Good Intentions

I had them – good intentions. I was going to write every night (or so) about what we were doing on vacation, and all the wonderful things we are seeing, many for the first time. So much for good intentions.

There is just do much to see, we are packing in a lot of going and seeing. Frankly, when we finally get in, we are whipped and in the contest between blogging and sleeping, blogging comes in a distant second. Maybe soon I will catch up.

Yellowstone - Again

We have been to Yellowstone National Park before, in 2000, and we had a great time. It is one of the places we said we always wanted to go back to. This year we did.

This time we had the advantage of our own personal tour guides. Elizabeth and Jessica are our nieces, Betty's sister, Peggy's, daughters. they live and work in Gardiner, Montana, a strange combination of cowboy town and international tourist destination that is in the northwestern corner of the park. For the those raised with National Geographic in the house, this is the place with the Rooseveldt Arch at the park entrance.

The girls have been all over the park, and can bring a personal knowledge and experience of a quick tour that really helps pack a lot into one day. Of course, one day is way too little. A month is not really enough time, if you are willing and want to do what the vast majority of tourists are not - get more than a hundred yards off the pavement. These are beautiful things to see from the pavement, but so much more if you can walk a little. This time, between the short time we had for this part of our trip, and Betty's knee sugery little more than three weeks ago, there wasn't a lot of chance to walk, but one day, I want to spend some time on some of the trails and see things that really take your breath away. They are out there.

Off again...

In a couple days I will be leaving for Anderson, South Carolina for another session of Tony Morgan's Coaching Network. I really look forward to these gatherings, because I get to exchange ideas with some of the brightest and most dedicated people I have ever had the privilege to meet.

But the Anderson gathering is only the start of a longer adventure. I will leave Anderson on Friday afternoon and make the run to the Atlanta airport and pick up Betty, then continue on to her sister Connie's home in Franklin, NC. She has a ton of time to take off this year or lose it, so we are taking our first mid-summer vacation ever.

As much as there is to do in the office, and as much as I enjoy my job, the days away come at a good time. Maybe I will even find some time to think and blog... or not. We'll see.

Withdrawal...

Two weeks in a place so remote that there is no cell phone service, and with a dead laptop to boot- talk about going into withdrawal.

Several years ago we decided to see as many of the National Parks as we could. This year, we were in Yosemite, King's Canyon, Sequoia, and Channel Islands National Parks. Yes, we saw both bears and whales.

I am always struck by the great beauty of our country's wild places. As a Florida boy, it is hard to awe me with the wide expanse of the ocean shore, but mountains and canyons really amaze me. Everyone should plan to visit these places at least once in their lives. Pictures are great, but nothing can prepare you for the live experience of being in some of these places and seeing the work of the mighty hand of our Creator.

Check back for pictures- the laptop died on me and until it's fixed the pictures are stuck on the cameras.