Journal Entry - June 16, 2010

I used to keep a journal.  Since I started blogging my journal pages remain empty.  In some ways blogging is more appealing than writing in a journal.  But the writing styles are very different.  On a whim I hand wrote out an old school journal entry during my trip to visit my Grandparents in Cooke City last week.  Since this is now my "journal" I decided to record my words here.  It will be most interesting to my family and my cousins who also make annual summer journeys up to visit with Grandma.  Enjoy!  

July 16, 2010
Cooke City, Montana

Today I got up early.  I wanted to repeat my Monday run and jog down to Cooke City and back before breakfast.  But I was a little bit nervous.  Yesterday we saw 5 Buffalo between the cabin and Cooke.  I don't know what Buffalo were doing 6 miles out of the park but I don't want to find out.  Instead I ran down to the Wyoming boarder and back.  I thought I'd run to where I could see Pilot and Index but I got tired and headed back to Grandmas at the state line.

I wanted to send my mother in law a post card so Jani and I took all her kids to town.  I bought them overpriced candy at the General store.  Hawaiian Brian came in while we were there to say hello.  It was fun to be recognized and remembered by a Cook City local even though I haven't worked up here since I was 20. I think I return year after year hoping to relive a part of that glorious past.

Grandma made us lunch then we headed up the Bearthooth Highway stopping at Crazy Creek Falls along the way.  Construction confined us to the Clay Butte overlook with its Alpine like views.  I studied the topo map like always trying to memorize all the peaks in the area.  I know all the Absaroka peaks because they are either so distinguishable (i.e. Pilot and Index) or not name worthy. The Bearthooth mountains are wilder.


We had forgotten to take to trash to the dump when we went to town earlier so we drove through Cook again.  Unfortunately a tree had fallen in Wyoming cutting the only power source to the whole valley.  We explored Aunt Phillis's store the Yellowstone Trading Post with flashlights (which was actually really fun) it was fun to meet some new 2nd cousins up working for the summer.

We headed back up the Bearthooth highway to Grandmas and only saw one buffalo on the way.  (it was by the ranger station) 

The power was out at Grandma's cabin too. I braved the very dark basement to retrieve the tangled fishing poles.  After untangling them on the back porch we headed down to the river to drown worms and poach fish (Grandma sais it is okay to fish with out a license on your own land.)  Jani and the kids had already dug worms that morning at Vic & Liz's horse barn.  Eden my 3 year old niece caught a fish!


We wanted to keep fishing up at the car bridge so we started up the road but we didn't get very far.  A HUGE Buffalo was in the road right by my Grandma's cabin.  We ran over to the Goodsell's cabin and watched from the safety of her porch.  Buffalo never stop us in Yellowstone but we took 100 pictures of this Buffalo swimming in the river we'd just fished!

Since the power was still out we all assumed we'd eat cold cereal.  Luckily, Grandma's domestic Goddess abilities transcend electricity.  She whipped us up Hawaiian haystacks on the wood burning stove.  (Three cheers for Grandma!!!)

We lit the kerosene lamps which the kids had never seen.  I was due for another progesterone shot so Jani gave it to me by the kerosene light.  Grandma told stories about growing up during WWII.  9-11 vs. Pearl Harbor and how different life is now.  Although I've always enjoyed my Grandparents stories I've just begun to realize what a valuable asset they are in helping me understand my world and my history. I'm so lucky to come from such good people and to have such a magical place to escape every summer.  I always feel like a kid when I"m up in the mountains.  Right out of high school with my whole life ahead of me.