A Voyage of Discovery: Betsy and Bubba on the Road

Happy Memorial Day to you all in gentler climes. It began to snow last night. They had opened the Dunraven Pass in the park for the season on May 26. On May 27, they closed the pass. While the other roads remain open, driving conditions on the mountain passes at high elevations are tricky. Some of our guests left early, particularly international guests with complicated connections, but the overwhelming majority are enjoying Christmas in May. Although the ground is finally warm and wet enough that the snow is not sticking at the Lake Yellowstone Employee RV Park, it’s still a pretty wintry scene in my back yard.

I worked until 10 last night and drove home in a winter wonderland. Back to work at 6:15 this morning. When I got off at 2:30, I headed down to Fishing Bridge for a ranger-led program on cutthroat trout. I think the ranger was hoping no one would show up; it was squally and snowing. An older couple from Ohio and I were the diehards. Now at least I know the difference between a lake trout and a cutthroat trout in appearance, and know a little more about the ecology of Lake Yellowstone and the importance of this keystone species.

I headed back to the van and an overeager Bubba, who has been patient while I worked back to back shifts with little time for him. After a brisk walk we repaired to the van. Some things aren’t much different in confined living spaces. I made a cup of tea, baked some banana bread, did a little work on the NY Times Crossword Puzzle (available on line, they certainly don’t deliver here!) Others are quite different: a run in the snow to avail myself of bathroom facilities, regardless of the weather.

The biggest difference is missing friends and family, especially the kids. The people I work with are lovely and friendly, so are the visitors, the rangers, etc. But the depth of history I have with my very good friends and my much loved children adds so much richness to my life, even the rough spots and sad moments. I know that I will find that community eventually wherever I go. But, on this snowy day, I would love to be spending an evening laughing at bad jokes, snuggling up with loved ones watching a movie, digging out the cream cheese to go with the banana bread and tea, and sitting in front of the wood stove with the people I care about.