End Game

Once again our spring trip has come to an end. If at all possible we like to return home via Teton and Yellowstone. It begins the winding down from a lot of driving.

This year, upon leaving Las Vegas, we journeyed to Sedona to visit our friends at Garland's Rugs, on through the Navajo and Hopi reservations seeking out trading posts and shops that are home to hidden treasures, Santa Fe, Jackson, the Parks, Cody, Bozeman and home.

My favorite place though is always, always, the Parks. Time of day and route made wildlife sighting less than ideal but two old boys were sopping up the cool rays along the shore of Yellowstone Lake.

Heavy construction heading for the east entrance ended my hopes of seeing anything more. We laughed because I'm always searching for the ever elusive moose. My thoughts were that since we couldn't stop even if we did spot one became prophetically untrue.

Actually we had just left the boundaries of the park and there he was. Knee deep in marsh munching away to his heart's content - and mine. I got my moose!

That made the trip.

And actually I had a bonus. I don't consider the vacation officially over until tomorrow because of the holiday, so I figure a bear sighting counts. We were on our way home from a nursery trip to Plains, Montana. There were no mountain sheep to be seen around Thompson Falls, but returning home via Thompson Pass there he was. Sitting atop a road cut surveying his kingdom. Unfortunately I wasn't camera ready and by the time I was he spooked and headed back into the cover. Darn.

Funny. All the excitement of Vegas, great food and wine, spectacular art in Santa Fe and Jackson - my heart still beats fastest at seeing wildlife in the wild. I'm really easy to please!