There were a couple of things left on Katie’s must-see list that we planned to see on our way out of Yellowstone – the “Grand Prismatic Spring” and “Excelsior” - and boy am I glad that she suggested them! Even though I thought that I had seen enough of the hot springs at this point, it is amazing how they can keep surprising you. Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in Yellowstone (with a 200 ft diameter), and it’s varied colors and the amount of steam it was producing from it’s vibrant turquoise center are impossible to exaggerate! Excelsior, on the other hand, was quite unlike most of the hot springs that you come up upon kind like a mud puddle (albeit much more impressive than a mud puddle!)… rather it was encased in a small little hill that was hollowed out by its bubbling hot spring waters, and the large amounts of steam it emitted gave it the appearance of a gargantuan wizard’s cauldron (which probably has something to do with it’s name).
These hot springs were located within feet of each other, and we learned at a small exhibit nearby that they are the beneficiaries of an interesting NASA research grant. The theory being researched is that the living micro-organisms that have been discovered to thrive very well in the hot temperatures of these hot springs may give us a window into learning more about what living organisms may be thriving on the surfaces of other hotter planets. At least that’s the short version.
As we were wrapping up our walk around this hot spring area, the wind really began to pick up and a heavy rain followed suit within a couple of minutes. But perfect timing for us, really, since we were leaving Yellowstone anyway! But, first, we decided to make a “quick” stop at the last Yellowstone General Store on our way out to pick up a few more groceries and, in particular, lunch. I knew a little more shopping would likely also ensue, but what I wasn’t expecting was that the electric to the entire General Store would go out not just once, but twice, as Grandma (who, let’s just say, has something of a reputation when it comes to… ahem… generous shopping excursions) was checking out with her non-food purchases! No judgment here, of course. Just reporting the facts, folks!
And then finally we were back on course to the Grand Tetons, happy to get farther from the heavy rain until we learned, upon our arrival at Grand Teton National Park just about an hour later, that a cold front was moving in and they were forecasting very low evening temps and 2 to 4 inches of snow by the morning! There was no dampening of our spirits, however, since at this point we had been blessed with virtually perfect weather the entire time (between 60 and 70 degrees most of the time), and we had packed plenty of hats, mittens and layers of fleece anyway since we knew various locations in these parks still have piles of snow that haven’t melted yet and cold fronts were still somewhat likely. Yep, summer’s arrival can take quite a while in these high elevations!
Our campsite at Grand Tetons was obscenely perfect. Seriously. We were in this beautifully wooded area and then, within a dozen or so footsteps, we were clear of the tree coverage and could see just how close we were to the edge of Jackson Lake and a spectacular view of the Grand Tetons! The air was crisp, for sure, but the kids just loved everything about this little area and spent a lot of time simply throwing stone and after stone into the lake…. Kerplunk! “Mine went further!!!!!”…. It was great.
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH IN OHIO….
Mobile phone reception was non-existent for me and spotty for Steve and Grandma, but now the messages were pouring in on the various beeping and buzzing pieces of technology we’ve kept largely at bay until this point….
But now we have learned that Grandpa Bushman is not doing very well at all with Grandma’s absence, to say the least! In fact, he has suffered a series of real-life events that are funny when they don’t happen to you, but so seemingly far-fetched that the writers of a comedy show would have elected to edit them as being too unrealistic in number for just one weekly episode. First, he unknowingly co-habitated with a cat of unknown ownership, if any, that entered their home through the back door he left open (you know, the one Grandma would have told him harshly to shut… But she wasn’t there to do so) for what he estimates to be about 3 or 4 days. Then, somehow, he also managed to inadvertently lock this kitty up in one room of their house as well, where the kitty of course eliminated all over the place… A particularly disgusting development he discovered shortly after he opened the door and the blanket-blank cat (his words, well kind of) bit him as it darted out of the room! Then, because he tossed the cat out of the house, and the cat proceeded to go back home or simply never come back, his doctor told him that he has to go through a course of rabies treatments… just in case… which he recently began. And, finally, while mowing someone else’s lawn (while nursing his vicious cat bite and under the influence of rabies treatments), a tree branch clocked him in the face and knocked off his glasses…. that he then proceeded to mow over and destroy. Oh and then he got a speeding ticket, too. I just hate those kinds of weeks, don’t you?
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