Raichart.com

    It’s that time of year again, when the Moodna Viaduct is the backdrop for local fall photos.  When we cross this trestle in the train, sometimes there are herds of deer below in the green field, sometimes there are flocks of wild turkeys, the males strutting their stuff.  If it’s daylight when we leave, birds often fly just below us, next to the trestle.  I imagine they make a little game of it, trying to keep up to Metro North.  The view from the train is astounding, across the Hudson Highlands.  It makes getting up and trekking into the city worthwhile.

    It’s the bride’s birthday.  Happy Birthday!  (Article is from 1946)

        This is one of your more famous barns, the Moulton Barn in Jackson Hole.  This morning it was snowing like the dickens on the top of Teton Pass–looked like a couple of inches, at least for awhile.  Winter takes its job seriously in the Tetons.  I’m not sure the Driggs clan is ready for that, but they have their wood in, thanks to Joyce and Lee, and Sally and Aaron are there for them.  It’s hard to have the winter between us.

It was a dark and stormy night.

      We spent last Columbus Day weekend exploring Cape Cod, but this Columbus Day weekend will be different.  Who knew this time last year that Ginny and crew would be living out here?  Ginny and I are going to spend the weekend canning applesauce.  We’re sending the boys to the Bronx Zoo with the kids.  To most, the canning project might just sound like a lot of work, but I look forward to spending the day with Ginny in the kitchen.  Jeanette and I once canned 150 quarts in one day.  Now that’s a lot of sauce.  We were a couple of canning fools.  At that time, Ginny was probably in junior high school, or maybe the sixth grade or so.  So she doesn’t know what she’s in for.  I’ve got a replacement part coming for the old Victorio Strainer so that we can do some serious cooking here.   

 About a month ago the ceiling fan fell into Randy’s hands as he was standing on the ladder, vacuuming it.  Here he is, ready to replace the faulty fan. 

  Here he is, standing on a ten foot stepladder, reaching up to do the prep work.

   It takes a lot of prep.

    He surveyed every angle.

  And admired his work.

  It was looking good at this point.

  The blades were on, just the light to go…

  Ta Da!  Looking good, Randy. 

   Dad and his brother Jack had this picture taken once when they were home on leave during WWII.  It is hanging in the Teton Valley Historical Museum.  Handsome, huh?

   Sapphire Pool in Biscuit Basin

It was like dancing on a country grave.  Laughing at the numerous grizzly bear warnings, (DO NOT hike here if you are uncomfortable about the possiblity of bear encounters.  Hike in groups of 3 or more) Joyce, Lee, Randy and I took a little hike in Yellowstone last Monday.  In spite of Joyce’s attempts at alarming us to the point of near hysteria a few days prior, with her tales of grizzly encounters at local spots, we trekked on, without trepidation.  What a great day hike–thanks Joyce and Lee for choosing this one.

If you are ever in the vicinity of Yellowstone, and have any inclinations toward geological nerdness, I highly recommend a visit to the new and improved Canyon Vistor’s center.  It is a geologeek’s Mecca. Randy liked the giant Lava Lamp.