Okay, I'm going to say it. Under the current leadership, this country has lost its way to the point I wonder if it will return to its former glory in my lifetime.
It's sad. Very sad. My emotions are shot. My back hurts and the meds are tearing up my innards. Lovely.
Usually, a bit earlier than this, we typically go to Yellowstone to look for bears and wolves to photograph. This year, on the advice of a friend, we tried Teton NP instead. We struck out big time. Other than Elk too far in the distance and Bison, of which I must have 10,000 photos, all we saw was a solitary coyote.
That's okay though. Just getting a change of scenery had great appeal. The Tetons were still iced with snow and were beautiful
However, getting away isn't what we expected. Lodging rates are through the roof. Of course, that is expected in Jackson. What wasn't expected was a $500 tab for two nights at the Hampton Inn where we had to ask for clean towels and they didn't even make the bed, much less provide clean linens. Okay. It has been said that they can't get the help. I don't buy it. The entire town had construction projects of one type or another underway. The workers were mostly Hispanic, of some sort, because the conversations we could hear were all in Spanish. Not that hospitality workers have to be Hispanic, by any means, but we didn't see the women. Certainly, some of the young men had wives. Or did they? I will give them credit though. They were working and I'm sure making a good wage.
Practically every business had a help wanted sign displayed. It made sense since the summer season is just around the corner and for jobs requiring training, those businesses want to get started.
Our respite from the real world was within the confines of the park, wildlife or not. It was peaceful. The air was fresh. The scenery was beautiful.
Home now, I spend a lot of time watching this year's owlets learn about life. They've gotten huge and are finding out about wings. They are adorable and entertaining. I've become very fond of our backyard as I watch their Mom and Dad wait and watch every single day.
With a weekend full of horrible shootings across the country, I'm beginning to think I don't need a change of scenery after all, especially if I have to do the housework anyway!
