Well, my friends, it’s that time of year again…  time to adjust your clocks and sundials.  In case you’re confused, I believe you’re supposed to Fall ahead and Spring backward, but I’m not positive about that.  (I’m retired, so I don’t wear a watch.)  Nonetheless, you must conform, lest you intend to oversleep tomorrow morning.  (Like me)  I would normally post a “rant” about losing one hour of the day, but I don’t want to get into any more trouble on the Internet.  Besides, I have always felt that there is a very thin line between “I should post that on Facebook” and “I should see my therapist about that.”

If memory serves, I promised to write a tad more about my recent adventures in Yellowstone National Park…  The east entrance is a reasonable drive from Cody, Wyoming.  This year the park was celebrating its 147th year (being open to the public) but I think the place is actually a few years older.  (11 or 12 million years at the very least!)  The park encompasses about 2.2 million acres, and as many of you know, it contains more geysers than any other spot on earth.  (We had a few old geysers on our bus, but they seldom “spouted off!”)  Wait a minute, make that “old geezers” not “old geysers.”

We spent 3 full days driving around the park, which has to be one of God’s most beautiful creations.  (Just behind my grand-daughters)  I loved every minute of our trip, but was often amused by some of the signs posted by the National Park Service.  One sign (written in 5 different languages!) reminded visitors to keep at least 100 yards away from grizzly bears and wolves.  No offense, but if you have to be reminded to avoid a close encounter of the edible kind, you should not be allowed to wander around a park!

Of course, there are exceptions to the above rule…  several guys from New Jersey got into a little trouble searching for wildlife.  (No, not loose women!)  They heard that there were moose and elk in the park, so they began to look for their lodge.  Silly boys.

One day, we toured an organic potato farm, which was surprisingly interesting.  (The place had a lot of “appeal”)  In fact, we got to peel a few spuds during our stop, which were then used to make vodka!  This fun stop put me in a contemplative mood, and here is my conclusion about potatoes…  Potatoes make French fries, chips, and vodka.  It’s like the other vegetables aren’t even trying.

To be perfectly honest, it would be impossible to single out any one sight in Yellowstone Park.  This place is truly a national treasure, and I would have to say it is absolutely one of the most stunningly gorgeous spots on earth.  Just as lovely as Positano or the Greek Islands, but in a different way.  Best part?  You don’t have to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to be amazed by nature.

Incidentally, one of the coolest features of Yellowstone is the enormous variety of wildlife.  While gathered around a campfire, telling tall tales, we spotted a herd of wild horses (at the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Area) and hundreds of free-roaming bison.  If you’re lucky, you will also see a few bald eagles.  (We saw two of them, and another eagle with a toupee.)  What can I say, birds of a feather flock together.

Next time we shall head on down to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which was the last stop on our trip.  Luckily, I was drawn back to this majestic area for a wedding in Aspen, Colorado, so be prepared for more hair-raising adventures.  (Who would want to raise hair?  A barber?)  God, I’m so deep.

Well, before you depart, scroll down to the bottom of this post and take a gander at some of my Yellowstone photographs.  By the way, be careful if you take a real gander, as they have sharp beaks.  (I’m just trying to get your goose!)  All right, I know what you’re thinking, these jokes are for the birds!  Stop squawking.

Yikes, I don’t know what’s come over me this morning!  (So many bad puns!)  Well, have a great week, and please keep the following “deep thought” in mind:

“We come from dust and we shall return to dust…  which is precisely why you should never dust…  It could be someone you know!”

Take care, dear friends,

Love to all,

Doc Yanoff