Only five weeks into our journey and I must say we have been in a state of 'wow' on many occasions already!  Oh, the things we have seen!

We left northeast Idaho and headed into Wyoming, and we found it!!!  The 'west' that is . . . I am still pondering this though - - we left the west and headed east to find the 'west'.  This is still going 'round in my mind. :)  I know we found it (the 'west') because by simply looking at the listings in the local telephone directory, it becomes obvious:  sports clothes, jewelry, leather goods, boots are all sold at the local feed store; headings in the phone book include 'Grazing Associations' and 'Branding Inspectors'; and the listings under the title 'Oil' fill most of two pages!  Yep, I think we found it . . . I mean, how many other places would have a location called "Hell's Half Acre" and a community that has a festival honoring the 'jackalope'.  Really!  Of course, my trusty sidekick and co-pilot had to have a 'ka-boy' hat to help him fit in here.  He looks quite dashing in it, actually!

The other thing I am pondering is the fact that here in the 'west' one seldom sees anyone with a cell phone up to their ear, or texting away, while walking down the street.  Curious . . . perhaps they have other things on their minds - - like rounding up the cattle or sheep???

Our first Wyoming stop was the National Parks - - Yellowstone and Teton.  We have been there before but this time we had the time to really experience the beauty and uniqueness of this corner of the world.  I tried to make images that were a little different but on those occasions when I couldn't resist the iconic photos, I at least tried to keep my tripod legs out of the permanent holes left by others:):)
 

The wildlife is active and visible, of course.  In addition to many bison, herds of antelope, and a mama moose and her calf, we also were blessed to witness a wonderful interaction between species.  One early morning while we were out photographing, we saw two grizzly cubs, about half grown, actually playing with two coyotes in a meadow.  What a sight!

 
In Jackson, we also visited the National Museum of Wildlife Art - - amazing facility.  Blew us away!  (Speaking of Jackson - - Esty and Bill - - the Bar J is still alive and well.  We had a great evening there.)

We know that wolves have been reintroduced into the parks, and we were lucky enough to find one that insisted on traveling with us on our journey.  We named him Walter (the wolf).  We find him very photogenic and willing to have his portrait taken at a moment's notice!  He eats very little and sleeps through the night, so he is not a burden to have along . . . might have to get him a sweater for the colder seasons though.

While in Cody, WY, we decided to do what everyone else does in Cody, and have a completely 'tourist' kind of day - - and we did it all.  We fully enjoyed a day at the Buffalo Bill Museum (really five museums, all very well done), followed by dinner at Buffalo Bill's famous historic hotel "The Irma" and the nightly gun fight in the street outside.  Then we took in the Cody rodeo so I could practice some action shots using some camera features that I had not previously tried.  (Thanks for the encouragement to do this, John Parks!)

On another day, we took a trip on two scenic highways.  The Beartooth Highway extends from the northeast corner of Yellowstone to Red Lodge, Montana, and has been called the most beautiful highway in the US.  I cannot dispute that claim - - it was breathtaking!  We did a circle trip that also included the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway.  Once again - - blown away.  It was so amazing, it was hard to drive and look at the same time, but at 11,000 feet, Jerry's gasping could be heard over the ooo's and ahhh's when he thought I was looking more than driving, and that alone helped me stay between the white lines!  Needless to say, we stopped often with cameras in hand.

We also stopped for a couple of days in Thermopolis, the site of the world's largest hot springs, where we enjoyed some soothing mineral pool time.  Now we're en route to Gillette, WY where we will attend the Escapee's RV Club rally, which promises lots of educational information on the life-style of full-time RVing.  After we've become 'educated', we'll leave Wyoming and head east to the South Dakota Badlands, then south toward northwest Colorado.

As you can probably guess, we're still loving the adventure and there still has been no bodily harm to one another - - that is a good thing!!  Going into our second month, I think it is actually beginning to feel less like a vacation and more like a life-style.

Until next blog - - happy trails to one and all.