It Just Gets Better and Better

We awoke to a drizzling rain this morning.  It wasn't cold or windy so we packed our picnic lunch of PB&J's and took off to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  We each brought a couple of coats and hats to be prepared if there was a downpour.  As it turned out the rain increased as the day went on but was never bad enough to slow us down.  There were sights to be seen.



Terri is ready to jump.  Will the umbrella help her fly?



As we drove toward the Canyon we stopped at several thermal flows, bubbling mud that smells like rotten eggs or steaming sulfur water that really smelled.  It was interesting to see but we did not linger in the sweet smell of rotten eggs for long.

As we drove we saw hundreds of bison grazing in the fields along the rivers.  I added one more sighting of wildlife to my list.  I wanted to see Trumpeter Swans in the wild.  Today we saw 5 Swans floating down the river feeding as they went.  They can keep their heads under water a very long time.  I hope to see them flying at sometime so that I can see their 6 foot wing span.

That steam doesn't smell so good.....really.

We crossed this bridge that goes over the river that has carved the canyon we were about to see.

The next several photos show the surrealistic colors and vistas we saw.  We only made it down the South Rim of the canyon today.  We will definitely be back to the North Rim on another better weather day.  I would like to be there at sunset to see the colors in a different lighting.

Upper Canyon Falls

A rainbow of reds.

Another great Terri photo from her Razor cell phone.  Looking North.

Looking South up the Canyon

My buffalo story for the day.  In the last post I posed the question, "Where do buffalos roam?" And answered it, "Anywhere they want."   Apparently that statement is true.

As the girls were shopping at the general store I was enjoying the rocking chair on the front porch of the store.  I heard someone say, "Buffalo" so I looked up and here came a very large buffalo about 100 feet away.  I was quickly to my feet walking toward the fellow as he lumbered along.  I wisely remembered that the park literature had advised against approaching buffalo.  So I slowed my stupid approach and settled for a few photos from a safe distance. 

How fast can a buffalo run, how fast can I run?  I guess I don't want to find out.



The grocery store buffalo.