Thanksgiving



(Image from: http://www.cupcakestocarrotsticks.com/2010/11/i-survived-one-thanksgiving.html)

Menu
APPETIZERS
• Devilled Eggs
• Crudités
• Cheese Balls with Crackers - H & D

MAIN DINNER
• Turkey
• Mashed Potatoes
• Gravy
• Candied Yams
• Dressing
• Corn with Butter - oops forgot to buy
• Cranberry sauce - H & D
• Rolls - Geraldines - oops forgot to pick up or bake the substitute
• Butter
• Salt & Pepper

BEVERAGES
• Spiced Apple Cider
• White & Red Wines
• Water
• Coffee

DESSERT
• Cheesecake - purchased
• Banana Cream Pie - purchased
• Pumpkin Mousse - H & D

Gingerbread Houses

Nick's traditional/realistic house

It was entertaining to have all three of us begin with the same kit box house. We ended up with three very different houses. On Thanksgiving day we were lucky to get the walls up, it took us a couple more days to finish them.

Heather & Duo came for the gingerbread house raising and appetizers. They found a train kit that had premade frosting that was ready in its own piping bag. Now that was awesome cheating.  We watched cooking and house shows and then 'How to Train Your Dragon' and 'The Incredibles'.  Terry and Robin came for dinner and afterwards we watched 'Up!', the two short movies on Up! and 'Boneknapper Dragon'. It was an animation extravaganza.

Shanna's Viking/How to Train Your Dragon inspired Swedish Fish house

I had dinner prep interruptus. I was going to baste the turkey for the first time and got a severe steam burn when peeling back the foil. I ended up with second degree burns. And while we're on it, that dang turkey was quite the trial. First I wanted to brine it. I've never tried it before but it's all the rage right now, so why not. I made the brine on Monday and left it to cool on the stove. I remembered it the Tuesday morning and had to chuck it out. You do not cook with chicken broth that's been left out overnight. Then I needed to figure out how long to cook it the way I normally do. So I took the weight on the package and did the math. Good thing Nick figured out the weight was in kilograms not pounds and redid my conversion. Now I felt I was in a hurry, eep. Instead of using my tried and true Betty Crocker for the timing, I used the Joy of Cooking. It suggested to preheat the oven to 450 degrees then turn it down when you put the turkey in. I put the turkey in and forgot the turning down part for 30 minutes. I'm really glad I remembered at all. So the Turkey was finished about two hours before dinner was on. Nick is the hero of the day. We turned down the heat and he basted it every 15 minutes till dinner was ready to be served.

My Cinnamon Bear Fantasy Cottage

The burn on my hand gave me the opportunity to do two new things. One, let go of the control of the dinner. I continued to help as best I could with a cold pack on my hand, but everyone else had to do the cooking. Nick, Shanna and Heather pretty much finished the dinner, set the table, and served the food. The second one was to cry in front of people without freaking out. I was in real pain for about 8 hours even using the prescription burn ointment, cold packs and pain killers. I was also no longer in control of my dinner and it just kinda messed with me. I do not cry in front of people. It seems like a sign of weakness. I also feel that I'll be mocked or perceived as weak and or that it will be used against me. It's one more symptom of my inability to trust people. I seem to have a huge need to keep who and what I am and what I feel a secret in order to prevent mocking/shaming/dismissing. Well Thanksgiving 2010 seems like it was a breakthrough.

Friday was a day of rest for me if not for Nick who was the hero again cleaning up the kitchen, doing the dishes etc...

Journal Entry - Preparing For The Holidays

Weekend before Thanksgiving:

With some 13-19 social engagements for the holiday season, and being the control freak I am, we started our preparations early. It took all three of us but we managed to make and freeze a bunch of stuff ...

Nov 20 - Saturday
• Huckleberry Muffins (36)
• Butterscotch Banana Bread (26 mini loaves)
• Meatballs(40 some)

Nov 21 – Sunday
• 1 (foil) big lasagna
• 2 (foil) cake pan lasagnes
• 6 (foil) bread pan lasagnes (1 noodle wide)
• 1 (glass) big lasagna (had to add prego)
• 1 (glass) sml alfredo lasagna with broccoli, cauliflower & tortellini. Serve with grilled chicken.

Unfortunately I still want to get a bunch of cookies, biscotti, truffles and other candy premade.

Cheating...Sometimes it's good to know when you don't want to or perhaps don't
have the energy to do everything yourself. I broke my toe three weeks earlier so I wasn't feeling all that capable. Our sweet real estate agent sent us a letter gifting us with free rolls from a local bakery. Our persistent auto dealer sent us a letter gifting us with a free turkey if we test drove a vehicle. Instead of making our gingerbread houses from scratch we bought kits. And for dessert I purchased frozen cheesecake and banana cream pie.


The turkey operation was fun. We went on a very snowy day to the dealer and test drove a Toyota Highlander. It was awesome! I'd really love to have one, but can't afford it at this time.

The rolls became a comedy of errors. Hubby got them reserved then we forgot to pick them up. So late Weds night he was running errands and picked up Pillsbury crescent rolls, which I forgot to bake. First Thanksgiving in a long time without rolls of any kind.

The cheesecake was lovely with huckleberry jam (from the Idaho store) as a topping.

Heavy duty paper plates and glasses were the final, lifesaving, cheat.

Cheating. Definitely going to try it again next year.

(Images, I have no idea where I got any of these on this blogpost... Sorry)

 

Journal Entry - ILA Business Mtg in Boise

ILA BOARD MEETING - NOVEMBER 14 -16

As the Academic Chair for the Idaho Library Association, I went to Boise for a meeting in mid November. I left on Sunday the 14th, driving my little red car. I listened to Janet Evanovich's book 'Hot Six' (Stephanie Plum). I didn't stop till Mountain Home when necessity overwhelmed me. I ate a late lunch there at the truck stop, chicken and potatoes. Later I got to the hotel (Safari Inn http://www.safariinndowntown.com/). My foot was a problem and I was happy they had an elevator, I was not happy with the five stairs up to the elevator. Ack. After settling in I drove off looking for a grocery store where I could pick up cheese and grapes for a late snack/dinner. I then returned to the hotel and continued reading: 'One Hex of a Wedding' (Chintz 'n China, Book 5) by Yasmine Galenorn.



The meeting began at 8:00 a.m. in the hotel. A box lunch was provided so we worked on through the afternoon, finishing around 4:00. It was quite interesting, lots of conversation about the next conference, budgets, strategic plans, and subcommittees.



Phil and I arranged to meet up at 5:00 to do a little shopping - Cost Plus (Where I bought a bottle of wine for Nick) and Barnes and Noble (Where I got the Transiberian Orchestra Xmas album). Then to Bar Gernica http://bargernika.com/ for Basque food dinner. MMMMMMmmmmmm Potato/egg tortilla, which was more like a quiche for appetizers, then croquettes and other stuff for dinner. I can't remember all of what I ate, just that it was scrumptious.

On the drive home, I had planned to listen to another novel, but instead found myself thinking and listening to music. I LOVE driving. My brain always feels more relaxed after it has had that kind of time to ponder.

I did not take any of these photos but found them on various sites.

Journal Entry Oct 31-Nov 4

PUMPKIN TOSS & HALLOWEEN PARTY - OCTOBER 31



The ISU physics department sponsored a competition Pumpkin Chuck. Shanna and I went and had an awesome time. The trebuchet's launched pumpkins near, far and even in the wrong direction.



Heather, Duo came over later and we hung out and watched movies and feasted on candy (candy corn, mini chocolate bars...) and popcorn (cheese & caramel). We only had two kids stop by for trick or treating.

Movie List
Hocus Pocus
John Carpenter's Vampires
Van Helsing
Van Helsing Cartoon



BIRTHDAY - NOVEMBER 1
As fall roared in I made another change to my bedroom. I had fallen in love with the autumn jewel tone picture of a pair of tango dancers. I left it at the store cause I just didn't want to be spending the money. It was still there when we went back a week or so later. I bought it. It went well with the rich reds and golds I had as my regular bedding. Still, I was hoping to add another level of panache to my winter bed. I went shopping in Idaho Falls, looking for something in a jewel toned orange or amber. Kohls had a great set but it was over $500, TJMAXX had nothing, Ross had nothing, Bed Bath and Beyond was strike three. I had wondered about Target and there is where we found an amber velvet bedspread with pillow shams. It was fine. I brought it home and it turned out to be perfect. I swapped out the green palm leaf art for my autumn leaf painting in my yoga room. This was another perfect fit as the palm leaves echoed the palm tree (fake) already in the room. Now if I can just figure out how to get rid of a few more clothes, or shoes, or bags, or ...



THE TOE - NOVEMBER 4
Sometime in the middle of the night on the 2nd of November I had to get up. On my way back to the bed, fate decided to lend a hand and between me being groggy and the dog and a piece of furniture I bashed my little toe really hard. Apparently I broke it. I never did go to the doctor cause there's nothing they can do for you except tell you to stay off it. Friends encouraged me to tape it to my other toe but that was excruciating. My little toe doesn't move much when left alone.

For the first few weeks the weather was lovely and I was able to wear sandals to work. Then winter came in with a blizzard. Luckily my snow boots are large through the toebox. I wore them for the next couple of weeks. At week six I finally was able to wear boxy shoes. At week seven the tendon/muscle/ligament I damaged settled down enough to wear regular shoes, and by week eight I finally put my workout shoes back on.

I really appreciate being able to walk without pain and to be able to wear shoes. (dec 28, 2010)

Journal Entry - Reading

Most of October was spent recovering from September and reading. I spent a lot of time on the sofa reading and reading and reading.

I started binge reading on September 15th ...

1. Pawn of Prophecy (1982) by David Eddings
2. Queen of Sorcery (1982) by David Eddings
3. Magician's Gambit (1983) by David Eddings
4. Castle of Wizardry (1984) by David Eddings
5. Enchanters' End Game (1984) by David Eddings
6. Guardians of the West (1987) by David Eddings
7. King of the Murgos (1988) by David Eddings
8. Demon Lord of Karanda (1988) by David Eddings
9. Sorceress of Darshiva (1989) by David Eddings
10. The Seeress of Kell (1991) by David Eddings
11. The Trouble With Magic by Madelyn Alt
12. A Charmed Death by Madelyn Alt
13. Hex Marks the Spot by Madelyn Alt
14. One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) by Janet Evanovich (on cd)
15. Two for the Dough (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich (on cd)
16. Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich (off audible)
17. Four to Score (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich (off audible)
18. High Five (Stephanie Plum, No. 5) by Janet Evanovich (off audible)
19. Witchling (Sisters of the Moon, Book 1) by Yasmine Galenorn
20. Changeling (Sisters of the Moon, Book 2) by Yasmine Galenorn
21. Darkling (Sisters of the Moon, Book 3) by Yasmine Galenorn
22. Dragon Wytch (Sisters of the Moon, Book 4) by Yasmine Galenorn
23. Night Huntress (Sisters of the Moon, Book 5) by Yasmine Galenorn
24. Demon Mistress (Sisters of the Moon, Book 6) by Yasmine Galenorn
25. Bone Magic (Sisters of the Moon, Book 7) by Yasmine Galenorn
26. Dead Witch Walking (Hollows, Book 1) by Kim Harrison
27. The Good, The Bad and The Undead (Hollows, Book 2) by Kim Harrison
28. Every Which Way But Dead (Hollows, Book 3) by Kim Harrison
29. Fistful of Charms (Hollows, Book 4) by Kim Harrison
30. Where There's a Witch by Madelyn Alt
31. No Rest for the Wiccan by Madelyn Alt
32. Ghost of a Chance (Chintz 'n China, Book 1) by Yasmine Galenorn
33. Legend of the Jade Dragon (Chintz 'n China, Book 2) by Yasmine Galenorn
34. Murder Under a Mystic Moon (Chintz 'n China, Book 3) by Yasmine Galenorn
35. A Harvest of Bones (Chintz 'n China, Book 4) by Yasmine Galenorn
36. The Seventh Witch (Ophelia & Abby Mystery) by Shirley Damsgaard
37. For a Few Demons More (Hollows, Book 5) by Kim Harrison
38. The Outlaw Demon Wails (Hollows, Book 6) by Kim Harrison

I continued to read in November and December but the real binge happened in October. 38 books in about 6 weeks equals a little less than a book a day. Yeah, I know, there's a twelve step program for this.

ILA Conference - Oct

IDAHO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE - OCT 5-10


Image - view from my balcony

Back to Coeur d'Alene... This is my second trip up in two weeks. Eep. At least this time I was more ready for the long drive. Shanna and I went to the public library the night before I left and found the first two Stephanie Plum novels: One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) by Janet Evanovich and Two for the Dough (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich and a couple of Louis L'Amour. I listened to both Evanovich books on the way up. They were AWESOME! I then called Nick and used our Audible account to buy and download the next three for the way home. I also went out and bought a small iPod shuffle at Walmart. My own MP3 player, though enormous in space, does not have compatible software to use Audible books. :( While there I also read The Trouble With Magic by Madelyn Alt, A Charmed Death by Madelyn Alt, and Hex Marks the Spot by Madelyn Alt. In other words, the reading binge continued...






There is quite a contrast between Alt's and Evanovich's writing styles. Evanovitch grabs you and yanks you along for a screaming rollercoaster ride. Alt's are slower, more of a cozy mystery where, while things are not all love and light, they tend to be more descriptive.

The conference was held in the small town of Post Falls ID. I arranged for a room with a view off the hotel main site. The conference rate was more expensive and the rooms were less good. I LOVED the room. I had a mini balcony and a view of the big river and it was awesome to sit there and look out. I brought my binoculars in and was able to watch a bald eagle eating a breakfast of fish one morning.

Image from http://www.skolaiimages.com/stock/displayimage.php?album=51&pos=37, not one of mine. I would have needed a telephoto lens to get a picture of the one outside my balcony.

I got there a day early in order to be ready to do my preconference session. It went well and we had a lot of fun although there were only 4 people in my session. I brought a box of handouts from my Learn Something Quick web 2.0 workshops and allowed them to take what they wanted. Unfortunately, I also brought too many mini candy bars. I think I will stop trying to bring treats to this kind of activity.

Image is not mine, but from Trip Advisor

For dinner I went with Cathy Gray and another colleague to the nearby mideastern restaurant 'The Whitehouse Grill' http://whitehousegrill.com/white-house-grill. The food was fine, though not as good as what Nick & I can do. I think the big problem was that I wasn't in the mood for it and really wanted something simpler. I also ordered poorly, hoping for something that wasn't there. Still, the company was good and it was entertaining. They dropped me back at the hotel and then trundled off to the reception. After a 4 hour stint of teaching, all I really wanted was my book and my bed.

I attended sessions the following day. For more details see my other blog Library Banter

I skipped out of the lunch Thurs, in the past year I discovered that I get canker sores in my mouth from grilled bread products from restaurants. Since this was a big part of what they were serving, I gave the mediocre convention center food a pass. Instead I braved the rain and found a marvelous little Mexican restaurant 'La Cocina' they had some of the best food I ate that week. I also took the time to find the Walmart and buy the iPod.

Friday I once again skipped their lunch. Heading to a diner 'The Corner Cafe' I had spotted earlier. It serves breakfast and lunch only. I used to order a lot of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Now I order a lot of fried eggs and hashbrowns... I stopped briefly at the nearby bookstore and then headed back to the conference.

More sessions were attended, see Library Banter http://librarybanter.blogspot.com/ for details.

I went to the for dinner and had a terrific steak. Then back to the hotel for more reading. In the morning we had the ILA business meeting. It was surprisingly short. I had reserved the hotel room for Sat night because I didn't want to be driving back after a long meeting. Oh well.



Since I suddenly had free time I drove into Coeur d'Alene and visited their public library. Or rather, I tried to, it didn't open for an hour or so. I went over to a bagel place and ordered, what I thought was a simple cheese bagel. What I got was a fiery hot jalapeno and cheese bagel. EEP. I didn't eat much of it, but I did enjoy the super hot mint tea. Then back over to tour the library. It's new and very lovely. My favorite part was the sculptural books on the stairs. I stopped for lunch late at the Breakfast Nook just before it closed for the day for another meal of eggs and hashbrowns. Then on back to Post Falls. I toured their library. My favorite thing here was the animal sculptural posts and walls. For more on the libraries see my Library Banter Blog.



For dinner I wanted something light so I stopped at Rosa's Italian Market & Deli. Nothing appealed so I left before being too noticeable. I ended up doing cheese, bread, and grapes for dinner. That evening I downloaded book 'Three to Get Deadly' (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich off audible. And readied my plan for the next day. I couldn't seem to get more than one book to function on the iPod so I needed to plan out stops every three hours. Hooray, McDonalds has Wifi.

Not my image

I left early so that I'd still be able to breakfast by the time I reached Missoula. I stopped at McD's, had breakfast and switched to the next book, 'Four to Score.' I also stopped at the Book Exchange on Brooks street and bought another pile of used/new books for Shanna and I. Next stop Dillon and another McD's for lunch. I had to sit in the parking lot to finish the last book. I then went in and switched to 'High Five.' When I went back to the car I turned it on and realized that the Low Fuel light was flashing. I had completely forgotten to watch my fuel gage. I drove/coasted across the parking lot and filled the car. I'm really grateful that it gets such great gas mileage, or I would have been stranded somewhere in nowhere Montana. I made it home just as the last book finished, very awesome.

Bowling Green Ohio

BOWLING GREEN 15th - 19th



Kay invited me out to speak to the librarians at her new job. She's the Dean of Bowling Green State University (BGSU). The idea was for me to present on my sabbatical and inspire them to go out and find new ways of doing things. On Weds September 15th I drove down to SLC to stay with Jessica. I had a lovely visit with Jessica, Doug and little Rachel. Rachel is sooo adorable. She's learning sign language and was signing and speaking. In the morning the girls drove me to the airport and I was off. Kay picked me up at the Detroit airport, which is freaking huge. It was quite the walk just to get out of there. We chatted and she drove us South towards Bowling Green. We stopped in another nearby town for some great Italian food. Next was a stop at a nearby Walmart for candy, pens, post-it notes and poster board, all things I needed for the presentations but didn't want to bring on the plane. Then she dropped me at my hotel (Holiday Inn Express) which was immaculately clean and pristine.



In the morning she picked me up and we drove to the library. The first session was packed with people. And it was FUN. I know that librarians are the most fun to be around, but it's always a mild surprise at how interactive, curious and fun they can be. I LOVE my peoples. Lunch was on campus at a great little place that had a flashmob dance thingy nearby. Kay had invited most of her key people and the conversation was great. Then came session two, and surprise, more great people attended. I think I learn as much as they do. Afterwards I crashed. Kay drove me back to the hotel so I could nap. Later she picked me up with her sister Karen and we went to dinner. We had planned on going to a local diner (Easy Street Cafe), but it was packed with football fans visiting for the big home game. Next door was a soup/salad place (Panera Bread Cafe) that served great food, and wasn't over-run by nostalgia fans.



Saturday and Sunday blend together now. I know we went to the Schedel Arboretum & Gardens which were AWESOME!! See photo set on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157625368778079/



And we toured the library extensively, see photo set on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157625368619369/ and blog posts on Library Banter http://librarybanter.blogspot.com/. We shopped for miscellaneous stuff at Home Depot, worked on unpacking clothes, talked, laughed, and generally had a great time.



Saturday night we finally got to have that dinner at the diner. Karen arrived Friday night then took of Saturday morning to take her loom to Michigan for repairs. She got back in time for dinner with us that evening. She and Kay are quite the pair. They remind me of me and any number of sisters.



We had another nice drive back to Detroit then I had the long plane ride to SLC. When I got there, Rebecca and Kristi Red Hair picked me up and drove me to Jessica's to get my car. The plan was for me to spend the night with R. Unfortunately I just wanted to be home. And the SLC valley was filled with smoke from a huge fire. See: http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/local/Utah-fire-burns-hundreds-of-acres-threatens-homes-103260174.html It burned hundreds of acres and two homes. So I sang and drove and stopped and drove and got home in time to crash into bed.

(Written Dec 2010)

Journal Entry - Fair & TV

EASTERN IDAHO STATE FAIR



Nick came to visit and we took a morning and went to the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot. I made us leave super early so that we'd be there when they opened. I wanted to watch the Stock Dog Competitions again. They are so awesome. First the dogs herded sheep around then they herded cattle. The cows were much more frisky and argumentative than the sheep. One cow did a bunch of dog chasing. Behind the bleachers the dock dog people were set up and testing. Nothing like launching a dog out across the water... Those dogs really could move. We looked at travel trailers and horses.



I fell in LOVE with the Norwegian Fjord horse http://www.nfhr.com/catalog/index.php. I want one so badly. We ate bad fair food and looked at lots of stuff. I ended up having to buy a hat because the sun was more fierce than I was. It was fun to hang out and enjoy each other. We headed home in the early afternoon, worn out but happy.

Image from: http://www.zazzle.com/norwegian_fjord_power_house_card-137184665408827815

For more images from the state fair see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157625368901137/with/5218756622/

CLEANING THE CARPETS


We should have a rule. After the carpets are cleaned, I'm not allowed back into the house till all the furniture is back in place. Last time we cleaned it all out and had the carpets done I wouldn't let the sofas back in. This time, it was the TV. Shanna and I had been cleaning out and cleaning up all summer. We had removed plants and a bookcase and knick knacks and I knew that if I replaced my big square of a tv with a flat screen I could clean it up even more. Well, seeing it all empty I just couldn't take it. AND worse still, I had the money in my checking account. I went around and around with myself but ended up buying one from Walmart, the biggest and best I could afford. It is AWESOME. (Sanyo 46" LCD 1080p) I'm calling it my birthday present. Nick studiously avoided giving an opinion on the whole thing. I finally asked him if he thought it was a good decision or not and he admitted that he wanted one badly and did not want to influence my thinking too much. :) I love him.

(Written Dec 2010)

Yellowstone with Friends

YELLOWSTONE WITH SHANNA, HEATHER, DUO, REGINA, & DAUGHTER KATRINA (SAT AUG 28th)



Weather Forecast from http://wwwweather.com/
You can never tell, but right now it says "high of 56 degrees, low 35 degrees (F) with scattered thunderstorms, 40% chance of rain." We decided to go anyway. The picture above was taken somewhere north of Rigby.



Image of Osprey in Island Park

Shanna and I drove to Enterprise to pick up a minivan in the morning. Unfortunately they didn't have any left. Fortunately, they let me take the suburban for the same price. It was AWESOME to drive. I felt very safe. Everyone met up at our house and we loaded up and headed out. We stopped to take pictures of clouds and did a brief bit of shopping in West Yellowstone. Shanna and Heather were after earrings. Shanna had saved up since the last trip and bought a set of hand carved & painted purple hummingbird feather earrings.



Image of Roaring Mountain (notice the dark gray sky)

Storm clouds and rain followed us into the park, though mostly it was drizzly and spattery kinds of rain. We headed to Mammoth stopping along the way, for Roaring Mountain.

Image - Heather, Duo, and Katrina looking at the Bison, taken by Regina.

for Bison. We spotted this Bison on our way past. It required us to drive a bit further in order to turn the behemoth I was driving around and go back. It's always funny how surprised passengers are at the Semenza willingness to stop, turn around and take another or better look.



for Sheepeater Cliffs



Image of a view at Sheepeater Cliffs (the basalt cliffs behind us on the left)



for Ravens

This bold bird was in the parking lot at Sheepeater cliffs. I have quite a few photos of him online at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157625368422743/



for Waterfalls.



and for the Hoodoos.



Heather found ripe currants and shared with those of us in the car. Regina had just been talking about going berry picking for these very berries, from her aunt's cabin in Siberia.



We got to Mammoth and got out. Heather had said something about there being less water going on in Mammoth but it wasn't until I saw it that I realized that it was about 25% of the water that had been flowing in the pools last time I visited. Quite a letdown. We were talking about where to walk when the rain picked up. We turned to return to the car and the sky opened up and dropped lots of water and then hail. We were all glad that we hadn't gone too far down the trail. We sat for awhile but it didn't seem to let up. Next stop Mammoth General store. Luckily we found a parking space. Shopping and ice cream cone eating took up some time but the rain continued. Back into the car and then we went looking for the missing Elk. Usually there are Elk all over Mammoth, but not one was there this day. We drove down and around the campgrounds but there was no sign.



Giving up we headed back towards West. (Image taken in Monument Geyser Basin)



A couple more stops for the thermal features of Monument Geyser Basin.



Image - Regina & Katrina on boardwalk in Monument Geyser Basin



A rest stop in the park for a break yielded our elk sighting of a mom and a youngling.



There was a division of whether to stop for dinner but it was out voted in favor of continuing. Since we had the time and had been talking about it we swung out to Big Springs in Island Park.



This was probably Katrina's favorite stop. We used up all of our quarters getting food to feed the fish and the 'ducks' or rather, the Blue Winged Teals. Then off we went to home. The only bad part about this day was that Shanna and I didn't think about returning the car that evening, which we could have done. Instead we had to get up early and return it first thing in the morning. Ack. We'll both remember to do it differently next time.



Image of Big Springs, Island Park

While we were in the park (probably during the storm at Mammoth), West Yellowstone was hit by a serious microburst. Interestingly, none of us noticed the damage on our way home... Microburst: http://www.localnews8.com/weather/24815467/detail.html

More images from the trip can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157625368422743/

(Written Dec 2010)