July 21 - uh...

As they say, "on this date, nothing happened."  Well, not exactly true.  I went grocery shopping at the surprisingly fabulous "Broulim's" in Driggs.  I caught up (ever so slightly!!) on my blogging.  And I explored a couple National Forest Access roads (love those!).

I didn't think I had any photos to post for this entry, but guess what?!  I was wrong.  Well, you know me - there are ALWAYS photos!!!  Of everything, practically!

 Even the grocery store.  And who needs a photo of that?!  Well, Patty and I do!  To remember what a happy find this store was!

 Back at home, Ouray and Scratty check out a neighbor's doings...  Yeah, someone's always watching you when you're in an RV park...!  No privacy!  Dern nosey kids are everywhere!

 Our view from the campground - not bad, eh?!!!!  Backside of the Tetons!  And lush green pastures as foreground.  Yeah, not like living in the city, is it?

 Some of our friends.  Bill loves mules!  We waved Hello to them every time we passed by.

 Are these the fields of gold Sting sings about?  Probably not, probably those ones didn't have sprinklers or houses.  But they're pretty anyways, don't you think?! 

 The sun sets in Tetonia.

OK, so it's not THE barn, but they are THE Tetons!  (other side - not on the east side, in the park).

July 20 - To Tetonia

I can't believe it's been over a week now since we moved into our new campground, in Tetonia, ID, just 16 miles north of Victor, our previous stay.  Living in the Teton Valley (in both towns and both campgrounds) was such a treat - so incredibly beautiful and with an idyllic, rural setting that suited Bill and I so well.  Another huge treat was meeting fellow full-timers, Ray and Patty.  (we still consider ourselves full-timers, even though we go back home to our yurt in the winter!)  It added so much to our time there, getting to chat, have dinner, and play cards with our new friends!  They are very special folks, and we are certain to meet up again!  How could we not get along famously, when these two got married in...wait for it...Ouray!  Yes, Ouray, CO!!!!!  That spot so sacred to my heart and soul - they wed there some 25 years ago!

 Sweet, thoughtful, nurturing, and Winner of Card Games, Patty.  Knowledgeable, fun, Jack of All Trades, Ray.  And Lover of People and Hater of Cats, Shorty.

Bill, Ray, and Shorty share a bench for some guy time. 

Alas, now that we have moved on to Yellowstone (as of July 27th - I know, I know, I'm getting to that!), we are without our pals.  But we're so happy to have met them and are looking forward to the next time!

July 19 - Tetons, Revisited - with cameo appearance by Billy!

 On Tuesday, I wanted to take Bill back into the Tetons so he could experience the incredible beauty there again too.  We were treated by a neat storm.  But first, here's the comic relief part...

 I had heard this weird thumping noise in the back of the RV.  Went to explore and found this scene in our shower!  What a cat!!  What a character!

 Bill and I drove up to the summit of Signal Mountain.  Here's one of the great views from the top.

 And here's another.  Storm clouds are gathering over The Grand.

And over Mt. Moran and Jackson Lake.

After a late linner (lunch-dinner?), Bill poses for me on the outside deck of the Trapper Grill.  What drama enfolds behind him!

 The mountains slowly disappear as they are encompassed by storm clouds.

 The cloud veil finally passes over the lake and our car.

 And rain, finally!

 Incredible lighting over the range on our way back.

Mountain's majesty, indeed.

July 18 - Morning in the GTNP

For Monday, I committed to getting up at 4am and driving the 1 1/2 hrs into the Grand Teton National Park, to the spot of so many iconic photographic images - the Oxbow Bend.  Mount Moran and its reflection have graced the cover of Outdoor Photographer, etc., probably more than once!  But usually the most stunning images are taken in the fall, with the foreground trees glowing orange, snow on the mountain, and the perfect combination of clouds/light/no wind.  I did have some snow on the mountain - check.  But I really didn't get any of the other essentials (OK, so I went in knowing that it wasn't fall, but I was hoping the sunrise would cooperate - it didn't.  A case of be careful of what you wish for - I had wished for some clouds to add interest to the scene.  Unfortunately, I also got clouds in the east, blocking the sunrise!  Darn!).  But it was still gorgeous, and I loved it!!!  And the other good news?  My mosquito blocker worked pretty well!  Man, those guys were horrendous!  Fellow photographers were slapping, flapping, and clapping at the critters.  They had repellent on too but were still annoyed by the buggers flying into their eyes, etc., as was I.  So, anyways, here are several views of Mt. Moran (and the immediate area), since I stayed to watch as light finally hit the mountains in a constantly changing show.

 And here is a shot from the Snake River overlook.  Those Grand Tetons are pretty grand, are they not?!!

 And a few images from Shwabacher's Landing.

 And then from Antelope Flats Road, on the way to Mormon Row.  Loved this stormy day!

 The stormy, windy weather makes larger aperture, longer exposures difficult (or at least much blurrier than desired!), but you get overall consistent, soft lighting - and I just love storms!

And we'll end this entry with a shot of one of the four "antler arch" corners in the park at Jackson.   Not too keen on the crowds (and not too into all the fancy, pricey boutique shopping that seems to characterize Jackson), I didn't spend much time in this town!  Only driving through to get to the park!

July 17 - More on Victor & the Grand Targhee

Isn't this a cute, cheery sign?  Victor is part of what they call the Teton Scenic Byway (along with Driggs and Tetonia), and they're not kidding!  Have I mentioned lately how incredibly beautiful it is here and how much we love it?!!!

 A sign in this one store (that I know you anglers will appreciate!) that is actually famous for its...

huckleberry milkshakes!  And they are spot on!  Those shakes are super good - yes, even I (who am still eating Atkins style) had to have a few gulps!  Yum!!!!

 A look at Victor.  OK, there's a bit more going on in this town that what you see - this is just one side of the road and one end of town.  But if you multiply this scene by four, you'd about have it.  Pretty small, but just right!

As well as a super milkshake in Victor and great pizza (Bill) and salad (Carrie!) in Driggs, we also drove up to the Grand Targhee Resort.  It's actually in Wyoming but to get there you have to go through Idaho!  It's in Alta, WY, which is JUST over the border from Driggs, ID.  We had planned to ride the chairlift at this ski resort located on the western side of the Tetons, but because they were having a fancy, famous Music Fest thing, they wanted to charge us $10 just to park!  Seemed ridiculous to us (vs. free on any other day!), so we decided to just enjoy the drive.  And check out the above photo - the drive, and this lookout, were pretty "OK!"  Definitely worth the gas money!

The view from the same lookout but looking the other way, towards the Teton Valley (which you can just make out as that bit of light green).  Nice flowers though, eh?  I think their bloom is probably a month behind as well.

This isn't a normal pond area.  It's right next to the road, and we're seeing a lot of this here.  Just snowmelt and flooding...

A really nice development.  The houses are nice, fairly well spaced, and have beautiful views all around!

Think you could be happy in something like this, for example?  Yeah, I thought so - us too, at least for the summer, that is!  In the winter, we'd be off to warmer climes in the RV!

 And back to our campground for the evening.  Time to walk the critters again.  This one place was neat - they had mown paths through the grassy/dandelion patch for us to walk.  The dogs, and esp. the cats, approved!

 Tractor absolutely loves a trail!!

 They also took turns playing jungle cat, working their way through the super tall grass.

 Scratty, profiled.  (no, not in a line-up - just pretty!) 

July 16 - Idaho Falls drive

On Saturday, I decided I needed to go into the bigger city of Idaho Falls for some stuff - dog chow and bear spray.  And yeah, maybe a few photos on the way back...!

Some of the incredibly pretty farmland.

 

Seems like an appropriate name for rural Idaho!

One thing there seems to be plenty of around here, esp. this year with all the tons of snow (and consequent flooding).  Everyone is watering everything - almost all the time.  Whether on huge acreages of barley, wheat, alfalfa, or potatoes, or one's little front yard, the ubiquitous sprinklers seem to never stop.

 

Ouray and Seneca check out the Snake River while the mosquitoes check out yours truly!  Boy, was I glad I had the pooches on leash - Ouray surprised me by just wading in and going swimming!  A few more feet out and he might've ended up a downstream dog!  Eeeek!!  Fortunately, I was able to reel him in before he went too far.  At his age and abilities now, I don't think he would fare well against a determined current!

 

Part of the Swan Valley area (between Victor and Idaho Falls).

It's always good to have company, especially someone who can chew your butt for you!

One of my favorite rural scenes on the way home.

A cool barn surrounded by lush grass and farmland.