Waking Up in Yellowstone on Mother's Day

My husband now resides in Wyoming. We drove our separate vehicles up over the weekend loaded with things we thought necessary for living in the caldera of a super-volcano. First thing the maintenance guy said was, "Do me a favor and don't drink the water. It's probably okay, but we need to wait to get the offical report back." Good thing we were prepared, each having brought bottled water in our separate vehicles without consulting the other about it. We try to be smart in the woods and there ya go, it pays off from time to time. There was one other ranger trying to move her things in, however, her front door was completely snowed in. I mean, snowed in. A couple of maintenance guys took notice of all this and hurried over with a snow blower and shovels. It reminded me of showing up for cave training and hearing Mike say, "We have an agenda, but we're throwing it out. Everyone grab a hard hat and a shovel. We need to clear the trail!" The park service is suffering from the sequester and it's extremely difficult to get 2000 Yellowstone employees moved in!

Anyway, we unloaded both vehicles, and proceeded to clean everything even though maintenance said, "It should be clean." He gave me that puzzled look with squinty eyes, uncomprehending. I didn't want to offend him, so I said, "It's just me." And then I flashed him a smile and told him how GREAT the walls look (they really do!). Don't get me wrong, it was clean, but it's just been sitting empty since last September, so, you know, it needed going over.

After unpacking, we went out to play, drive around, and get our bearings. We found some pullouts with good cell phone service and called K's mom. The ice on Yellowstone Lake is breathtakingly beautiful just now. Bison on the roadside, elk in the river, an eagle soaring over the lake...I was giddy, GIDDY!

This morning, I put my church clothes on and headed out to West Yellowstone via West Thumb. And that's where I found the big grizzly ambling down the road. Can you see those claws? My photos aren't great because I was actually worried about breaking the rules by stopping (plus I was shooting through all the bug guts smeared on the windshield). Here are all of my self-justifications for breaking the rules: I put my hazards on, not a soul was around (no one came from behind), and I was on a longer, straight stretch where others would be able to see me in plenty of time, both directions. As the griz passed my Corolla, he (I think he's a he) glanced over as if to say, "I could take you and your Corolla if I wanted to." I was so sad that K wasn't with me! And I was so glad I was in my car rather than on a hiking trail. That thing was HUGE.

It's my first Mother's Day since Mom passed. I listened to music in the car and cried here and there. Mom is gone, we have no posterity, and I was driving away from my husband rather than toward him. Oh, and I was still in the park when Church started so I ended up skipping (no idea where the meeting house was...just kept driving, sinner that I am). Having said all that, let me say just one thing more. And I know most of you will think I'm weird for saying such a thing, but God sent me a grizzly bear for Mother's Day. He knew I wanted to see one so badly. Some women get flowers, but I got a bear! I'll never have another Mother's Day like it!