Note to reader: This is a post from Bill - I believe it's the second one since I started the blog many moons ago! --------------------- I woke up around 3 a.m. this morning, as I do almost every morning these days, and thought about turning fifty today and what the future will bring. If you'd asked me ten years ago about turning fifty, chances are 50/50 (no pun intended) that I would have answered, "I doubt I'll make it to fifty." Why I thought that then is unclear to me, but it turns out it was more accurate than I would have liked. Several years of battling cancer, recovering from that battle, both physically and emotionally, and trying to help my family stay healthy definitely took its toll. So, to my forties, I say, "don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out; but if it does, good riddance!" Despite the challenges of the last decade, I have learned so much about being human; perhaps more than I wanted. Nothing like having everyone ...
We are hoping that the screaming that has begun to emanate from our 'perfect' child is a result of the time change as we traveled to Kauai (or possibly, teething.) We are certain that it is not, for instance, that she has been taken over by some evil force. However, Bill is wondering if insurance will cover the deafness he is experiencing in his left ear. All that aside, Kauai is as beautiful as always, and maybe our hearing will recover in time to hear the roosters in the morning.
The kids both wanted to try a trail ride, so we were able to book a one-hour ride at the nearby stable in Canyon Village. We booked the ride in the morning to avoid the heat, and had the added bonus of being able to drive through Hayden Valley early in the day, when our chances of seeing some wildlife were greater. So - up early again, and we were out the door promptly at 7. Since our ride didn't start until 9:15, we had some time to explore along the way. Since it was a cold morning, we saw a lot of steam coming from the earth that we hadn't noticed during our drive in. We pulled off into the almost completely empty parking lot where there is a short walkway around bubbling mud pots that leads to a feature called the Dragon's Mouth. Bubbling mud pots in Yellowstonr The audio doesn't come through very well, but this cave lets off periodic bursts of steam, along with what sounds like a huge, forceful exhale. It's pretty cool. Continuing on, we wound ou...