Reflections On Yellowstone

We are choosing this last sequence of shots taken of a fisherman at sunset on our last day to reflect on learnings/affirmations gained during this trip. Yellowstone has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It was the first National Park in the world. We are thankful that the people of that day had the forsight to set this land aside to preserve its beauty, also set forth a system of National Parks for us and future generations to enjoy. Speaking of beauty.....as I looked at scenes such as these I've blogged and many others.... the song played through my head...."America the beautiful, God shed his grace on thee....and crown thy good, with brotherhood....from sea to shineing sea."

..........through this trip my faith in God as creater of it all has been reafirrmed. While in college I held the view that this and all other life on the planet evolved from a basic life form. That theory however began to breakdown in light of the question of how something (the planet earth) could go from a state of disorder to not only a state of VERY COMPLEX order (the human brain for example)..... but OF wonderful beauty. I have concluded that it is reasonable to think that like any other highly complex thing (an ipod or the airplaine we flew home in) WAS CREATED! Not only is this magnificence I observe created as beautiful as hopefully these pictures depict....but that the Creator .......created in me....the beholder....eyes...with rods and cones and optic nerves and a brain.....to see and enjoy it!

.......and with these thoughts we close this part of our adventure and can be found tomorrow morning....worshiping and praising our Creator.

In His Love,

Bill and Pat

Last Day Sights

.....Tower Falls was a magestic view......

.....and our final moose sighting........a young one...

.......AND FINALLY A GRIZZLY !!! Well.....he's off in the distance.....but thanks to Anne Dunlap for the loan of her spottting scope, we.....and our new English friends were able to see it clearly afar off. The Englishman who has just recently moved to America had spent big bucks on a grizzly bear sighting trip.....to no avail.....so this was the first he had ever seen and returned several times to the scope to revisit the scene.

Parting Thoughts.....

Yes, every picture ON this trip Pat or I have taken ourselves. We only adjusted cropping and/or lighting on the computer.
We will enter a final blog post tomorrow morning titled....Reflections on Yellowstone and Larger Matters. For now..we are off to Idaho Falls to fly home.

There Is One Thing Better Than Watching a Bald Eagle Fly Over A Beautifl Lake In Front Of You.......

.........and that is.......

......watching the reaction and faces of our new friends from PARIS FRANCE who have NEVER seen America's symbol before! As we were watching it through our spotting scope they pulled up and showed interest. While Pat was discussing life in Paris and matters French....one at a time I helped them spot the eagle. Listening to their French exclamations of glee added so much to the experience!

Beautiful End of Day 5

The Climb

Why....."because it was there!"

That is why I had to ascend this mountain to get a broader view of the thermal features below......(and maybe to prove to myself I still had it in me to do so!!!!)

Pat waited patiently in the car below as I made my way up in my rock climbing gear (Tevis...you'd be proud!)...... to check out this scene below.......

....and pause here to smell the roses....I mean pine.

The grandeur is in the small sights as well as the big.

....today we travel to Chico Hot Springs to bathe Pat's knees in nature's jacuzzi while I try my hand trout fishing in the Madison River where the movie "A River Runs Through It" was fillmed.

....move over Brad Pitt!

The River Geyser

This baby blows ever 7 hours. It starts gurgling steam and then erupts sending steam and a powerful water spray out over the stream it's next to.....

.......creating a pretty neat rainbow in the process!

These Four Shots Go With The Post Below...

God's Paint Pots

Each of these thermal pools are colored by the various types of bacteria inhabiting the thermal waters of varying temperatures.

Particularly Interesting Geysers....

We waited a half hour for this one. Rick....who left with his girlfriend just before it went up....this is what you missed!

....caught this at the end of day 4.

Oh Give Me A Home Where The Buffalo Roam.....(and I'll show you a dirty house!)

.........aaaaawwwweeee the tranquil buffalo.......warming on the hot geothermal turf.....

.....munching tranquilly on the grass........