Winter is coming. Well, actually, it's already here, and so am I. I am now back working at Yellowstone for my first winter season. It turns out that the winter season up here is quite nice. Yes, it's cold at times, in fact, it can be quite cold. So far I've experienced -19 degrees one fine day recently. So it does get cold but it's still really, really nice up here.

For one thing, it's almost as if you have the whole park to yourself. You don't, of course, but it sure seems that way some days. Plenty of snow and animals, but not very many people. I just love it. I've been driving around in the mountains of Montana just north of Gardiner and a little town called Jardine. Lots of snow up that way but, once again, few, if any, people. But talk about  beautiful scenery! It is just almost too awesome for words. I just can't get enough of it.

Thus, my most recent decision. I have decided to just move up here and get it over with. I have to take my time and build up my finances a bit after the break from October 6th to December 16th because I spent WAY too much money. But once I'm all caught up, it's on. Just getting my stuff out of storage will pay a third of my rent around here. I've talked to the folks here in the park about a job that I more full time and year round and they seem to think it can be done, so there's that. Once my Army Retirement money kicks in I won't actually need this job and I can start thinking about doing other things. Till then, I'm still here.

It would be hard to describe my life at this point. For one, it might just make people mad at me, more out of jealousy than anything else I'd think. It is laid back and so relaxing here it is not even funny. I am meeting so many great people and having so many wonderful experiences that there is almost no way for folks to NOT be jealous. Hell, I'd be jealous if it weren't me!

I was sitting on the hood of my Jeep out in Lamar Valley the other night and the moon was so bright you could see almost like it was daylight. The moonlight reflecting off the snow just made it even brighter and I was able to actually take pictures without a flash. As I sat there I just couldn't help comparing my life just over a year ago to my life today.

Anyone driving by at that moment would only have seen a laughing madman, because they just couldn't know.

Mac