear jam”! It was sad to say goodbye to Yellowstone when we did but after talking in the car my parents decided that we should take one more day before I left to come back and I didnt have any problems with that, at all!

While my parents were at the wedding, Jillian and I just hung out at home. We eventually went to the mall to shop a bit and to have some of the best peach/vanilla swirl frozen yogurt Ive ever had and then ran to Target! Yes, even on vacation I cant resist a trip to Target. AFter that I took Jillian to dinner which was so nice. We had the chance to talk about things and catch up, which we dont always get the chance to do. Later that night it was apparent that Abby was very tired and missing her daddy very much. Abby finally fell asleep cuddled up with her Grandpa Taylor and Doggie and it was one of the most precious moments I have seen.
If you would like to view the slide show from our fourth day in Yellowstone, please click here… Day Four

Montana Adventures 2009 Part One *UPDATED*

2 Comments

Hello From Montana! Abby and I made another trip on our own to visit with my parents. We certainly wish that Shaun could be here, but its hard to pull away from work at the moment. Next time I suppose!

Abby and I left on Monday June 22nd and drove all the way from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. A lot of people out there would think that is nuts, but I am pretty used to it. We took our time, stopping often for diaper changes, food and a chance to stretch our legs and all in all it was a very uneventful trip. That is always a good thing if you ask me! The scenery wasn’t too bad either! The desert wasn’t too hot and central Utah was green and you could still see snow on some of the mountain tops. Our stay in Salt Lake City was nice as well and Abby cooperated! After a nice long bath and a big bottle, she went right to sleep and did not wake up until I was ready to leave in the morning. I finally had the chance to get some much needed sleep and pack up our belongings.

Today (well based on the time its now Wednesday but we will pretend its still Tuesday the 23rd), Abby and I drove from Salt Lake City to Bozeman where my family lives. Once again the drive was pretty uneventful and absolutely beautiful. Driving from Rexburg, Idaho up into the mountains was green and everything seemed to be in bloom. The day was so clear that you could see the Tetons, which had quite a bit of snow on them still. Its not often that I get to see them from the western perspective.

When we arrived in Bozeman, I unpacked the car and just relaxed for a bit. One of my fathers coworkers, Della, bought a few items for Abby. One of them was a cute farm toy that Abby took to instantly. Now grandma and grandpa have a few toys for their house when Abby comes to visit! Then after running a few errands with Abby, Jillian and my mom, we sat down for a nice dinner and then began talking about the next few days… yup you guessed it… in Yellowstone! I am beyond excited and cannot wait to get away to one of my favorite places.

Here are a few pictures from our trip up. If you would like to see more, Click here! for a slide show!

Recital… Come and Gone.

Leave a comment

For those of you th at didn’t know, after our move back from Seattle I came back to work at the studio (Bobbie’s School of Performing Arts). The year moved by quickly and before we knew it, recital was upon us. For parents and dancers, there is some prep time but its nothing compared to what the staff has to do. Tickets, photos, costumes, staging, tech prep… the list goes on. On Wednesday June 17th, the preparation moved over to the Thousand Oaks High School Performing Arts center and recital was underway.

For staff it meant several long days of rehearsals,prep time, and the chaos of being backstage during a show… Basically a day that starts at 9am and ends at 10pm. All went fairly well though. The first two nights found us starting nearly 20 minutes late for multiple reasons, one of which was Diane’s fall that left a very nasty bump and bruising on her head and eye. She is ok though and we are very lucky that the results of her fall were not worse then they were. Back stage is always chaotic but the shows ran smoothly. By night number three, we were able to start on time, to the shock of many! It was a little more chaotic backstage then usual but things still went well and now its all done!

Abby spent the morning of the second show with me and seemed to have a blast. She enjoyed watching some of the dancers practicing in the lobby. I have to say she is such a well behaved little girl, even with a bit of the sniffles! Abby made it through her first recital experience with flying colors. I hope there are many more years spent at the studio and that she has to chance to grow up around some very wonderful people. Now we move on to summer classes and prepare for a new season to begin. Here is to an even better 2009/2010 dance season! Woo Hoo!


Happy 2 Year Anniversary!

2 Comments

Well today Shaun and I celebrated our anniversary and I honestly cannot believe that it has been two years! Where does the time go? It feels like only yesterday, at this hour we were leaving our reception and heading back to the hotel as Mr and Mrs Shaun Wharton. Time certainly flies! Here are a few pictures looking back on that wonderful day…

So much has happened within the last two years that has kept us busy. When you sit down and think about it, we have done a lot and the fun continues! Here is a look back at everything we have done…

  • June 16th, 2007 – Shaun and I were married in front of our family and friends on a beautiful day!
  • June into July 2007 – enjoyed our 3 week honeymoon road trip that gave us a few good stories to tell!
  • September 2007 – Packed up and moved to Seattle Washington, stayed in Kent until we found a house
  • November 2007 – Bought a house in Bothell, Washington
  • February 2, 2008 – Super Bowl Sunday – discovered that I was pregnant!
  • March 2007 – Shaun and I decide its time to move back to California.
  • April 7, 2008 – My Grandpa Prueter passes away 😦
  • June 2008 – Move back to California and settle temporarily in Simi Valley until we find a home
  • August 2008 – House in Bothell is sold.
  • October 1, 2008 – Abigail is born!
  • December 2008 – A white Christmas in Montana, Abby’s first Christmas!
  • March 2009 – Buy a house in the San Fernando Valley and move in, living through renovations and more!
  • June 2009 – Abby starts crawling, standing, clapping and learning to wave goodbye… too cute!

Well that seems to be the list of all of the major events over the last 2 years. Its been a roller coaster but we have survived! Today was pretty uneventful though. Shaun and I both had to work, but that’s OK! We will celebrate soon! I do have to say… Shaun gave me the best “Anniversabirthday” gift ever! Just in time for my trip to Montana, Shaun gave me a new Nikon camera and I love it!! Lots of pictures to take… as if I don’t take enough! Now its on to recital hell starting tomorrow. Only three days until it is over! I will let you all know if I survive!

So Much Has Happened!!

2 Comments
Wow… so I have really been busy and have slacked off on the blog! My apologies… but there is plenty to update you with!

On June 1st, 2009… Abby turned 8 months old. Good grief time is flying by super fast and she is growing more and more each day. She is moving around a lot more and learning new things and she takes more interest in things each day. Her motor skills have improved a great deal and she is sitting up on her own now. She tips over from time to time, but hey… many of us adults still trip over our own feet! Baths are so much fun now. She plays with toys, loves to splash around and the drain and bubbles have become huge points of interest.

Abby is also loving her new furniture and her room. Its really starting to take shape and look like the nursery we had imagined. Its obvious that Abby loves her new crib. There is so much more room to play and sleep and she is a real crowd pleaser when she acts like the poor, cute little jail bird!


On the evening of June 8th, Shaun and I were working around the house trying to unpack more boxes and clean up. I had been working in Abby’s room, setting things up on her new bookshelf. I had stepped out of the room to grab more things from a box and when I walked back in, there was Abby standing up on her own in her crib! I cant believe how quickly it happened. I had a feeling she would be trying to stand on her own soon, but I didn’t think it would be this soon. We were still working on crawling! She was too cute and of course mommy wanted to cry!

//www.youtube.com/get_player

So shes standing on her own! Before you know it she will be walking and of course I will have video of that as well. But, just when you think that’s all for the moment… Sunday June 14th comes and there are more surprises waiting for us! Out of the blue, as if she decided…”Ok, fine! Lets do this!” Abby started crawling! She is a little wobbly at it still, but hey…she did it! And she seems pretty darn proud of herself too!

//www.youtube.com/get_player

So much has happened in the few short weeks since Abby turned 8 months old. There is plenty left to do in the month of June, so I am sure there will be more to tell!

The Past Can Be So Hard To Let Go Of…

Leave a comment

So I made the mistake the other day of driving by my parents old house in Newbury Park. I was at a point where I just missed them so much that I needed to reminisce. As I drove from the studio to the house, it felt so natural to head down Borchard Road instead of hopping onto the freeway as usual. It was like nothing had changed; almost as though it hadn’t been almost 2 years since they moved to Montana.

I have been by many times before, but this time something hit me. The house looked so different. The small patch of lawn on the right side of the house has been replaced with concrete; an extension to the driveway to accommodate the owners large trucks. The right side actually has grass now and I am sure the backyard does too. People used to joke about the lack of lawn at our house, but it eventually became part of its charm and what made it the place where “The Taylor’s” lived. The small little swinging gate that led to the back yard on the right hand side of the house has now been replaced by a large ugly fence. While my parents always talked about fencing in the yard, it didn’t look right now. The blinds in the front living room window were completely open and the house inside looked so empty and cold. Sad thing was that I could still see my parents furniture sitting inside.

As I sat there in the car, taking it all in, I wanted to cry. But I didn’t. Instead I drove away realizing that home truly is where the heart is. Even though I had spent 23 years of my life in that house, it had changed and so have I. My new home is now with my new family, my husband and my beautiful new daughter and with my parents in Bozeman Montana. I will always have beautiful memories of what was, but so many new memories to look forward to. The past can be very hard to let go of, but I finally did it. It just took me a few years.

Time Marches On….

2 Comments

Time marches on and Abby is growing so fast. I cant believe she is 7 and a half months now! Where does all of the time go? Abby is growing into quite the personality. She is more and more expressive each day and I definitly think she will be the little talker. She has mastered the words BA BA and MAMA, although I cant say they are first words because she babbles them all the time and cant place a meaning to them. We are getting there though! Lets not rush it though!

At times some of the babble sounds like she is singing a song that she has made up in her head. Sometimes shell just tilt her head to the side and give you a sweet little look when you are talking sweetly to her. She seems to love music and when a song comes on TV, when I turn on music or she makes her “exisaucer” play Old McDonald… she tilts her head back and forth and bounces around. Its way too funny. She laughs and giggles a lot not, especially reacting to something you might say or do. So much personality!

Abby is also on the move. She isnt crawling just yet, but shes almost there. She gets her hands and knees underneath her and starts rocking back and forth. On a few occaisions she has been able to move and scoot forward a bit, but currnetly she is stuck with her gears in reverse! No worries though, shell find that forward button before we know it. And I am sure at that moment we will be wishing that she wasnt crawling!

She may not be crawling but if you give her the opportunity, she certainly tries her hand at standing and walking. Abby is a very stronger little girl and with some help she will pul herself up and stand on those chubby little legs of hers. I think that even if we get her crawling, she wont do it for long! She is ready for bigger and better things although I certainly dont want to rush this one either!

On top of it all, isnt that the cutest dress??!! I love it and she looks absolutly adorable in it! It was quite the steal too! I think it was only $15 at Old Navy. Boy am I biased mom! More to come!

A Date Day

Leave a comment

So Shaun and I had a wonderful day to ourselves and its not often that this happens. Don’t get me wrong we love spending the weekends together with Abby but it was nice to be able to get out and do the things we cant do with her. Shaun took me to the movies to see Angels and Demons. I thought it was great and wont say too much as not to ruin it for anyone else that would like to see it. If you haven’t, read the book! I felt it was much more exciting and interesting then the Da Vinci Code, but I guess that is personal opinion.

After a nice time at the movies, went to dinner at our favorite Mexican food place… Sierra’s. I haven’t had Mexican food in so long, especially from here and it was fantastic. It was a busy night, but as always the service was great and the food was even better. Can you tell I love Sierra’s??? I am a creature of habit, even down to what I eat there. Its always the #5 combo plate ( two cheese enchiladas, beans, rice and a salad to start). Its a lot to eat but its good!

After dinner we were able to make a quick run to Target without the usual scenario. Instead of getting out of the car, getting the stroller, getting Abby out of her car seat and then in to the stroller (which takes about 5 minutes), we jumped out and walked through the front doors within a minute! Ah the little things in life that make parents happy!

I did miss Abby and was happy when she came home, but I had a lovely day with Shaun. Its just a reminder that parents should take a little bit of time for themselves and for each other. It’s not selfish, its something you need t do to stay balanced.