Author: melindalouise@hotmail.com

It’s spring in Arizona and we’ve got a hummingbird nest in our yard! We’ve been putting out hummingbird food for many years. We’ve never found a nest in our yard though. Until this week! I’m so excited! We even have our spotting scope set up in my yoga/art studio to watch her and the nest. This is pretty special.

When time to make her nest, the female hummingbird will go around gathering spider webbing. She then uses that spider webbing to attach her nest to the branch, as well as to use in making the nest itself. She will lay two tiny eggs (which always remind me of a Pez candy). As those two eggs hatch and the babies start to grow, because of that stretchy spider webbing, that nest will go from round to more oblong to accommodate those two little guys as they grow bigger.

It’s spring in Arizona and we’ve got flowers! This is always such a beautiful time of year, and this year I’ve been so excited because I have Scarlet Flax and Desert Marigolds for the first time . . .

Lots of our Sonoran Desert native, the Desert Bluebells (Phacelia campanularia) . . .

And the cactus! Really showing off their beauty . . .

It’s spring in Arizona! May you enjoy your spring.

 

We arrived about a week before our check-in date of May 4th this year.

The Canyon Village was still closed and lots of snow.

Our first time out to Lamar Valley since last year’s floods. The Lamar River with lots of silt from the beginning of the spring melt off, being joined by Soda Butte Creek.

Finally checked in and made our way to Old Faithful where we live every summer. This is my eighth year living and working in our country’s first National Park.

This year, we had the opportunity to join our new guides in Gardiner (Yellowstone’s north gate area) for a tour of our antique vehicle collection by the head of interpretation, Leslie Quinn, who has been working in the Park going on 45 years. Something I’ve wanted to do for many years. Such fun!

Had a day off to explore the east side of the Park. The Lower Falls of The Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone still draped in snow.

The Yellowstone Lake . . . still frozen to about 30 inches! Usually begins melt off by mid- to late-May.

It’s been a fun season so far  . . .

This was another Grizzly mom and her three cubs on an early-morning day off. We were on our way up and over Dunraven Pass (near Mt. Washburn Overlook).

And . . . an interesting season. We had quite the microburst on the third day of my second 5-day Yellowstone Couples Adventure heading back to the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. Trees falling all around us and, once we finally made it to the Hotel, five Lodgepole Pine trees had fallen on the Sandpiper annex to the Hotel! Halfway through another wonderful summer in Yellowstone. Enjoying time to relax on some days off, but fun times with folks on our tours too.

Every spring I create a movie using photos and videos from our previous Yellowstone summer. Working as Driver Guides—and living at Old Faithful—for five months every summer is such a privilege. What a joy it is to drive folks all over Yellowstone—our country’s first National Park. I love showing them the incredible thermal features, wildlife, forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, and wildflowers.  And of course the beautiful historic lodges — my favorite of all being the Old Faithful Inn. This will be my eighth year!

Creating these movies over the years has always been a wonderful way to begin getting ready for our return.

So here is this year’s movie “Our Yellowstone Summer 2022” . . .  Hope you enjoy watching as much as I do producing it.

Since a little girl, I’ve enjoyed my birthdays and celebrate way before and  after!

This year’s a big one though . . . and I’m excited! I’m turning 75 years old this month. Exciting especially because I’ve finally realized two very long-time and major accomplishments: staying in a tree house and going up for a ride in a hot air balloon.

We left Arizona heading across the country generally along the old Route 66.

The further east the more brilliant the fall colors  . . . finally arriving in Hocking Hills, Ohio.

 Our sweet little tree house, the Safari, was cozy and nestled “Among the Trees.”

We left Ohio for Chicago and, while there, visited the Morton Arboretum and their Human+Nature exhibit. Exquisite!

Once back home in Arizona, we headed up to Sedona for another very special  birthday present . . .  a hot air balloon ride. Another dream I’ve had for many years finally accomplished!

And the special ones who provided this wonderful gift: my sister Marian, my dear Yellowstone friend Jackie, and my very special partner Steve.

I’ve had a pretty wonderful birthday celebration thus far . . . and my actual birthday isn’t for a few more days. I’m just beginning!

Another banner day! We watched otters. Took a ton of photos. Here are the three best ones.

Lots of bison.

Into the Park early on this blustery day, and what a day it turned out to be! While looking for ducks at one of the kettle ponds (left over from when glaciers covered the Park), we spotted a wolf walking by at the back of the pond! Looks like probably a first year.

As we kept heading east through Lamar Valley the snow started really picking up and we figured it best to turn around and start heading back.  All in all, a wonderful day in the Park. We saw Barrow’s Goldeneye, Eared Grebes, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Osprey and Sandhill Cranes. Spotted only a few Bison babies (Reds) but they were on the other side of the  Lamar River, too far for any good photos. But some Pronghorn nearby and was able to get some better photos than yesterday. Some of them looked pregnant, so hopefully we’ll see some babies soon.

Another really wonderful opportunity was spotting not only two mature Bald Eagles (mated pair perhaps?) and an immature–all in the same tree.  That was fun!

And, on our way back to Gardiner (just inside the north gate where we’re staying until check in on Tuesday) we spotted Bighorn Sheep.

Now it’s back to the room and some reading/reviewing (getting ready for next week and back to work) before dinner with a friend tonight. Just another boring day in Paradise!

We arrived in Yellowstone late yesterday afternoon. Visited with our Xanterra Transportation friends/family. It’s great to be back and catching up with everyone.

Still getting used to the altitude, but it’s exciting to be back in the Park.

 

I’m excited to be heading back to Yellowstone to work for the summer. Thus far we’ve made our way to Boise, Idaho, to visit with grandkids. Incredibly windy trip up to Ely, Nevada, where we always stay the first night. There were times (thankfully, very short) where we could hardly see anything in front of us.

Waking up in Ely the next morning was magical. It started snowing in the early morning hours and was beautiful.

It was snowing when we left Ely, but we were at about 6600 feet and figured we’d have rain as we headed to lower elevations. No rain but certainly a beautiful drive–and no wind. Really serene and, as we got to lower elevations, we could see the mountains.

Stopped to look for birds and have lunch at Hagerman and Thousand Springs.

Such a beautiful area. Windy, but nothing like the previous day from Phoenix up to Ely, Nevada. We always enjoy the birding through this area.

Boise is beautiful this time of year. Trees starting to bud out and beautiful spring colors. We’re getting to enjoy spring all over again (as we’re already starting into summer in Phoenix).

We head to Yellowstone day after tomorrow. It’s been fun visiting family, but we’re ready to be on to our second home  . . . Yellowstone National Park. I’ve been a Driver/Guide for Xanterra since 2016.  Since Xanterra is the largest concessionaire in Yellowstone, we live in the Park at Old Faithful. An incredible place to be able to live and work all summer. Because of the work we do, we’re able to get out and about the Park most every day. I feel so blessed to be able to excite people’s interest and wonder about our country’s first National Park.

 

Atop Boney Mountain
we hiked
watching
the sun set

Blue sky
sun lowering
down
to the sea

We notice
fingers of thick
white, white fog
moving in from the sea

Making its way
up, up, up
ever higher
engulfing everything

Above it all
blue sky
sun descending
into fog

Eerie, yet beautiful
strange dense fog
immersing everything
and we, above it all

Our lives
from that day
would be
what we would make of them

Dense fog
of grievances
lost and missing
each other

Or above the fog
into absolute sunlit joy
knowing its always there
for our choosing

Looking back fifty years later
clarity on Boney Mountain
appreciation for our world
a Presence all around us

Standing at the edge of the high-dive platform, I’m staring down to the water far below. What if I hit the water wrong? It would hurt. What if I drown? Just the thought of gasping for air scares me. I’m 10 years old. In swim class today we’ve climbed all the way up to the top diving board. I keep trying to find my nerve to jump off, but I back up from the edge. I can’t do it. 

The teacher says if we’re afraid to jump, we can move to one of the lower dive boards. I decide to try a lower board, but I can’t get off! With all the kids coming up the stairs, I keep having to wait for all of them to get by me. It would be even more mortifying climbing back down through all of them. Once I finally get down to the lower board, I still can’t overcome my fear. I’m totally humiliated. Thankfully, I have no memory of the teacher—or the kids—giving me a hard time or ridiculing me. 

I’m in rock climbing class. I’ve climbed up the 100-foot cliffside. Once up top I now have to rappel back down. After what seems like hours of trying to get my nerve, I‘m ready to go off—backwards!—from the edge of that rock face. I’m doing pretty well too. It’s fun. Until the cliff disappears! The face is undercut, leaving nothing to put my feet against. I’m so scared. But, with coaching from everyone, I’m able to keep going. I make it all the way down. What a rush! I broke through my incredible fear. I’m proud of myself. It was a blast! I had to try it again!

 

I’m in Acapulco, Mexico. My sister has joined me and our room looks down to a wonderful view of the beach. As I watch below, they hook one person after another into the parachute apparatus attached to a speed boat off shore. As the boat pulls away, the passenger lifts up into the sky. I watch the billowing parachute in the sky above, the blue water below. I have got to do that! For days we enjoy walking on the beach, laying at the pool, talking, reading, enjoying our Pina Coladas, all the while trying to get the nerve to do this. What if they drop me? That’s a long way down. Finally, it’s the last day and I’m running out of time. Am I—or am I not—doing this? 

Well, I did do it! As they were strapping me in, I had my camera around my neck. They asked if I was sure I wanted to take it. Sure did! After taking that long to get up the nerve to finally do it, I wanted the pictures to prove it! It was a magical experience!

Writing my Master’s Thesis, “Leaving the Clerical Track: A Feminist Analysis,” was a different kind of fear. It was emotional rather than physical. It wasn’t the fear I’d be hurt; this was a fear of change and letting go. I just kept getting ready. But this “preparing” stage was not the actual writing of that thesis. After months of planning, I finally got it written, realizing that completing it was so much less stressful than thinking about it. But even more important, I realized I was achieving what the thesis explored: becoming a “creative problem solver,” rather than a “passive receiver of tasks.”

Working as a Driver/Guide in Yellowstone National Park also brought up emotional fears. My partner Steve had the opportunity to work as a Driver/Guide in Yellowstone National Park after retiring. As for me? I wasn’t sure about living in a dorm room and eating cafeteria food for five months. But there were other nagging thoughts: what if I couldn’t do the work, didn’t have the stamina it took, and could I be away from my home that long? I told him, “You go. Tell me what you think.”

Part of the training as a new guide, includes having six days—called “Frolic”—out and about in the Park learning all the nooks and crannies, history and nuances of every mile throughout the Park. Well . . . when Steve began describing his experiences I was hooked! I knew immediately, I’ve got to do this! Now I just had to get up my nerve.

That summer of 2015 I read everything I could find about Yellowstone. It was scary to think about actually doing something I’d never done before. Yes, I’d already been doing tours as a Docent at the Desert Botanical Garden since 2008. Yes, I’d talked to lots of groups in my younger years leading workshops and seminars. But what if I couldn’t remember everything there is to learn about an area of the country I’d never lived in? Since a young adult, I’ve lived in the Southwest; the Rocky Mountains and the Yellowstone area were totally different from anything I’d known. That’s a lot to know and pass along to visitors in an interesting and competent manner. I knew I could probably do this and I had to try.

Well, I did apply and was accepted. I have been a Driver/Guide in Yellowstone since the summer of 2016. I got to go on my own “Frolic” and to learn about our country’s first National Park. And, once again, we’re about to leave for another summer in Yellowstone National Park. 

Why is it certain situations are scary to some but not to others? For me, I decided I would not let my fear control me. Maybe we don’t always recognize it at the time, but in pushing through and challenging those fears I grew. I’m empowered when I can say “I did it!”  It was worth moving through those fears. 

Have you had times in your life where you have tried to—or did—overcome fears? Maybe sharing some of my fears and that I moved through them will help you. We all deserve the satisfaction of growing through experiences.