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11 June 2016

Inside The Open Door - Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park

"Maybe there is more of the magical
in the idea of a door than in the door
itself. It’s always a matter of going
through into something else. But
while some doors lead to cathedrals
arching up overhead like stormy skies
and some to sumptuous auditoriums
and some to caves of nuclear monsters
most just yield a bathroom or a closet.
Still, the image of a door is liminal..."
(Read the full poem here.)

10 June 2016

Open Sesame - Front Door, Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park

As I moved in for a close up of this spy hole, Larry from Arkansas offered to close Old Faithful Inn's front doors to allow us a full shot of the notable entry. The doors are red on the outside to syhmbolize hospitality, but the interior is a natural wood finish.
Larry is a Park volunteer who charmed and instructed us in the history of this  welcoming and hospitable historical masterpiece. He was a font of interesting information, including that a full-time crew of men was dedicated to selecting the seemingly endless and varied pieces of naturally curved wood used in multiple stories of hand-crafted stair railings and balusters. In the 1950s, Larry and his late wife met in the Park; they were happily married for over 50 years. While he winters back home to be near his family, Larry now spends the summer season enlightening Yellowstone's tourists, and is keen to acquire his 10-year volunteer pin. He added another layer of memorable to our Park meander, and we sincerely appreciate his insight and kindness.

09 June 2016

08 June 2016

Further Along The Gibbon River - Yellowstone Park

blue sky air 
awash in fresh pine,
sunbeams' gentle touch
pinks slightly
lightly
cap-sleeved shoulders,
water lily pads float
distant 
in still water offshoots; 
breathe deep
this feast for the senses,
balm for the soul.
-ch

07 June 2016

Along The Fountain Paint Pot Trail - Yellowstone National Park

"Colour in certain places has the great value of making the outlines and structural planes seem more energetic."
 -Antoni Gaudi (1852–1926)

(Click here to read more about the energetic Fountain Paint Pot area of Yellowstone National Park.)

06 June 2016

Old Faithful Geyser - Yellowstone Park

I know Old Faithful is an American classic, as much so as a bacon cheeseburger with fries or a '57 Chevy, or even Elvis (who appreciated the afore-mentioned classics). 
And I certainly don't mean to be ungrateful or to spit in the proverbial eye of such an amazing natural wonder. 
But I have to say, after all the anticipation created by years of seeing iconic photos like this one - and this one, and especially this stunning one by Ansel Adams - followed by the build up of the gorgeous drive through the Park, the triumph of circumventing the crazy crowded parking lot, the excitement of tracking the faithful event time, and then waiting amongst the ardent throng at the geyser site - after ALL that - true confession - my initial reaction to my highly anticipated first ever live-and-in-person sighting of Old Faithful was, "That's it?" 
(Please understand that this was internally spoken, of course, so as to avoid being bludgeoned by hundreds of camera-wielding tourists who travelled from afar to be awed and not to hear some local-ish yokel behind them say, "Meh.")

Whew. I'm pretty sure this qualifies me as a terrible person, but it sure feels good to get that off my chest.

On an optimistic note, I did find the paint pots to be eerily awesome. 
So, please do not judge me too harshly or abandon ship quite yet - there may be enough redemptive value in my remaining Yellowstone Park pics to off-set my Old Faithful failure.

05 June 2016

Along The Gibbon River - Yellowstone Park

Having recovered from second (thin) helpings of the previous evening's Kiev cake, our happy little sisters+niece band wended our way merrily along the Gibbon River in Yellowstone Park, photo-snapping happily from one amazing view to another. Mid-journey, as I crouched for a lower angle along a paint pot boardwalk, sister #1 thoughtfully considered aloud, behind me, "So, since we are actually in the Wyoming part of the Park, can you technically post these photos on Montana1aDay?" 


Pop! goes my happy blogger bubble! 

But, thankfully, my thinking cap wasn't entirely dislodged (the little under-the-chin string ties really help); after a few silent minutes, the little lightbulb clicked on brightly above my head (several tourists mistook it for a halo and snapped photos) and provided this happy solution:  I shall include a disclaimer asserting that, while photo locations may technically be in the state of Wyoming, Yellowstone Park is a treasure shared geographically by three states, including Montana, thus any photos taken within the Park meet my (new and improved) posting standards.

There you have it - you've been disclaimed! 

I hope you enjoy the views, and even more hope that you are inspired to visit Yellowstone National Park in person.