Week 16: NYC

Top of the Rock

My mom was born and raised in New York State and had never been to New York City.  I was born in the Village of Warsaw, Wyoming County, NY...raised in Wyoming State and thanks to my mom, Grant and I made our first of what I hope will be many trips to NYC--we loved it.  You see, before Mom passed away she did a lot of traveling but she never used her Sky Miles, so it was my mom who sponsored our pilgrimage to trace Gregg's mom's first steps in America.  I like to think it was that maternal combo that somehow gave us all the inexplicable energy we had while filling every minute of our New York City adventure.

      Due to weather-related delays in air travel we settled into our hotel well after dark which is really not hard to do when it's dark by 5pm.  With borrowed hotel umbrellas we hit the street and made it as far as the first pizza joint for a quick re-fueling before our destination: Rockefeller Center.  We went to the Top of the Rock, wandered around the grounds and found the famous Christmas tree and ice rink.  St. Patrick's Cathedral was still open so we wandered in and admired the Neo-gothic architecture.  I told Grant how Nana and I lit a candle in remembrance of Grampa when we were in Italy in 2006.  He then chose an alcove that reminded him of Nana and lit a candle in remembrance her.  We walked 5th Avenue on the way back to the hotel.

          

Rockefeller Plaza.

Fifth Avenue window shopping.

The only bed bug we found was pretty cute.

   One warning we had before setting out on our adventure was that New York City, along with many other large cities, was having a bed bug problem. BED BUGS!?  Once again the internet was a huge resource and by checking bedbugregistry.com we found our hotel to be bed bug free, whew.
     Monday morning we took the subway all the way to Battery Park where we bought a delicious donut and coffee from a street vender on our way to stand in line for the Liberty Island ferry.  I heard all kinds of languages, the least of which was English, being spoken on the boat.  Lady Liberty is truly the world's tourist attraction and I felt a certain satisfaction finally getting to see her 'in person' and also pride in knowing she's on our soil.
     Seth was over for dinner before we set out on our NYC adventure--he plugged in his Ipod and played     Jay-Z's  "New York" to get us pumped up...that's what was playing when we walked into the Visitor Center at The Statue of Liberty.  Thanks, Seth--the energy and emotion of the lyrics reflected our NYC adventure perfectly.

...what dreams are made of...

    Next stop for the ferry was Ellis Island.  We spent a lot of time there.  From the mid-1970's to the mid-1980's a limited number of people were allowed to visit Ellis Island.  Not until 1990 was it opened to the public as a National Historic Site and has since received millions of visitors every year.  After taking the  audio tour Gregg and Grant sat down to the computer and searched for the names of Gregg's grandparents Giuliano and Stella Mastropasqua.  Giuliano had already been to the U.S., had secured a stone mason job in Boise, Idaho and was returning from a trip back to Italy to fetch his pregnant wife and 3 year old daughter, Nunzia.  I imagine that he was able to comfort Stella and help keep track of the toddler on their long trip across the ocean but I can't imagine how shocked they all must have been when, upon arrival, they were all separated:  Stella to the maternity ward, Nunzia to the infirmary with a cough and Giuliano to the dorms while waiting for the arrival of his second daughter, Anne.  Gregg was moved to tears when he found his mother's name on the ship's manifest.  Duca degli Abruzzi departed Napoli, Italy 2 April 1920, arrived at Ellis Island 16 April, 1920. Aunt Anne was born April 23rd.
     After taking the ferry back to Battery Park we walked to Wall Street, visited Federal Hall where George Washington took the Oath of Office, walked out to Pier 17 and then up to the Brooklyn Bridge where we happened across a photo shoot as a poor model tried to look sultry in her silk suit while the wind whipped a few snowflakes across the bridge--she was tough!  Caught the subway up to Grand Central Station where we wandered into a Holiday High School choir performance before walking back through Times Square to the hotel.
  

...lights will inspire you...

Sometimes being a dumb tourist is the way to be.  We worked up an appetite with our big day of walking so while Gregg and Grant were showering up I got online to make a reservation at Becco, which came highly recommended by a friend who had just been there during the Open.   We lucked out and got a reservation so off we marched again, getting there 15 minutes early only to learn that they didn't have our name...I handed her my confirmation # and she found our name--NEXT week!  Rats.. I told her to go ahead and cancel that and she said, "we'll get you in anyway".  YAY!  The service, the food, the wine...what a treat.

    Tuesday morning we took the subway up to The Natural History Museum--literally, we exited the subway, walked up the stairs and were in the museum arriving just in time to kick back in the planetarium and get transported to the outer galaxies before our tour.  Tuesday seemed to be school group day so the place was a-buzz with activity and children of all ages.  Our group waited for the guide...down the hall I saw a little blue flag gliding over the heads of the crowd, and there she was, a tiny little retiree in a tweed suit that had made its comeback with her longish gray hair wrapped up in a Mardie Murie-style bun.  We were a fairly large group and definitely above average in height.  Gregg is not short and there were several men taller than he...but she could set a pace!  I was very glad for the little blue flag or we'd have lost her a few times.   It was a good way to get an overview but we'd all like to go back and linger at exhibits that piqued our interest.  And if you ever go there, just grab a bite to eat at the museum.  There are not restaurants in that area.  We finally sleuthed out an internet cafe in the YMCA on 63rd, recharged our batteries and set off across the street to Central Park where a bicycle-taxi guy must have been pretty hard up for business on that frigid day because HE approached US--all 475lbs+ of us.  We said yes, he earned his money!  He knew all the places where different films were made and stopped at the Imagine memorial for John Lennon.  After thanking our hardy Turkish friend we hoofed it on through Central Park to 5th Avenue in search of FAO Shwarz and were delighted to find the Apple Store, its entryway a glass cube on the plaza with a glass elevator that lowered customers down to the store beneath ground level.  We also stopped in at Tiffany's on our way back to the hotel to get ready for Billy Elliot.

...streets will make you feel brand new...

The play was fantastic. Perfect. The boy who played the main character was about Grant's age--we were mesmerized.  My friend, Kathy Mears, who had lived and worked in NYC gave us her friend's daughter's cell phone#.   She was one of 4 who worked with the children of the cast during the play.  There are a lot of kids to 'wrangle' while not on stage in what we soon found out was a very tight environment.  After the play I called her and while folks were filing out we made our way toward the front of the theater.  She invited us up on stage and gave us the whole 'back-stage' tour.  Fascinating, the circular set alone, which transforms the stage into Billy's home, cost millions to build.   Out the back door we went making our way back to the hotel.

On stage at Billy Elliot

Wednesday started with a ride on the subway, and then a walk across Central Park to the Metropolitan which didn't open until 10 and since we had an afternoon play we opted for another tour.  Our tall guide  wound her way through the museum seeming to find the best route with the fewest crowds (there were no school groups here!).  We learned about Japanese screen, Chinese art, Vermeer, Monet, Van Gogh and finally Pollack.  I will go back and spend 3 days just at the Met--I may have to go by myself, they might have to kick me out each day.  To see the real piece of art in person after seeing pictures for so many years, is quite emotional.

Gregg found his mom's favorite Van Gogh

Outside the Met we experienced the famous street vender hot dog as we made our way back across the park to the subway.  Next, The Lion King.  200 artisans and craftsmen spent 6 months making preparations at the Minskoff Theatre for this production.  We were spellbound.  It was such a great contrast to have first seen Billy Elliot performed at the 1920's era Imperial Theatre.  To appreciate Billy's story of human struggle,  costumes of the era and dance.  Then to follow with The Lion King.  The opening scene captured us and transported us to another land; costumes, the music, the sets and dance...it's a must, especially for anyone who has 20-something year old kids who watched the Disney movie over and over (and over!).

After the Lion King we boarded the S train from Times Square to Grand Central (geez, there are millions of people traveling around under ground ALL the time--think about it, freaks me out a little) where we met Gregg's old college buddy Peter Zander and his daughter Clara.  Grand Central Station is beautiful...apparently it, too, has received a recent renovation.  We all hopped back on the subway and headed south to meet Peter's wife Nan in Chinatown where we ducked into an art supply store to browse and warm up.  This was the most fabulous art supply store I have ever seen--everything, 5 floors of every color of anything you'd want to create your own masterpiece.  Pearl Art & Craft.

Peter treated us to dinner at one of their favorite Chinese restaurants.  It had been years since Gregg and Peter had seen each other so the 'catching up' was fast and furious before we all found ourselves dashing down the street to catch the next train.  Thursday, 6a.m. taxi ride to JFK.  Homeward.

Nan, Clara and Peter

Week 14 &15: Passion in peculiar places.

Our mornings over these two weeks were pretty routine with 'school' work.  But the beauty, as we keep learning, is the flexibility.  One Wednesday I went skiing with my boys--first time on the slopes for Seth and me.  It was the nicest day of skiing I have ever had:  we were all on the same page as far as run selection and difficulty level, the snow was soft everywhere including McConkeys and under Thaynes, no crowds, no lines, perfect temp.  Best of all, after several runs, Grant asked Seth for advice on how he was skiing.  Seth gave him a critique, Grant then applied it to the next several runs and made major improvements and knew it was because he had listened to Seth's advice.  This was a huge divergence from years past when unsolicited advice was generously given but not well received, much less heeded.   Seth is passionate about skiing.  It meant the world to him that he and Grant had reached this milestone of skiing together.  It meant the world to me to see it unfold. The very next day Gregg had signed Seth up for a ski training session on carpet at The Ski Institute.  The man running it was a USU graduate named Alan Schoenberger who was a friend of a friend.  Seth and Grant took in their own boots and  Seth harnessed up first --he ate it up and I think Alan really appreciated all of his questions and ability to synthesize what he learned.  

Seth 'lays the b****es over'

Grant soaked up a lot of what was being said during Seth's session and then had a turn as well.  When I got home I googled Alan and found out that  he's an even more incredibly interesting individual than what comes to the surface during the first meeting.  He has many passions and seems to have been good at all of them.  One write up talked about his 2002 Winter Olympic one-man-show:

Alan is a man who has combined many passions and turned them into a business.

""Schoenberger Skis the Stage," is a bizarre anomaly of a theater that happens to be entertaining, artistic, and completely delightful. The one-man show stars Alan Schoenberger, a world champion freestyle skier who is a gifted performance artist. Talents for mime, clowning, magic, juggling, dance and skiing are combined into an impressive new art form. Words are not missed in this unspoken performance." Salt Lake Tribune 2002.
All this ski business inspired Grant to build a box for doing tricks.  He and Gregg spent hours and though, here a month or so later I have to admit I don't know if it's been used but  sometimes that's beside the point .




By the 1st Sat. in December the house and tree were all decorated for Christmas and the season's social calendar amped up a few notches, as it always does.  The 2nd Saturday we were packed and ready for our trip to New York City!  Really, it was crazy, totally spontaneous (other than it's been on our list of things to do for a long time)...sometime in the first week of December Gregg said, "How about a trip to NYC?"  And by the end of the next week I had flights, hotel reservations, play tickets, CityPass, maps and guides!

Week 13: Thanksgiving/Grant's 13th birthday

The usual 3-1/2 hour drive took 5 hours, the last 2 to cover about 50 miles.  Lounge time at the Olmsteads was a welcome 'activity' while waiting for Kate to complete her 2 week road trip ending with the annual Thanksgiving gathering.

 We spend Thanksgiving with Gregg's family.  Usually it's in Twin Falls where 4 of his sisters live, sometimes it's in Boise where his brother and other sister live, once we had it at The Big House when we lived on Deseret Land and Livestock and once we had it in Park City about 10 years ago.

Of the 17 grandchildren 11 made it to Twin Falls though Vanessa was at her boyfriend's for the obligatory 'cousins' picture.  The Blackwoods hosted the feast this year.

Grant generally finds his way to Eila at the family gatherings.

 Back in 1997 we made our annual trek to Twin Falls for Thanksgiving and came home with a baby.  The day after Thanksgiving, after Gregg had gone pheasant hunting with the boys, Grant decided to come on out.  With 2 physcial therapists and one nurse for sisters-in-law I was in good hands, they took me to the hospital and assisted me in every way.  Gregg has always said it was the best birthing experience out of the 4--he came in just in time to hold the baby.  So, for the whole family, Grant has given an extra special meaning to Thanksgiving.

Gregg, Nancy, Seth, Julie, Kate and Grant.

The day after Thanksgiving we headed to the hills for Christmas trees.  Gregg's sisters were already halfway up the hillside by the time our family got out of the car and put on our mittens.  And they managed to cut all their trees by the time we located, cut and hauled our single tree down the mountain.  But, oh what a tree.  It "spoke" to Nancy from the woods, and she called out, "DAD, I found it!!"  It was perfect.

The Christmas tree outing in the South Hills.

Grant, Seth and Cousin Gregg

 Often, we'll have a big birthday celebration in Twin Falls but this year we left Saturday afternoon, after Gregg, Seth and Grant got back from their duck hunting expedition with 'cousin Gregg'.  There is no one more passionate about duck hunting than cousin Gregg and it was a treat for all 'my' boys to spend the morning with the ultimate duck-hunting guide doing what he loves to do most.

Swiss-bobbing in Iron Canyon for Grant's birthday.

Kate's cupcake creation--make a wish!

Sunday we celebrated Grant's birthday by going Swiss-bobbing down Iron Canyon--an hour hike up, 10 minutes of screaming fun coming down. The goal was to make it all the way without popping your balloon--poor Kate's balloon expired on the way down..  For lunch Grant requested his favorite--Karleen's Uptown Fare at the top of Main Street.  Since we never have Thanksgiving leftovers we all craved our favorite soup and sandwich place and were excited that it was Grant's first choice.  Karleen roasts a turkey every day and makes the best turkey sandwiches.  We pulled up and there it was: the handwritten note taped to the inside of the darkened window, "Cook your own damn turkey!" They'd be gone until the 8th or something, NOOOOOO.... did she leave a phone #?  couldn't she just come and make a couple sandwiches?  We settled for Wasatch Brew Pub across the street.  After lunch Grant got to play (sorry, 'hang out') with Will, then we all went to Megamind and followed up with cupcakes.  We only wish Nancy could have been with us.

Week 12: Back to the ranch

Returned from the New Mexico trip in the afternoon, cleaned out the RV and returned it to SLC, left for Elko the next day.  One great part about leaving later in the day is stopping in at the Salt Flats Grill just this side of Wendover.  This is an authentic Mexican restaurant, attached to a gas station, on the turn-off to the Salt Flats.  There can be some really interesting folks in there at certain times of the year.  We stayed in Elko at Gregg's favorite motel--The Thunderbird--an older place where the ladies at the front desk greet him with friendly, cigarette-tinged voices.


Carol Evans is a woman who is passionate about what she does, and she's done a lot to improve rangeland riparian areas and Lahontan Cutthroat trout across Nevada--plus she could hike your socks off!  We spent the morning with her and Jim (the hydrologist) in the remote '6-mile' pasture which is bisected by the Rock Creek gorge.  There were flakes of rock showing that Native Americans thought it was a great place.  The purpose of our trip was to determine if the spring could be developed into a viable water source for cattle.

Gregg, Jim and Carol Evans.

Grant's 7th Grade "school picture".  6-mile.

Boarding the bus for another day of school.

We made it out to Jesse and Ricarda's in time for dinner followed by a partner's meeting.  Jessse and Ricarda Braatz along with Ricarda's parents, Dick and Mary Bradbury, are partners with Gregg in leasing the ranch.  Grant and I spent several hours sitting in on meetings about how this year went and plans for next year.  The meeting continued at Dick and Mary's the next morning and reconvened once more back at Jesse and Ricarda's in the evening.  We came prepared to set up house at Squaw again but it made more sense to just stay with the Braatz's at Lower Clovers--plus it was a lot of fun to get to know their family a little better.  Definitely brought back fond memories of raising our three older kids out on Deseret.  Of course I was a 'city gal' coming to live on a ranch and Ricarda was raised ranching so her kids are getting the whole experience!  One time toward the end of summer when they had started gathering and we were staying out at Squaw, Ricarda drove up: 6 horses in the trailer, 4 kids strapped in car-seats in the crew cab  She was taking 'relief' horses up to cowboy camp and kids up to camp for the night.  Ricarda's friend Tania and her two little girls were staying at Lower Clovers and trading off with child care while the other gathered steers with the cowboys.  Gathering was the preferred option for these cowgirls. Anyway,  I was so impressed with the fact that Ricarda had loaded these horses and kids and was heading out!  We found out later that she had gotten a flat tire on the deepest-powdery-dust section of the road, unloaded all the kids, and had started changing the tire when providence intervened and a truck load of guys from Midas happened by--Midas has a population of about 40 and is an hour from the next closest town.  By this time the kids had decided that the fluffy dirt from the road was as much fun as beach sand and had covered each other up in it--oh the life of a ranch kid!

The skies and landscape provide endless beauty.

And little brother Robin, says, "Me too."

Maura helps in the kitchen.

The Braatz and Bradbury's are associated with Country Natural Beef and raise some of their own cattle out on the ranch.  They care about all aspects of raising happy cattle and so weaning is a longer, gentler, quieter process.  I say 'quieter' (even though I don't think it's a word) from experience.  A month ago when we arrived on the Hamilton ranch it was the day the calves were weaned and we listened to the cows and calves bawl all night long.  Imagine how stressful it is for the calf AND the cow to be with each other one minute and then sorted off the next.  B&B uses a device called a 'blab'--a plastic nose ring the shape of a very tight "C" that is bent open, placed in the nose, doesn't hurt the calf but bothers the cow enough that she, over the course of a week, is not interested in nursing, produces less milk and weans the calf herself.  We went out to 'help' the day the 'blab' was to be removed from the last batch.
      While the cowboys were bringing the cows and calves in to the corral Jesse asked us to go round up a group of calves that had been de-blabbed last week.   Jesse showed Grant how to saddle up Maresy and it was a big next step for him to climb up and ride out, solo, to find the calves while Gregg checked out where they were going to put them back through.  Grant did great getting them headed in the right direction but they refused to go through the gate.  These calves had been without parental supervision for a week or so, had formed a gang and were feeling feisty, stubborn and disobedient like any pack of tweenagers.  Usually Gregg will find the leader, get that one going and the others will follow but I think because it was such a newly formed gang that they were all vying for the leader spot.   Grant is at the stage of horseback riding where he can ride drag and feel helpful but not quite to the chasing-after-wiley-calves stage.  Maresy figured that out FAST.  Grant wanted OFF.  So I got ON.  I'm apparently not too far ahead of Grant in horse skills, the calves broke, Maresy and I gave chase but she had a different plan and I couldn't get her to turn them.  I stopped her, recalled my 'turning circles' lesson in college while Gregg buzzed after them on the quad, he got them back near the opening, Maresy and I walked over, blocked the escape route down the fence-line and waited for them to see the opening but they broke AGAIN, we chased and as soon as Maresy was in a gallop all she could think of was the barn.  Now I thought back to my Buffalo Bill Historical Society ride in Cody where an outfitter supplied the horses but some folks brought their own who liked to trot along a quick clip.  Though I wanted to ride with Gregg and his horse, who was happy to look at the scenery, my horse didn't want any damn 'outsider' to be in the lead, so I drew upon my 'turning circles' lesson so I could wait for Gregg.  I ended up in the dust, the other trotters came back to help me (psychologically) get back in the saddle and I saw Gregg an hour or so later at the lunch stop.  He came (what's the name of the gait that is slower than a walk?) 'strolling' up and said he was so proud to see galloping up the hills with the other riders...then I took off my hat and glasses and showed him my shiner...later, he saw my other bruises.  ANYWAY, Maresy and I trotted back to the barn, she got some oats, Gregg and Grant ended up getting the calves through a different opening.

Grant rides Maresy out to collect a few calves that had gotten out while Gregg, on quad, opens the gate--before all hell breaks loose.

Ty 

Dick and Bill 

Ty and Adam worked as a team in the corral, and Dick and Bill were a team in the alley way.  It was a beautiful thing to watch them sort the calves off of the cows.  A tiny movement here, one step back there, timing, experience--it was like watching seasoned doubles tennis.

Dick removes the 'blab' from the calf.

Our last day on the ranch was spent driving up to cowboy camp while the soggy roads were still slightly frozen, dismantling the wall tent, and then scouting for steers up Rock Creek while Gregg took pictures of the BLM 'critical site' in that pasture.  By the time we dropped off the tent, Jesse and Ricarda had already left for a much needed Thanksgiving break while Dick and Mary would hold down the fort, and feed all the animals.

Week 11: Carbon Ranching

1-800-RV4rent...that's what we did the 2nd week in November.  The theory was that we'd be doing quite a bit of driving, it'd be cold and dark early and that it'd be a fun way to travel for Grant.  We also envisioned that Gregg would be able to get some work done at the kitchen table while I drove.  I spent a whole day getting the RV stocked with food, bed, bath and kitchen stuff.  Our destination was the Quivera Coalition conference in Albuquerque, NM.  We left Park City in the dark in a snow storm, which thankfully turned to rain 1/2 way down Provo Canyon.  The first thing we noticed about the RV is that it's really loud!  Lot's of rattling and wind.  I'm not sure if this style of RV is louder than others but it definitely changed our expectation of making the 'getting there' as enjoyable as the 'being there'.  First stop was Goblin Valley where we pulled into the vacant trailhead for Little Wild Horse, made sandwiches and ate in the RV (that was fun!) and then headed up the slot canyon.  Blustery skies and cool weather may have been one reason we had the canyon to ourselves...

 

After leaving Goblin Valley we headed to Natural Bridges Nat'l Monument.  It was raining by the time we got there so we just drove the loop and checked out every scenic overlook then pulled right in to a campsite.  This was the great part of RV-ing.  Parked, pushed a button, had power and heat, made dinner, read, did an art lesson and went to bed.  The next morning we rose early, hiked down to Sipapu Bridge and then hit the road while having breakfast.

Next destination was Chaco Canyon.  Once again we had the 'beat the crowd' experience. We wandered around Pueblo Bonito and Pueblo Arroyo, using the walking tour guide pamphlets while enjoying the whole place to ourselves!   

Our final destination was the Quivera Coalition Conference in Albuquerque.  The Quivera Coalition is an organization founded in 1997 by a rancher and two conservationists to 'promote economical, ecological and social health on western landscapes.'  As you can imagine, it is supported by a wonderfully diverse group of people--where hippies and cowboys come together for the common goal of land health.  This year's conference was titled, "The Carbon Ranch: Using Food and Stewardship to Build Soil and Fight Climate Change."  Soil and water scientists, environmentalists, ranchers, farmers and philosophers all gave presentations that left me feeling very hopeful.  After 3 days of listening to these folks Grant decided he might like to be a rancher when he grows up.  Grant was one of the youngest attendees but there were quite a few relatively young people--the 20-30 somethings--so vital since the vast majority of people in agriculture are over 60.  Next year's conference will feature these Young Agrarians.

Week 7 Water: soothing, flowing, shooting from the earth.

We started this week with a trip to see Dr. Stevens at Primary Children's for a check-up on Grant's feet.  He had the screws removed from both feet right after school was out and we thought he'd be out of commission for a few weeks and then jump right back into soccer, Young Riders and tennis.  He didn't do any of those things but replaced them with physical therapy and swimming (he discovered he's a natural).  Anyway, the feet checked out o.k. so off we went to Lava Hotsprings with a stop in Weston, ID to visit Eric, our GIS specialist and computer guru in his basement: 'mission control'.  Since Grant did some monitoring earlier we thought it'd be  a good follow-up to see where a lot of the work is done.  Eric told us about his trip to Lava and how he and his wife both loved having a water massage "Watsu" while at the Inn.  Gregg loves massage, me? not so much... but I envisioned floating, partially submerged while jets of water ran up and down my body--that sounded good so we made appointments after we left Eric's.  Eric also suggested going by way of Red Rock Pass--where the ancient Lake Bonneville broke its banks--interesting rest stop.   Pulled into Lava Inn just in time to throw our bags in the adjoining rooms, have a bit of dinner and suit up for the massage--I went first.


It didn't involve jets of water.  It was dark, the masseuse had partitioned off one end of the pool.  For an hour I closed my eyes while he cradled my head on one arm and legs on the other, alternately letting go of one arm or leg,  flinging and twirling me around, letting the resistance of the water stretch and massage.  Remember as a child having an adult grab one leg and one arm and twirling you in the air?  There was no chit-chat.  What a physical workout for him and what a mental workout for me to totally surrender my physical space and try to clear my mind of thoughts of what in the world Gregg was going to do when it was his turn--several of the moves involved floating in front of the masseuse with my head on his shoulder, my cheek next to his  bearded face...I'm thinking 'Gregg's going to be here rubbing whiskers with this guy!'  I didn't know whether to feel a little bit disturbed or burst out laughing.  For a few moments I was able to be mature and enjoy the experience but as soon as I was done I rushed upstairs to the room and warned Gregg, "All I can say is 'surrender'."  Grant and I tried out all the other pools while Gregg had his session and I think he was thankful for my advice and enjoyed the experience as much as I did :^) .  Ahhh...now we were all relaxed and ready for a good night's sleep.  NOT.  Our bed was like vinyl lawn furniture that made loud crunchy sounds with every move, our room was nice and cool because I had cracked open the window however 6 train whistles later our 5:15 alarm went off and I was more relieved to get out of bed than rested.  While I was packing up, Gregg went in the adjoining room to rouse Grant.  "Oh my God!", he gasped.  I rushed in to find him 'testing' the mattress.  I confirmed it was firm, quiet, and his window was shut--he slept like a baby.  I wish he had his driver's license!
We made our 10a.m. breakfast meeting in Twin Bridges, MT and spent the rest of the day touring the Hamilton Ranch with Ben Pierce.  The ranch completely surrounds the town and is beautiful with four rivers flowing through or nearby: the Bighole, Jefferson, Beaverhead and Ruby.  It's a fisherman's bonanza everywhere you turn.  One of the most unique stops on our tour was at a 3-story circular barn built in the 1880's in which was born a horse named Spokane who went on to win the Kentucky Derby in 1889.  Before dinner we were in need of a little down-time at 'the bunkhouse' on the ranch--a dwelling, similar to the Weasley's tent at the Quidditch tournament, that, once inside, seems to magically expand way beyond it's rugged exterior.  I'm talking Deer Valley deluxe.  Twin Bridges has another gem:  The Old Hotel; be sure to make reservations.
Yellowstone is like a pilgrimage.  Feels like going home.  After leaving the bunkhouse we threw some flies in the river then headed toward Yellowstone via Ennis, Virginia City.  Wow, have you ever seen the devastation from gold dredging in Alder gulch near Virginia City?  It's sad.  And did I hear that some of that money went to fund Harvard? I should check that out before saying it but if it's true, it's not right at all.  We secured the last room at the Snow Park Inn and spent the evening at Old Faithful Inn lobby reading, people watching and marveling at the architecture.


Next morning we had one of what will become many 'beat the crowd' experiences as we scraped the frost off the bench and watched the sun rise over Old Faithful as it spouted off through the clouds of steam.