As the season begins to wind down (high of 65 here today) you see it first in the evening crowds.  When things are crazy, people just walk by you.  When there are only a few people, social skills begin to appear; folks who pass you on the trail say “hi” or make a comment.  You join conversations.  I love helping people understand what they are looking at…and they are always appreciative.  My very favorite comment recently was a rather elderly gentleman, as I passed him he just asked a very polite” How are you?” to which I responded “Fine, and you?”   His response surprised me…he was slighty hunched over as he walked, and dressed rather shabbily; his shoes were quite worn and he had a rather unkempt air about him….still, he said “Not half bad, how could it be….look where I am!”   I think of all the folks who walk around with frowns on their faces, ipods in their ears and yelling at their kids….and think that they need to remember what a place this is…they used to call it “Wonderland”….

It was great when it took a 13 year old to point out to us the 13 mountain sheep (ewes and lambs and a few adolescent males) who were clambering on the roadside on the way to Gardiner….we didn’t even have a “sheep jam”…everyone parked on the side of the road out of the traffice and the smiles flew around the faces as we all watched the kids scamper.

We even got to experience a “no-bear jam” as we watched this sub-adult black bear feast on berries.  Hyperphagia is coming soon; that’s the time when the bears stuff their faces in preparation for hibernation…with some bears beginning to hibernate as early as late October.  The big male grizzlies seem to be hibernating later and later, however.  Bears only hibernate when they don’t have enough food and the grizzlies are becoming experts at taking over wolf kills.  In some cold climates where the wolfs have returned, the grizzlies don’t hibernate at all.

One of the great things about working at the front desk is that you hear where the animals are  hanging out.  I have a new job (tour clerk) which lets me sit down most of the day–and gives me time to go carousing whenever Tim works an evening shift.  Last night guests said that there were elk at West Thumb, so I look off….and the guests were right!  One smallish buck with antlers still in velvet; 4 does and 4 fawns–quite a catch for an evening.  I hope the elk rut starts before we leave the end of September.  It’s such an awesome sound, and I’d love to see two bucks try and figure out who will be the dominant player…wish me luck.

As always, the latest pix are at my flickr site.  I particularly like the drooling moose(s).