I can’t believe I’m writing that–but my attitude towards visitors has changed a little.  I still love meeting them…I love helping them..but they are just an inconvenience  out in the park;  they talk while I’m shooting video, they drive with their eyes at right angles to the steering wheel and they stop in the middle of the road for bison.  BISON?!?…..I know baby bison are cute–but there are about 1,000 of them around.  As the ranger said the other day “folks seem to lose all of their good driving habits when they cross the border into the park”.

Before Memorial Day, if we wanted to travel at a leisurely 25 MPH through the park it was not a problem; if someone was behind us who wanted to do 45 mph we would just pull over and they would wave as they passed us.  Now we are stuck between the folks who want to do 60  (the speed limit in the park is 45mph) and the ones who stop in the middle of the road….don’t they know it’s a FEDERAL crime to stop in the middle of the road! (We were also informed, during our first week of work, that a “critter jam” is not an accepted excuse for being late…unless critters are blocking both the front and the back doors of your dorm–which has been know to happen.)

OK–enough with the rant..this is the time of year when employees start to share all the off-road places to go…and the visitors seem to think they need to stick to the roads to experience the park…so we will let them have the road–but we will reclaim it starting in mid-August!  The park continues to be a source of amazement, wonder and renewal..even with all the guests.

(on another note….much more positive discussion with the docs…and, after 3 MRIs, looks like we get to stay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Happy Friday! (it’s raining here–but June rain means fewer forest fires in September!)