Tetons and Yellowstone

Chieko and I try to go to Teton National Park and the Bar J Wranglers chuck wagon at least once a year, usually in September, kind of an anniversary and end-of-summer celebration. It's a great time to go, because there are few people, and many of the larger animals are actively getting ready for winter.

This year Janet, Jennifer, Stanton, my dad, Nancy and Cecil joined us. The following pictures are more or less in chronological order.

We arrived Friday, checked into the Alpenhoff Lodge in Teton Village, and the other group checked into a condo nearby. We then headed over to the Bar J to wait in line. 

Babe is the dad who started the Bar J Wranglers 36 years ago. He retired several years ago but showed up  this night and did his intro. 

These are the wranglers, except Donnie, who sits to the left. 

Brian is the smart aleck base player brother. 

I think Brian is the older brother. 

Tim joined the group 25 years ago and is a national champion fiddler. 

Danny joined a few years ago. He replaced a deep base nicknamed Bullfrog, who replaced Babe when he retired. I think Bullfrog left for health reasons. 

Donnie plays the steel guitar and anything else with pickable strings. 

On Saturday morning we headed up the Teton-Moose road that winds past the old JY Ranch and in to Moose. This guy was fattening up for winter along the side of the road. 

He headed our way, and we scooted back into our cars. He then walked up the road and right past us. 

I couldn't decide whether to roll the window up so we wouldn't be eaten or roll it down and take pictures. 

We stopped at Old Faithful, shopped for souvenirs, watched the geyser and ate lunch. Then we visited Midway Basin. 

The springs were pretty steamy, and a wind blew the steam mostly in our direction. 

Then over to The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This is Artist Point. 

On the way back we saw a large herd of bison. 

I think this is the granddaddy. 

We ate dinner on a picnic table on the Yellowstone Lake beach at Fishing Bridge. Except for some deer drinking from the lake, we were the only visitors here. 

On Sunday morning we drove up the Jenny Lake road. This is one of my favorite picture spots. Sometimes horses are in this pasture. 

The weekend group. 

Chieko and me. 

We saw this elk looking for his mate, who was trotting along behind a hill with a calf. 

He's pretty serious. 

At Jenny Lake we saw, heard and spoke no evil. 

Dad reminiscing, maybe. 

We skipped and threw a lot of rocks in the lake. 

We stopped at Signal Mountain to see the valley from the top of the world on our way to Jackson Lake Lodge. This is the view from the lodge. Jackson Lake was dry north of the dam. 

On the way home we received the 40-percent chance of rain that was predicted, and this rainbow presented itself as we left Woodruff, Utah. 

When It Storms, Head for the Uintas

When a bolt of lightning exploded right near our house, I decided it was time to run up to the Uintas. Chieko thought I was nuts, but storms often produce some of the most interesting scenery. I also wanted to check on the beavers. When we were up there over Labor Day weekend we saw several beaver-chewed young aspens, giving me hope that beavers have returned to the ponds where I had watched them for several years, until they disappeared two summers ago.

This is the valley with the beaver ponds as seen from my East Office (if you go back a few years, I posted a picture of me sitting in this spot doing freelance work with a notebook computer on my lap). One of my favorite spots. In addition to beavers, I've seen moose, elk, sandhill cranes and a host of other small wildlife here. This is looking southeast across the meadow. 

And voila, a beaver was swimming from the lodge to the meadow below just as I arrived today. 

Here he is coming back about 45 minutes later. This is good. He didn't bring back building materials or food, so I don't know what he was doing for 3/4 of an hour. 

If you drive up to Whitney, you'll find this warming hut stocked with a bunch of firewood and a sign that says the hut will stay open as long as people take care of it. Makes me consider snow shoeing or cross country skiing in to here during the winter. 

Inside the living room of the warming hut. You can see the bedroom through the door in the back. That room has four sets of bunk beds, a desk and a table. 

The porch is a bit rickety, but all in all, the hut is well maintained. 

Many of the aspens have turned to yellow, but many are still summer green. 

You can see this mountain from the road to Whitney Reservoir. 

And these clouds were also on the Whitney road. 

The aspens are changing. 

I am fascinated by aspens. 

Some aspen leaves turn yellow, some turn red. 

Bald Mountain. 

This is the beaver meadow south of the ponds and looking north. 

Keep a Good Attitude When You Renew

I went to the DMV yesterday with a good attitude to renew my driver's license. I was determined to keep a smile. After the third visit and several hours off work, I've decided my attitude isn't so important. But maybe I can help yours. If you have a driver's license that ever expires (of course yours does), I can offer some tips.

In Utah your driver's license is good for five years. After that, mail some money and you get another five years. After the second five, you have to appear in person, not to show you haven't forgotten how to drive, but just to pay more money, take a new (worse) picture and prove that you are still you.

On my first visit, yesterday, I filled out the form, waited while the pleasant guy on the stool checked to be sure I'd filled out the form, took my picture, gave me a number and told me to go wait. I waited and waited. Then another guy announced, "The system is down. We don't know if it will be minutes or hours. You're welcome to wait." He said that. Tip One: Call before you go.

On my second visit, this morning, the guy on the stool rechecked that I'd filled out the form, retook my picture and gave me a new number. After a wait, my number appeared on the screen for Window 10. "I need your driver license." Ok. "And your birth certificate or passport." What? My license has been good for 10 years, and now you're worried I'm not me? "Let me explain, you also need your Social Security card or W-2." Seriously? I can drive a two-ton vehicle with the license. I can get into Japan with the passport. But that's not sufficient; you also need my SS card? And the stool guy couldn't have told me this yesterday before he took the first picture? Back home I went. Tip Two: Take your old driver's license, proof that you were born and proof that you're paying someone's retirement.

On the third trip I was successful. After the stool guy rechecked my form and retook my picture, I rewaited, and the lady rechecked my credentials, I have a temporary license with a terrible picture (and she said she picked the best of the three). Tip Three: Stick the paper in your wallet and don't look at it.

Tip Four: Understand why the DMV exists. This may help you keep a good attitude as you wait in line. I came up with five reasons. Sorry, I couldn't think of 10 good reasons.

5. Unemployment is over 7 percent.

4. After you've used your driver's license for 10 years to prove you were you to cash checks, obtain major home loans and receive speeding tickets, someone needs to verify that you haven't suddenly become someone else.

3. Fees (taxes). The license renewal is $25. You want motorcycle with that? $35.

2. To remind you that while businesses have become fitter, quicker and more responsive, you can depend on your government to maintain traditions.

1. The DMV reminds us that Wal-Mart's customer service isn't so bad.