Feb 26, 2021 - Lots of snow

Date: February 26, 2021 Weather: snow Temperature: start 17º High 32º Wildlife count: Elk Year List: 42 Birds: Drove by the VC to check on snow, and it had been shoveled. Dropped the truck at Teton Motors, then walked to The Virginian for breakfast. Had bad news when we got back – we need a new DEF tank, and they are back-ordered nationwide. Brian will check on getting us a loaner car, as our truck will soon not be able to be driven. Arrived back at the VC to complete jobs and moved boxes for the sleigh rides. The snow started again in...

Feb 25, 2021 - Brilliant Sun and snow

Date: February 25, 2021 Weather: sunny am, cloudy with snow pm Temperature: start -18º High 28º Wildlife count: Fox, Elk, Year List: 42 Birds: Northern Shrike After breakfast at home, we completed chores at the VC. Grocery shopped next. Once home, the day was SO pretty, we rode up into the park to Cottonwood picnic area – not a lot of people out, as it was so cold! Rode out to Kelly in the afternoon – the road was closed north of Teton Science School. Saw a flock of birds in Kelly on the way up, and they were still there when we...

Feb 24, 2021 - Beautiful bluebird day

Date: February 24, 2021 Weather: mostly sunny Temperature: start -1º High 37º Wildlife count: Elk, Squirrel, Bighorn Sheep Year List: 41 Birds: Pine Siskins We treated ourselves to breakfast at Bubba’s again – I had ricotta pancakes with orange syrup, John enjoyed biscuits and gravy. We shoveled at the VC and completed our chores there. As the weather was beautiful, we went out to Murie and had a great walk. With no wind and quiet trees, we were able to see quite a few birds at the top of the conifers in the cones. We heard the Siskins...

Feb 23, 2021 - Roads closed due to blowing and drifting snow

Date: February 23, 2021 Weather: windy and snow this morning – roads closed; sunny afternoon Temperature: start 34º High temperatures fell to 19º Wildlife count: Bighorn Sheep, Elk Year List: 40 Birds: Enjoyed breakfast at Bubba’s, then headed to the VC. With the lack of visibility due to wind and snow, the sleigh rides were cancelled for today. It was a perfect day to hide in the basement of HQ to put more packets together. However, when we emerged, the snow and wind had stopped, and the sun was shining. After lunch, we headed back to...

Feb 22, 2021 - Warm day

Date: February 22, 2021 Weather: partly suny Temperature: start 24º High 43º Wildlife count: Elk Year List: 40 Birds: Up and completed chores, then out to Emily’s to walk. It looked very nice from here, but when we arrived, there was a lot of wind and blowing snow. So we only walked a little over a mile. Grocery shopped afterwards. After lunch, the temperature was above 40° so decided to try again, and we walked out to the refuge road. It was really soupy on the sidewalk, but we actually got to walk on dry pavement for a few steps – felt...

Feb 21, 2021 - Seeing a wolf and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches

Date: February 21, 2021 Weather: some sun, snow, windy Temperature: start 14º High 35º Wildlife count: Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Coyote, Wolf Year List: 40 Birds: Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Enjoyed early worship on this first Sunday of Lent, working through the Book of Mark. Completed weather, recycled cardboard, and shoveled the upstairs deck – the pile had iced, so it was tricky to shovel. Decided to take a ride up into the park, but the wind caused some issues with blowing snow. On the way, we stopped at Flat Creek Overlook to bird, and the Fish...

Feb 20, 2021 - Six more inches of snow

Date: February 20, 2021 Weather: some sun, lots of snow. 6” new with 16” Temperature: start 21º High 38º Wildlife count: Elk, Bighorn Sheep Year List: 39 Birds: We began with breakfast from Creekside up in the 2nd floor overlook of the VC. We decided that might become a Saturday tradition, as it is a lovely way to start the day. This time we remembered to bring coffee in our coffee mugs. Had lots to shovel at the VC, as if the plows and shovelers were there, it was very early, and a lot more snow had accumulated. It was fun to measure the...

Feb 19, 2021 - Sun and Snow

Date: February 19, 2021 Weather: cloudy, some sun, snow Temperature: start 16º High 38º Wildlife count: Elk Year List: 39 Birds: Spent the morning in the basement of HQ, creating more packets and unpacking supplies that had been ordered. The real trick was finding a place to store them, but it all worked. We then packed up all the cardboard and trash and loaded it in the truck. The cardboard recycle and garbage at the VC made it easy to dispose of all of it. After lunch when there was some good sunshine, we walked Garaman, and with our...

Feb 18, 2021 - Lots of chores

Date: February 18, 2021 Weather: mostly cloudy, snow Temperature: start º11 High º34 Wildlife count: Bighorn Sheep, Elk Year List: 39 Birds: American Crow Started laundry before we went to the VC. Completed laundry while we watched the elk being fed and a counting crew that were both out in the herd – it was interesting. Next stop was HQ where we put together 100 packets from the Elk Refuge for the sleigh rides. Then we grocery shopped. After lunch, we worked on the brochure boxes and rode out onto the refuge – saw a few Bighorns down off...

Feb 17, 2021 - Sunny work day

Date: February 17, 2021 Weather: mostly sunny Temperature: start 2º High 37º Wildlife count: Elk Year List: 38 Birds: Completed chores at the VC, signed up for laundry, then back to clean the cabin. After lunch, we watched a program on wolves in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem – interesting. We had planned to walk at Garaman but remembered that we needed to get the mail for the refuge. Delivering that mail, we found a bunch of boxes that needed to be dispatched. After a short walk, we went back and carried the boxes downstairs. We will...

Feb 16, 2021 - Finally a walk at Murie

Date: February 16, 2021 Weather: snow and a little sun Temperature: start 20º High 38º Wildlife count: Elk, Moose Year List: 38 Birds: Spent the morning working – completed chores then repaired the refrigerator in the pond room. Also worked with the order for quarters, including some for this duplex. We were here working on the inventory of those orders when there was a knock on the door – it was the Direct TV repairman. We had spent the past 3 days waiting here in case the repairman came for the appointment, which was continually pushed...

Feb 15, 2021 - Snow Day

Date: February 15, 2021 Weather: snow all day, windy Temperature: start 3º High 32º Wildlife count: Elk Year List: 38 Birds: Grabbed some breakfast from McDs and enjoyed eating it on the second floor of the VC overlooking the refuge. It was a quiet and delightful breakfast. Recorded weather, worked on the refrigerator in the pond room, placed stickers on several hundred Jackson Explorers and completed our regular chores. We were there quite a while. We had hoped to get out and walk, but the snow was quite heavy and the wind very strong,...