Shhhh!

Back inside the car, heading once again to some other destination set 2 or more hours away:

Speaking of our toddler after glancing back at her, to discover she's smiling,eyes sparkling, clutching her dolly with both hands, while watching the scenery pass by her backseat window...

Me: I think that she actually likes riding in the car and (suddenly cut off)

My honey-man: "Shhh! Don't jinx it!"

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Miraculous Departure!

We are all in the car --me, mah honey-man, zee darling angel boy-O and zee lil' sweet potato girlie-- on the way to pick up my sister to take her to the airport, and its 5am AND our car is all packed for us to head to UT straight away, once we've dropped my sister off. Did I mention already that it's 5am?

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Was it Just a Week Ago?

We returned from our trip to claim the boy-O last Monday, as in Monday of last week. How is it that an entire week has already come n' gone since our return home?!?

Well, I mean to write about our trip, I do - - but we hit the ground running once back home and we haven't really had much down time. Maybe things will settle down as this week passes, but I doubt it!

Totally Jazzed for Jellystone

Taking at 10am break here -- haven't had my coffee yet, and I can't see straight (although the latter is caused only by a lack of sleep). I'm totally jazzed outta my mind for our Yellowstone trip and to claim the boy-O from his summer camp! I slept like crap last night, tossing and turning, just too excited to settle. This always happens before a big trip.

At least I no longer have that damned tendency to pull an all-nighter the very night before we're to leave someplace.... those n' babies don't mix too well.

Heading North to Jellystone

For the past week now, the angel boy-O has been at an awesome summer camp up near Dubois, WY, of all places. This camp is, can I say, a totally kick ass summer camp. I'm certain he's having the time of his life!

The camp ends June 30th, so we'll be leaving town the 29th, at the crack of dawn, to head up north. After 10+ hrs of driving [RELATED TANGENT: I soooo hope our sweet potato girlie does okay in the car, as she's been such a fantastic lil' car traveler to date, but she's such an active busy body now, I'm afraid she'll go nuts confined in the car for that long, even if we plan take a break every 2 hours!], we'll overnite it in Bear Lake with my Grams. From there we'll leave EARLY, EARLY, the morning of the 30th, in order to drive up to Jackson, WY and then SE, down to Dubois to claim the boy-O by 11am. I'm certain we're all gunna lose it -the girlie too- when we get our hands on him!

Once we've gone through the whole check-out rigmarole and we've somehow added his pack n' gear to our packed-to-the-gills car, we'll return to Jackson for some minor grocery shopping and then we'll head further north through Grand Teton and into Yellowstone Park. We'd originally planned 5 days of camping, and the boy-O's mommie n' step-dad were to join us, but work schedules are what they are, so it's just us now, and with my new found concerns re: overnight camping in bear territory (and that's a WHOLE 'NUTHER STORY THERE!), and this being the girlie's very first camping trip, we've decided to opt for only 3 nights of camping. We'll be at the Madison campground, my 2nd favorite to Norris. Then we'll spend the boy's birthday back in Bear Lake with my mum's fam, and their valley's 4th of July celebrations, and by noontime on the 4th, we'll be staying in Ogden, UT with the boy-O's mommie's own fam, staying overnight there. We'll spend the 5th driving back home to Vegas... after we've gone to Hires in SLC.

And I'm certain that once we're home and all unpacked, I'll bawl, homesick for our UT and ID families... but let's not get ahead of myself, right?

And We're Off Again!

I've yet to write anything here about my June trip to Iowa with sweet potato girl to see her grandparents' (my parents) home for the first time (and it was her first flight)! I haven't yet written a word about our trip to Utah over the 4th either! And tomorrow, we're leaving for a 10-day trip Montreal!

Today will be spent scrambling to finish last minute work for the office, running miscellaneous errands and packing the last bit of packing. Oh and I'll be trying to get the baby girlie to the portrait studio before the day's end! And I've been up since 5am! And I'm wired outta my mind! Can ya tell?!?

Maybe I'll get to blog from Montreal, but who knows ~ Toodaloo for now!

It's Potty Time!

BE FOREWARNED: This post will touch upon the subject of my new found pregnancy bathroom habits.

Driving to and from Yellowstone over the weekend before last has brought about a new discovery... I can't go that long without needing a bathroom break. For the sake of comparison (and I know you really want to know these kinds of details), in the past, for the average 6 hr-long car trip, all I need is one bathroom stop whenever I stop to fill up the gas tank. [SEMI-RELATED TANGENT: I don't like to keep driving on car trips with anything less than a quarter of a tank. END OF TANGENT]

Our drive to Yellowstone from Vegas, we stopped along the way in Bear Lake, ID, to stay with my Grams, and it took us 9 hours to get there. I didn't actually count how many times we stopped, but it was more than twice, maybe 4 times. While at Yellowstone, we found ourselves often seeking out a bathroom stop, and jokes were made. Well, on our way home to Vegas from Yellowstone, making the long drive in one day, the drive should have taken us no more than 13 hours. Well, it took us FIFTEEN hours because I had to stop every 1 to 2 hours... Yes, it took 15 hours, cuz we had to stop EIGHT different times, so I could relieve my wimpy bladder?!? It was ridiculous!

And my honey-man? He never once complained... he only laughed about it (a lot), and at least a couple times, he mused aloud that if anyone were to ask him what he remembered most about his first trip to Yellowstone, he would say it was my weak bladder.

Ever Heard of a Horny Buffalo?

No? Well listen to this one!

After watching this guy chase around this poor chica buffalo, the best was the hours afterward in which my honey-man made such a concerted, persistent, hysterical effort to recreate this guy's horny call, complete with tongue protruding all the way out, apparently essential to get just the right horny buffalo bellow.

"Why I Love Mah Honey-Man ~ Reason 27" or "Mah Honey-man's Intro to Yellowstone"

Because he and I are equally enthusiastic about naturalist interests, equally fascinated as to how things live and survive in our world... and he LOVED Yellowstone! Here are some photographic highlights from our Yellowstone trip (minus any identifying pics of either my honey-man or my family)...

Entering Grand Teton National Park, Friday morning

Kepler Cascades, our first Yellowstone feature once inside the park

After working to prep all the wedding flowers and to complete the 8 table vases from 1pm until 5pm, we met up with the extended family to leave for the Nez Perce picnic area for a fantastic pre-wedding wienie roast. But before we all left, my honey-man witnessed his first Old Faithful Geyser blow up!

Saturday morning, on our way into the park from West Yellowstone, check this guy out!

This was the beginning of our Sunday tour of Yellowstone, post-wedding...
We didn't get to hike to its base, but here's Gibbon Falls. My honey-man had no idea it would be as large as it is and was quite impressed.

My honey-man's first up-close geothermal feature in Yellowstone... Beryl Spring, violently bubbling away.

We stopped to walk in (a small 'hike') to the Artist Paintpots... this was when my honey-man realized Yellowstone is a treasure.

A partial overview of the Artist Paint Pots

My honey-man's first up-close buffalo encounter... this big guy walked right past us and behind our car and kept many others waiting to get a move on as he meandered down the middle of the road.

I had no memory of ever witnessing the Steamboat Geyser at the Norris Geyser Basin, and we found out why...

Cistern Spring at Norris

Virginia Cascade - - the approach

My honey-man above the Virginia Cascade

We had many moments like this in which we realllly wished we had a fancy high performance digicam that could really capture the moment. This shot just fails to show what we saw.

The Brink of Upper Falls

Deer!

The Northern wall of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon at Artist Point

The Lower Falls as seen from Artist Point

Sulphur Caldron

One of the hot springs in the Mud Volcano Area

Dragon's Mouth - - we both think the angel boy-O would be amazed by this one...

Ending the Mud Volcano Area loop

A real HERD of buffalo a 1/4 mile from Fishing Bridge = my honey-man was absolutely tickled (as was I)!

Once this fellow approached the roadside, as he stared us down, we decided it was time to move our car!

Stevenson Island as seen from the road from the west side of Yellowstone Lake... This isn't a great picture, but I'd told my honey-man all about the pair of grizzly cubs that had been found on the island, abandoned by their mother, who swam to shore after the winter thaw.

Found at the Continental Divide, Isa Lake drains from both ends, one to the east, the other to the west. The name is meant to be pronounced like "Is A Lake."

After dinner at the Snowlodge with my grandparents and the newlyweds, it SNOWED!

Stuck to our windshield...

And after this, I'll post pics of the wedding flowers and our last day in the park, heading out on our way home to Vegas... but first, I need to go clear my sinuses with a hot shower. We got home just in time for me to be sick with a head cold. Fun!

Yo! Yo! Jellystone National Park!

I'm very, VERY excited!!!

We're leaving early tomorrow morning for Bear Lake, ID, on our way to Yellowstone National Park, going through Jackson Hole, WY on Friday for my auntie's wedding this coming Saturday. We had planned to camp -yes, camp- at Madison Junction (camping closes the end of October), even knowing it could be 10 degrees at night or lower, BUT we've recently discoverd and just in time that rooms in West Yellowstone, MT are 1/2 the cost of those in the park at Old Faithful Inn - - why I didn't investigate this sooner, um, I have no explanation for that. But I'm dang happy we'll be in a hotel for this quick visit. Camping will have to happen some other time in the future, hopefully when we could have the angel boy-O with us.

This auntie of mine, she's my father's baby sister, and she and I are only 18 months apart in age. I love and adore her and I'm so freakin' excited for her and her man, gettin' hitched! Woo-HOO!

I'm also super excited cuz my honey-man has never been to Yellowstone! This will be his first trip! Although we won't have tons of time this first time around, I've already planned our routes and days in such a way to maximize his exposure to the park, focusing most upon the Lower Loop. I've had to pare things down for sure, in that he'll basically miss the northern Upper Loop area entirely, unless we find ourselves with more time than I expect. Nonetheless, I've determined I can get him to all the more central park locations, like West Thumb, Old Faithful, the Lower and Upper Basins, Firehole Canyon drive, Norris and Canyon Village. And I'm really hoping I can take him to the base of Gibbon Falls, my favorite. Both Mammoth and Tower-Roosevelt may have to wait for next time.

My father's family goes to Yellowstone as a group nearly every year, although my immediate family has missed this trek for the last several years, living in Iowa. I think the last time we all met with the family was in 1993 or '94. The last time I was in Yellowstone was August 2003, when I'd driven up to meet my father and lil' brother for a week of fly fishing together 'round Soda Butte Creek in the Lamar Valley, past Tower-Roosevelt. Since then, I just haven't made the time to get back up there. If I lived closer to YNP, I swear I'd go at least once a year, if not quarterly. The place is just flooded with childhood memories and loads of good emotional feelings for me. I love Yellowstone. Yellowstone is a BIG DEAL for my father's family... My grandparents MET in Yellowstone and their for first year of marriage, they worked in Yellowstone together.

I could go on and on about Yellowstone... but I won't right now, cuz I gotta go to bed, so we can hit the road early!

Sarry, Ye' Kahn't Hav'That

We've been giv'n o' listah aye'tems we're naht ahlowed tah take on tah'tha plane, 'n' listed amongst summa-dose listed aye'tems...

No Harpoons nor any Spear Guns (big surprise!)
No Axes or Hatchets (we'll juhhst hav'tah forego gettin' we're owyn firewood)
No Meat Clevers (good to know - - I 'adn't been sure on dat one!)
No Hurley Sticks and No Cricket Bats neither
No Catapults (ahh, shoot!)
and Absolutely NO Kilt Pins (yer just gunna hav'tah risk a frontal flash, mah hubby honey-man!)

Why oh Why, Versailles

Okay, continuing with my not-too-long-ago trip to Paris and London, we return to Versailles, Of FRANCE!!!

The view back up to 'the house' from the "Run of the Sun" fountain (it was my favorite). Here's me, trying hard to take this with one of the many fountains at Versailles included, forgetting that I, too, will be in the shot.The view down into 'Le Parc' from the upper gardens at Versailles.One of the views off to the side ~ Notice the scale of the trees and the people on the walk?One of the gorgeous satellite gardens...The ceiling of the Sun King's private chapelSee all these doorways, one room after another? At least 8 are visible!A dining room in Versailles (oh my!)

Entering the Hall of Mirrors, newly restored.Some sculpted ceiling corner of some room ~ ya know, no big deal (dang!)And what do I have to say about visiting Versailles?

#1: Definitely beautiful.
#2: Extreme heights of opulence!
#3: It's NO wonder why there was a revolution(s) in France, seeing all that state money could afford King Louis XIV.

Every Morning & Every Night!

Each day we were in Paris, every morning and every night, I took pictures of our view of the Eiffel Tower from the front room of our flat ~ Here are some of the best shots... Click the images for a larger view!

The next three pics were taken to demonstrate how long we had light in the evenings; the 1st taken at 9pm, the 2nd at 10pm, and the last of the three, taken at 11pm - !?!

It was such a surreal experience, looking out the window each new day, to see it standing right there...