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Bluebird of Happiness

We’ve set aside tomorrow for a trip to Yellowstone. Selected as an auspicious day by the happy collision of Memorial Day vacationers having left the park and the weather predicted to be the sunniest with pleasant not-too-cold and not-too-hot temperatures. Hayden Valley is about two hours away. The original plan was to stop there, but all of our neighbors think Lamar Valley further north is the place to go. 

The day feels over by 7 am

22 degrees at 5:15 on a Memorial Weekend morning — are you kidding me?? We stick close to home this time and decide to photograph one of the two Moulton barns that we can see out behind the cabin. Already the space for taking the iconic photo of the barn is colonized by a flock of photographers. Okay, so we find more creative places to wait for the sun to rise.

Another workday

Just before sunset we went over the Blacktail Overlook where Dave had seen moose last week. The snake river meanders below the overlook. It was once a beaver pond which has now filled in with   meadow and habitat favored by elk, moose, geese, ducks, hummingbirds, and yellow warblers. We got to try out new tripods — though mostly just on landscape shots.

Wow, are we pooped!

Just a few miles up the road from the cabin is a place called Schwabacher’s Landing. More than just a highway turnout, it is an access road down to the Snake River. I mentioned this place in an earlier travel log. Well, the parking lot was packed and a few vehicles dropped off a dozen photo excursion attendees. Almost instantly the riverbanks which had the magic combination of being  aligned with the Grand Teton and a quiet body of water are claimed by a wicket of tripods guarding massive camera bags. 

We can see as far as the driveway.

Thick and low clouds blanketed the hills to the east this morning, making us doubt that the sun could penetrate the gloom and light up the peaks this morning. But we got lucky and for a few moments watched dawn come to the Tetons. Over night snow visited the elevations around us and we could see fields that had been green yesterday look like cakes that had been dusted with powdered sugar.