Memorial Day Weekend 1999

Yellowstone National Park Wyoming. The summer weekend kick off. Rain. Three days of rain. Old faithful in the cold rain. Day-Glo orange plastic rain ponchos hide my shorts. Silly me. I packed summer clothes. It starts snowing. Brrr. I thought going to a national park on a national holiday sounded so American. I made mental note to go SOUTH next Memorial Day.

Despite the icky weather I loved the park. It's huge! The scenery is spectacular. It's the way the earth was supposed to look. I saw 100s of buffalo with their little golden brown calves, lots of elks, one bald eagle, one moose, one coyote and heard lots of rumors of folks who had seen a bear.

I fell in love with Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They were having a mountain man festival with a parade even. Lots of burley guys in buck skin and zztop beards. I wanted to pose for a picture with one big ole guy only his wife was as big as him in her buck skins. I didn't wanna tangle with that she cat. There was a guy riding a buffalo. Lots of men in those duster coats like in Tombstone. They looked fine. Even the real police were dressed western and directing traffic on horse back. I know, I know. I just had a dose of tourist trap hell, but I really loved it. I bought me a pair of long johns with little green moose on them. Also found a pair of boxers with "Nice Bass" on the back along with a picture of a nice bass. I also bought some winter clothes. Sheesh. It was cold!

I am going back in late June to go white water rafting. I'm bringing my wet suit and ice pick as I am sure it will still be snowing up there. BRRRR.


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