Out and about in the wilderness of Life

So the masquerade was short and sweet. With such class acts as Darth Mouse, wonder woman, barbie vador and many more. Including a small skit by Yard Dog Press (thats Barbara Hale as the Rock).

This afternoon we saw a number of fine art pieces pass though the auction. I was able to snag one piece for my oriental collection and Ken got a nice dragon piece for his mom-in-law.

Ken & April came down to Tulsa from Wichita for the con so I was lucky to see them.

So I arrived in Tulsa on Friday for Conestoga 9. It was nice being back in Oklahoma to see some friends and hang out for the weekend.
Guests this year are (from left to right):
Brad Foster (artist goh)
George RR Martin (Guest of Honor)
Paula & Jim Murray, Margene Bahm (fan goh)
Randy Farran (con chair)
and Bradley Denton was at the mic as toastmaster. He gave the best intro and opening ceremony ever.
Late that night they had a special party open to the public (nicely done) for the release of the new Harry Potter book.

So tonight Amy took me downtown to a concert. We saw Jake Shimabukuro, Johnny Irion & Sarah Lee Gutherie (of the Woody & Arlo family). Good music and lots of cute hippy girls to check out. We met up with some of her friends, Steph & Jenn and their daughter. Good folk, good food, good drink, great music and a great time.

So I arrive in SLC after a 6 hour drive and find my good friend Amy waiting for me at the car rental place. She takes me by her work where we had a great lunch with her hubby Gregg. They both work at 1800Contacts. Seems like a very cool place to work. It has not gotten to big yet so everyone from the CIO to the call center folk work closely together.

The canyon of the park is awe inspiring. I always hear people gasping at the magnitude of the sites. Here are 3 pictures that only barely capture what I saw.
The first image is of the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone. It is the smaller of the two falls but still a mighty powerhouse. You can see the road right past it.
The second is a shot of the canyon and its great yellow and white color. This is where the park got its name.
The third image is of the Lower Falls. Much larger than the upper but I could not get as close. When I was a kid my dad took me on a hike down into the canyon on a trail called the 7 mile hole. It was a bit grueling for a kid but a great memory.

So…sometimes this trip reminds me of home…primarily when I am sitting behind a truck not moving due to a traffic jam. Course its different here since the jam is caused by the local bison heard.
Here in Haydon valley it is good to be a bison. Plenty to eat and drink, lots of roaming to do, pretty wildflowers all over the place…you just have to put up with the tourists. Like taking pictures of you while your feeding your young…scandalis!

Just north of lake Yellowstone, where the Yellowstone river feeds the lake, is the Fishing Bridge camping area. This is where my dad worked as a teenager back in the 50s and where he fell in love with the park. It is the primary reason that he wanted to return and work in the park after he retired from the post office.

Yellowstone Lake is the largest lake in the world at this altitude. People come here to fish, boat and waterski. The lake temperature is in the upper 50s.
The Lake Hotel was built in the 1890s and was fully functional in the 1920s. When presidents and heads of state come to the park they often stay here due to its luxierius accomidations, great view and central location.