We finished a full week of work for Bud. He has been fighting a virus then a sinus infection since we arrived on June 5th. I guess I had it when we left Nashville thinking it was "allergies" from visiting North Carolina. I got a little better and then it hit again like a torpedo. (We spoke to a nurse in Nashville who had this virus and she described our symptoms to a "T". Said it had been going around Nashville and it was really bad - takes about 3 weeks to run it's course). Bud was about 8 days behind me in his symptoms and it hit him right at the beginning of our training. We visited the Mammoth Clinic and they said it had to run it's course and he was acclimating to the elevation at the same time. A week passed and he was no better - maybe even worse. So on Monday the 16th we drove to Livingston and saw a doctor who was a little older and very attuned to Bud's needs. He gave him Levaquin and a codeine cough syrup. He worked Tuesday thru Saturday and each day was a little better. Everyone we work with here is so helpful and have done everything they can to make life easier for Bud.
So between working from 1:30-10PM these past five days, slow internet service and Bud being under the weather - our blog time has taken a beating!! I think the best we can do this year is once a week and hopefully from here on out we can be more consistent.
We are running over with bears this year. We have two families of blacks. One mama has 2 cubs - they come to the small valley below the store just about every day a few times and usually stay for an hour or so. They draw a crowd, for sure. The other mama had 3 cubs abd one is cinnamon colored. We haven't seen her yet but understand she dominates in the opposite direction from the store about one-quarter from the store mile toward Roosevelt. There is a big grizzly in the area as well - probably old "Scar-face". Wolves have been seen out the Lamar Valley along with a grizzly bear mama and two cubs. She took down a fawn out on the gravel road near the Slough Creek camp ground. Wolves were also seen half way between here and Mammoth Hot Springs near the Self-Guided walk right off the main loop road. The weather is cool so hopefully that will keep them in the area a while. When it gets hot they will travel a little north from us.
We are tremendously busy in the store. We have sold 30% over the companies projected goals. The lines never end. We have 4 cash registers going all the time. We have only 8 cashiers with another coming next week from Taiwan. We ring up sales, wrap mugs and pottery, and very often have to leave our registers to find boxes to put the pottery in. It is very amazing the amounts of money people spend on gifts and souvenirs.
We meet a variety of people everyday from all the world. There have only been a few "duds" in the masses. Most people are so happy to be here. A lot of families vacation together in Yellowstone and that is always great to see. We are amazed at how many International travelers visit us and the amount of time (and money) they spend while they are here.
Our friends from last year that returned are Jean & John from Mississippi, Tom & Alice from PA, Janet from Texas, Poppi & Brenda from Florida, Danny from Arkansas, Kevin & Robin from Texas, and Brian (our Manager from Florida. There are new folks from Boston - Jack & Jill, Karen from upper state NY, Bob from Virginia (both Karen and Bob work at Roosevelt), Naomi and Jimmy who work at Roosevelt, Chuck. All but two have worked in Yellowstone before so they know the park and the system. THAT HELPS!!
We are going on a picnic today - don't know where but it will be fun wherever and whatever. Taking our books, camera and binoculars and just having a day of rest.
Tomorrow we will go back to Bozeman (I hope for the last time for a while) and get haircuts and pick up a few necessities.
Not too many pictures to post since we have been stationary fro this week.
BELOW: A Chuck wagon heading back in from a cook out.
BELOW: One of our favorite picnic spots at Soda Butte
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