Set, go….   Nope, not even “ready” and we’re out of here quite soon.  Folks keep asking me if I’m packed, what route we’re taking, where we’re stopping and, the bottom line is–no and I don’t know.

A lesson learned last year is that we took WAY TOO MUCH STUFF….so this year we’re limiting things a lot….one can get by with just a few pairs of jeans and a t-shirt.  As far as the route is concerned–we will decide from day to day, depending on weather and our mood.

The only thing that is anywhere close to ready are the knitting decisions–what projects will I take? what will hibernate while I’m gone? and, of course, I have to leave room for new purchases along the way.  At some point this summer are we going to visit the Mountain Colors shop in Corvallis–this is probably my favorite yarn manufacturer–I love their colors and the combinations.  I’m currently stitching a Brandywine Shawl out of Mountain Goat–and it’s beautiful.

I’m also looking forward to using my new lens out in the park–it’s a 500mm prime and sharp as a tack–I’ve been testing it out on the lions at the zoo…but I can’t wait for the wolves.  The snow pack in the park is running 128% of normal–so the wolves should be MUCH easier to see than they were last year.  The wolf situation in the Montana/Wyoming/Idaho area is not good, as the local governments and the eco-organizations struggle to find a compromise that allows the wolves to continue to survive outside the park while not inflicting overwhelming damage to the local cattle industry.  The reality is that wolves, unless stressed, will usually avoid cattle farms–they are too close to humans.  If you’d like to keep up to date on the wolf situation I can recommend the Defenders of Wildlife site.  If you’d just like to know more about the Yellowstone Wolf Project (an amazing, on-going experiment in what happens when you reintroduce a top predator to an ecosystem, please read the Wolf Project reports http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/wolves.htm.

I think we are both surprised by how anxious we are to return to the park.  It almost feels as if we’ve been spinning our wheels since we got home–and that real life will begin again once we hit the road.  Keep in touch, let us know what you want information about, and enjoy the show!