Dear Diary, Yesterday was Christmas at Yellowstone, a tradition that has roots nearly 100 years old here, but most definitely a holiday with mysterious origins. Nevertheless, we celebrated in our inimitably grand style, with food, work family, music, and gifts. This two-day event actually started on “Christmas Eve”–August 24– when we were serenaded by Burl…
Author: Nancy
Open House
Earlier this week, all the folks in our trailer campground got together and decided to hold an Open House! Or in this case, Open Trailer. Just for fun, and to give the non-trailer people an idea of what it might be like to live in a camper. If appearance is any indication, we all spent…
Don’t Waste Time
In Zen temples and monasteries, there are many musical instruments that are used to let people know what is happening without having to look or speak. There are bells to tell the time, or to let people know to expect an upcoming event, like sitting or walking meditation. There are drums to signal important ceremonies…
Roosevelt Arch
I think it’s time I talked about the Roosevelt Arch, the stone gateway near the North entrance that for over a century has welcomed visitors to the park. And that for the past six months has welcomed visitors to this blog! There’s something about this structure that always makes my heart leap up with joy…
Ice Cream Confidential
Welcome to the fountain, where we measure our days in empty ice cream buckets! We typically go through about 12 to 15 3-gallon buckets a day, although on a scorcher we might use up 20 or more. And now that I’ve been here almost three whole months, I can let you in on some of…
Da Boot!
Well you could bowl me over with a feather right now, but it turns out that my ankle is not sprained, it’s actually broken! I took yesterday and today off from work and a friend drove me to the health clinic 20 miles away because Rob does still have to work. And the x-ray revealed…
Work Hard, Play Hard
At Tower Falls, we work hard! In one of my early posts, I talked about how exhausting and physically demanding my job in the fountain is. But strangely enough, after a few weeks it stopped feeling so hard. Thanks to building up muscle and stamina, I’ve found myself really enjoying my workdays. My feet don’t…
Mount Washburn
Last week, we did one of the most iconic hikes in Yellowstone: Mount Washburn. One of the highest points in the park, its peak elevation is 10,219 feet and the lookout point at the top boasts panoramic views for about 20 to 50 miles. You can see the Tetons from here! There are two trails that…
I Am Chipmunk, Hear Me Roar!
“To know how to wonder and question is the first step of the mind toward discovery.”–Louis Pasteur In Soto Zen, we sometimes practice sitting with koans–teaching stories or poems from ancient texts that are designed to circumvent our logical thinking and thereby help us understand something on a different level. The Book of Serenity is…
Wonderland
A word you hear a lot around here, “Wonderland” is a term originally used by early White visitors to Yellowstone, possibly even before it became a national park. And the term seems apt. Because there’s so much wildlife here, but it’s not just the wildlife. The mountains are spectacular, but there are mountains everywhere. And…