Keeping Memories

Some people collect things: thimbles, shot glasses, coffee mugs, or any one of a dozen types of things emblazoned with the names and images of the places they have been. Some people collect toy critters: bears, frogs, raccoons, puppies and kittens or things with images of the same. 

Some are more practical than others. I buy socks. I claim they have a function, but do I really need more socks than I can wear in the week between washings? Craig's drawers are starting to fill up with t-shirts. Is he really buying a shirt as a needed garment? Or as a part of his collection? 

Why do we buy this stuff? I think we really trying to capture and possess a time, place or experience. We as a species are collectors, and we want to surround ourselves with tokens that will remind us of good times. 

Nothing wrong with that. Besides it keeps the Chinese factories busy.

This blog is my way of trying to save the memories. Someday, when we are off the road I will be able to look back and remember some of the best days of my life. One of the nice things about blogging is it doesn't take drawer space.

With that in mind, Wednesday was another good day. 

Mike and Sandy, fellow bloggers, joined us at Valley View RV park. We were able to play Yellowstone tour guides for the day, just as our new Alfa friends, Betty and Joe, had done for us the week before.

Our day both started and ended with stormy conditions, but we were very lucky to have a period of excellent sunny weather long enough to see a few highlights of the park.

Old Faithful

We had an unremarkable lunch at the lodge cafeteria, and saw a pretty good eruption of Old Faithful Geyser. Much better than our experience in the rain a few days earlier!

Then we drove over to Firehole River Drive and were lucky enough to see an eruption of Grand Fountain Geyser:

Grand Fountain Geyser has a very large, slightly terraced runoff pool. The vent is large and although the height of the eruptions is not as high as some, the hot water splashes quite far and with enough volume to spill over the pool.

Notice how white and fluffy the clouds are in the picture above. 

The next picture was taken about ten minutes later, at White Dome Geyser which is only about a quarter mile away!

This is my favorite picture we have taken at Yellowstone.

The White Dome Geyser has a very narrow vent, causing the water to shoot straight up and the mineral deposits to build up in a dome around it. 

By the time we drove another quarter mile to the Fountain Paint Pots, a very cold wind came up and we knew our tourist day was just about ended. Mike wanted to show Sandy a mud pot, and there was one at that location. By the time we reached it, the rain started and the few pictures we took were not very good, so I lifted this one from the web:

Photo from Web, Taken by Rick

We really did have a very special day and collected a few great memories. Mike and Sandy had to leave on Thursday because they needed to have a problem on their towed checked out before traveling much further, and there were no available mechanics in West Yellowstone or Island Park.

We know we will see them again, probably at the Quartzsite Blogger meet in January, but until then we hope they have a smooth and safe drive where ever they go.

Life is good.