Living Things

I find it interesting that something as delicate as a flower can survive in an area that seems impossible for life. From the tracks you can see the animals walk on the dangerous thermal grounds. They must know what they are doing, I would not even think about walking over that ground without the boardwalks. Some of the boardwalks were old, creaky and wobbily...it made me a bit nervous I must say. These are some really nice (and some very interesting) flowers, along with bison tracks that I took pictures of in Yellowstone, at the Geyser Park. I find it most interesting that normal looking mountain flowers grow next to what looks like outer space flowers all in the same area!

Old Faithful!

So, our friends from Kyrgystan invited us to Jackson, Wyoming to go see Yellowstone. I knew it was a huge park, as it spans over 3 states. However, I did not know that the "little" circle on the map was actually so enormous! We were planing to drive from Jackson, through the Teton National Park to Yellowstone National Park. From there we wanted to drive around the ring starting with Old Faithful, then continuing to Artist Point waterfalls. Needless to say we never made it past Old Faithful, as it was a 3 hour trip just to Old Faithful. And that was only 1/4 of the ring we wanted to drive...it would have taken at lease another 3 hours to get to Artist Point..and then a 6 hour drive back to Jackson....no thanks! As grateful as I was to our friends for inviting us and showing us the sights, I was in the back of their van feeling carsick the whole time...so it was not worth it really for me. I told Machiel from now on we either go camping or visit real cities!

Holy Steam! It's a Geyser Batman!

The geysers were awesome! They made loud noises; hissing, blowing, boiling and bubbling. They were a sight! David and Mireem sitting together, I tried to get a picture of them holding hands (too cute) but then someone stepped in front of my picture and they let go. Machiel was touching the water that sprayed up next to the boardwalk...crazy guy!

Shocking Orange Bacterial Mats

In Yellowstone's hot waters, bacteria form mats of bizarre shapes consisting of trillions of individuals. These bacteria are some of the most primitive life forms on earth. Flies and other arthropods live on the mats, even in the middle of the bitterly cold winters. Initially, scientists thought that microbes there gained sustenance only from sulfur. In 2005, researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder discovered that the sustenance for at least some of the diverse hyperthermophilic species is molecular hydrogen.[52]
Thermus aquaticus is a bacterium found in the Yellowstone hot springs produces an important enzyme that is easily replicated in the lab and is useful in replicating DNA as part of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process. The retrieval of these bacteria can be achieved with no impact to the ecosystem. Other bacteria in the Yellowstone hot springs may also prove useful to scientists who are searching for cures for various diseases.[53] So, the bacteria is awesome...and it looks cool!

Cool Blue...More like Hot!

These are hot springs in Yellowstone. As beautiful and clear and blue these waters are...they are not cool and refreshing. These are hot enough to kill! In fact a boy 9years of age fell into the Cresent Pool (the really big 'rounded' one) and died. Now they have boardwalks and signs everywhere saying to stay off of the thermal grounds. Sam didn't like it, but he had to stay buckled into his stroller the whole time for his safety. They are amazing though!

Fountain Paint Pots

In Yellowstone we see these 'hot springs' that are thick with mud or very murky water. These are called Paint Pots as it looks like paint bubbling. Near the paint pots was a fallen tree with really cool looking roots that the children wanted to climb, and that I wanted a picture of! I found it interesting that this little pine tree was thriving in the thermal grounds that appear to be barren.

The Grand Tetons

So, the Tetons are some big and beautiful mountains. We had to drive through the Teton National Park in order to get to the Yellowstone National Park. It was a really long day in the car...but beautiful scenery!

Teton County Fair

The Country Fair was going on while we were there. We took the kids to see the animals. Sam didn't want to pet or feed any of the animals...so he just watched. David went around with Mireem, the daughter of our friends that we went with. She is about 1 1/2 older than David. They had fun feeding the animals and giving Ada the cow a good brush. The baby pigs were so cute! The little one with the black spots was like the same size David and Sam were when they were born! :)

You Gotta Eat!

So, Jackson, Wyoming is a very touristy little place. The restaurants are expensive, and not because the food is so incredible...probably more that everything has to be shipped in clear out to the middle of nowhere. But, I did like Jedediah's original house of sourdough. Apparently, they have been using the same sourdough starter from 1870...so that is cool. They make their own sourdough bread, biscuits and pancakes...which I did like the pancakes and toast, but the biscuits were wrong textured (most likely from being reheated in the microwave). I was impressed that they also use real maple syrup...as I won't buy any other kind. Their menu is a newspaper with a menu inside and facts and stories of the history from around Jackson, Wyoming. I thought one was funny enough to take a picture of and put up here. We also went to a family saloon, which of course is no longer a saloon, they don't even serve beer...just really tastey Wyoming made bottled sodas...David had Old fashioned rootbeer, Machiel had sasparilla, and Sam and I shared a huckleberry one. Anyways, this 'saloon' was a dinner theater. There was a misunderstanding and we ended up not seeing the show, but the waitresses and waiters were the actors in the play. They sang and entertained as we ate our dinner. The boys really liked sitting on the saddle stools!

Jackson, Wyoming

Just some shots around Jackson, Wyoming. The antler arches I am standing next to I thought were made from killing a whole load of elk. But, apparently, elk shed their antlers every late winter/early spring. So, it made me feel better about the whole display. David loves to climb any tree he sees...and as you can see, Sam is curious about all things, including how clean a bison nose is.

Scenic drive on the way home

Coming home from Wyoming I took pictures through the window at some nice scenes. As you can see it is through the closed window...there are weird reflections. Still good pics though.

Weston is 4!

My nephew Weston is 3 months older than Sam, and they are best friends! Weston wanted a Pirate Birhtday Cake...so here is what I came up with. I realize now I should have cut the cake lengthwise instead of widethwise to make the ship cake...next time! It worked out alright though..because he was so excited when he saw it! It was a dark chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and peanutbutter frosting. Super rich! We have to remind Sam at every birthday not to blow out someone elses candles! That stinker!

"My name is David van Frankenhuijsen, you killed my father, prepare to die!" name replaced quote from the Princess Bride

David wanted to do fencing. So, we signed him up and not only does he love it, but he is good at it too! His begining class is over and he may start again in Fall depending on his commitment, as Fencing is not a cheap sport. It is AWESOME though!