A few last pictures . . .

9-4 (Friday)

Hello bloggers,

I returned home late Tues night (9-1) from Yellowstone. It was a fabulous experience and I'm so glad I did it. I met wonderful new friends, enjoyed all the hiking, cool weather and beautiful scenery.

Now I'm trying to get all my stuff put away and remember where I keep everything.

I'm knew I was back to reality when the hot FL weather and humidity hit me.

8-17 (Mon)
Just a brief note before I take off with my friend, Jenny, for Cook City and other unknown places. Just wanted to post a note to say that when I woke up this morning the ice was so thick on the car windows that people had to scrap it off. It was thick on the grass too.

Yesterday I took a bus tour "Across the Northern Range" About half way through we stopped and took an hours stagecoach ride. These tours cost anywhere from $60 - $100 but employees get to go free if there is room on the bus. This bus was the historical yellow bus for those that are familiar with YS.

Last Friday night we had a "girls night out." Some of the women from our dorm (Aspen) went out to the corrals with the women from the Terraces. We gathered wood and then built a bonfire. We took our wine, marshmallows and the graham crackers/chocolate to make samores. It was great fun sitting around the fire talking, drinking and just having fun.

gathering the wood

Last Monday I went on a nine hour hike across a mountain, Everts, which is near Mammoth. There were no trails so we, a security guard and I, had to
bushwack across. Sometimes we would come across animal trails and follow them. It was a great hike. Towards the end we had to ration our water because we weren't sure how long it would be before we got off the mountain.
It was an incredible hike with sheer drop-offs. We started at 9:30 and didn’t get back until almost 6:30. When we finally got down we hitched back to the dorm.
We had our picture made on the steps of the post office with other people from our dorm when we got back.

You can see Mammoth way down below.

Last night I slept under four blankets! There was frost on the cars this morning. Eat your heart out Orlando!
Yesterday we were treated to a pizza party with drinks and cake because we have broken all sales records (ever) for reservations. We are each getting a t-shirt with something written on it about breaking the record. I am happy too say I am right up there with the top sellers for July.
I have to get on my earmuffs, gloves and heavy coat and head out to work.

7-29 (Wed)



Monday I went hiking with my friends. We were going to hike Fairy Falls but when we got there it looked like rain. Since it was close to noon we went on to Old Faithful and had lunch. By then the sun was out so we returned for our hike. We hiked to the falls and then up a mountain so we could look down on the Grand Prismatic Spring. It was beautiful from below but even more so from up above.



On our way home we decided to go by the Canyon area. We went in the Visitor's Center but only for a short time because it was getting ready to close. We drove around to see some of the lodges and cabins we have been selling.



We went on to Mt. Washburn where we got out and did another short hike. We couldn't go far because it was getting dark. On the way home we saw a grizzly and had to be careful because many deer crossed in front of our car. One had a huge rack. We didn't get home until 10:00 but it was a great day.



It has been really cold at night for the past three to four nights. I have had to sleep in my thermal PJ's burrrrr

Pictures from my trip to the Grand Tetons.

7-21 (Tues)





I'm sure you have been dying to hear the results of the park wide talent show. I am happy to report that our very own, Martin, from the Czech Republic


won the whole thing.





Yesterday I left here at 6:30 a.m. with a married couple and a guy from reservations to go to the Grand Tetons. They were magnificent. We stopped at some lodge and got out and took pictures. We drove on to Jackson Hole (touristy) then decided to make a loop instead of going back the way we came. We were going to go through Idaho and come in the West entrance of the park.
We stopped on top of a mountain, on the border between Wyoming and Idaho and ate our lunch. We had ordered peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the EDR.
We got home at 8:15.



I haven't been able to get on the blog for several days.

6-13 (Mon)

Tonight was the Mammoth Talent Show. We had a big turn out to watch. There were 10 entries. The names of some of the groups were: The Yak Camp Troubadours, Island of Misfit Toys and Possum Carcass. All of the acts were great. One Chinese kid got up and did a Chinese Rap Song. He told us when he held the microphone toward the audience we were to all say “Bow wow wow” It was hysterical. After his act the emcee started holding his “mike” toward the audience after each act and we continued yelling, Bow wow wow. The winner was a guy from the Czech Republic who played the piano. He was FABULOUS. Everyone gave him a standing ovation. Last year it was a guy from the Czech Republic who also won and he too played the piano.

7-11 (Sat)

I certainly didn't use the right words in my last blog . . . MANY people wrote to me and thought I had lost my job when I said they let me go over the 4th of July. What I should have said was that the weekend wasn't busy due to the holiday and I got to leave early. I still have my job!

Can’t remember if I told about the woman who was standing outside the phone booth and a buffalo came up behind her and tossed her in the air. Fortunately she was not hurt. We are all amazed at how close some od the tourist get to the animals. The really bad thing is how close they let their children get.

7-4 (Sat)

They let me go today because there was no business - I thought it would be like this on the 4th. I was happy to leave. I don't care about the money - it's so little anyway. I just want to make enough to pay for my room and board. I don't want to have to owe!

There was a 4th of July “parade” this morning. Jenny said if you blinked you would miss it. I blinked! She was looking out the window from the phone center and said the parade consisted of one van, some sort of wagon and four wranglers on horseback. They sang songs in front of the hotel. We had the windows open but I couldn’t hear them.


Tonight was the 4th of July dinner at the EDR. It was the best meal we have had since I’ve been here: steak, baked potato, corn on the cob, zucchini and Cesar salad. For dessert we had watermelon or strawberry short cake. I ate with Gary and Suzanne (our dorm mother) and Lois and her husband. Lois was talking about how bad the mosquitoes are at Grant Village. She said her husband’s white t-shirt was black from the mosquitoes. She said one of the employees had a tent set up inside his room because they were so bad and that there was blood all over the walls where he had hit and killed them She said when the door to the lobby was opened you could see them coming inside.


I went with Gale and Jenny to Gardiner at 8:00. Since it wasn’t dark we decided to go to the K Bar for a drink. Jenny and I both had a beer. I tried a dark beer called Moose Drool. Around 9:00 we went over to Arch Park to watch the fireworks.

7-3 (Thurs)

After dinner tonight Jenny and I drove out to the Bunsen Peek area and took a hike. We saw an elk with a huge rack.

One of our employees down at Lake was exercising by himself and dropped the weight bar on his neck. He was on life support and then died. There has been a lot of tragedy here this summer.

6-28 (Sun)

I stayed in bed until 7:30 this morning then threw my laundry in the machines before going to breakfast. It is a gorgeous day, the sun is shining and it is warm but not hot.

After church I went to eat. Everyone was talking about how bad the food was last night. One person actually got sick on their way out of the EDR. Unfortunately I saw evidence of that. One of the girls I was eating with today said a mouse ran across her face last night! I would have died.

I took a hike down to the camping site. When I came back I walked way up on the hill behind the dorm.

6-27 (Sat)

I didn’t sleep well last night. I wasn’t sleepy when I went to bed and then I was cold most of the night. I had my window closed and was under two blankets but I was still cold. This morning I could hardly get up and then I couldn’t hold my eyes open.

A woman was walking behind me on the way to breakfast this morning. When we got to the EDR she asked me if I saw the buffalo that walked right behind me. I said, “no.” She told me one crossed the road just a few feet me. I couldn’t believe I didn’t see it.

I was worn out by the time 5:00 came today. Mainly my voice was tired. Carol and her husband Bruce (from NC) invited me to their room tonight for Margaritas. They drove here from NC. They even brought a small refrigerator! Below are pictures of Carol making the Margaritas on top of her fridge.

6-26 (Fri)

I was talking to a woman on the phone today who really liked me. When we were finished with the reservation she said she wanted to write to my supervisors and tell them how wonderful I was. I gave her an email address and thanked her. When I came back from my afternoon break I saw Karen, one of the “upper” employees. She stopped me and said she had gotten a fabulous email about one of the reservation agents. She said the woman who wrote the email went on and on about how wonderful the agent was etc etc. Karen said the email was about you, Nancy. Karen said she forwarded it to my boss and all the supervisors over me. It was really nice of the woman to actually send the email and of Karen to tell me and to send it on to my supervisors. Maybe I am doing better. Actually I don’t have any trouble taking to the people. They give me compliments all the time but this one actually took the time to write something.

6-23 (Tues)

I didn’t have to go in to work until 1:00 today. 1-5. Carol, one of the new girls, who lives down the hall paid me a visit this morning. There is no place to sit so I invited her to sit on the bed. Then I went down to see her room. She has pictures of her grandchildren all over the walls. Her husband, Bruce, is having a HARD time in the kitchen. I don’t know that he is going to last.

It was so nice only working the four hours today. After dinner tonight Gary and Dave (two of the security guards) asked me to go on a walk with them. We walked the old Gardiner Rd. Dave walked part way with us then turned around and went back. Gary and I continued on the five miles to Gardiner. He wanted me to go into town and have a drink but by then it was 9:30 and since I had to get up at 5:30 and it was beginning to get dark I thought I’d better get back. The first car I saw coming into the park I stuck out my thumb. They stopped and gave us a ride back to the dorms.

6-22 (Mon)


Jenny and I left Mammoth in her car headed for the geyser basin. We took side roads and saw a mother elk that had crossed the river from her two calves. We kept watching until they started calling to her and she crossed back over the river which was very swift. We wondered how she would get across.


She went to the least swift part and then turned her body sideways as she edged herself to the side where the calves were. Once she got over they came across the hill to her side and they were all reunited.


It was freezing cold. If it hadn’t been for the wind (I’m guessing 30-40 mph) it probably would have been okay. The sun was shining most of the time. I had on my thermal underwear, both the top and bottom. I had on my fingerless gloves that I bought in Argentina, my wool cap from Peru and my Arctic down lined coat with the hood pulled up and the part that goes across the mouth firmly velcroed in place.


The first picture of a geyser erupting is white dome at the Fire Lake area. We were just getting ready to leave when it blew. It was also in this area that we saw buffalo lying down with their young. You can distinguish the young because they are very red in color. The Yellowstone workers call them “Red Dogs.”


We ended up at Old Faithful. We wanted to check out the three lodging facilities there so we would know what we were talking about when we tried to sell it. There must have been many tours arriving at the same time at the Inn because when we went in we couldn’t even see what the place looked like for all the people. It soon cleared out.


We got a sandwich in the bar and enjoyed sitting, talking and observing the guests. We dropped a little money at the gift shop before going outside to see Old Faithful erupt. We toured the Lodge and the Snow Lodge before leaving for home. We got back to Mammoth by 9 p.m. We stopped and took a picture of the mountains as we approached.

This is where I go to church.

My beautiful dorm! Ta.king down the flag

6-21 (Sunday)

My friend Jenny and I decided to go to the rodeo in Gardiner right after work. It had been bad weather with rain and thunder jsut before we left. We decided to try anyway. When we got out there it started raining again so we decided we didn't want to spend $7 to sit in the rain. We stopped by the grocery store so I could get some cereal to snack on in my room. We went to eat at one of the little cafes in town. It was nice to get away from the EDR and everything in Mammoth for a couple of hours.

Today was rainy and cold. The wind went right through me even though I had on my thermal underwear and my fleece. Someone said it might snow Wed but I think if it does it will be in the Canyon area and not where we are. Canyon has a much higher elevation.

Still no roommate and it is wonderful. Today and tomorrow are my days off plus I have a half day off Tues (just for this week) because there aren't enough phones and chairs for everyone since a new training class just finished and will be on the floor with us starting Wed. That probably won't last long because people are leaving all the time.

Critters outside my dorm.

6-16 (Tues)


Last night Karen, one of the girls who lives in my dorm, and also works in reservations threw a birthday party for herself and her friend Angel at Raven’s tonight. She invited me but I said I couldn’t go because it was at Gardiner and of course I don’t have a car. When Gale saw me at dinner tonight she came over and asked me if I would go to the party with her. I told her I would.

Karen has three long tables reserved. Gale and I didn’t know it was for dinner. We ate at the EDR. They all had steak and it smelled really good. Of course everyone paid for their own. There were some people there I hadn’t met before.

I was a little anxious to get back so I could study. After having two days off I was a little nervous I wouldn’t remember anything.

I had to take a little nerve pill at breakfast before going into work.
I actually did much better today than I expected. I only had to call the supervisor about 3-4 times.

I had to take a little nerve pill at breakfast before going into work.
I actually did much better today than I expected. I only had to call the supervisor about 3-4 times. That’s an improvement. When I have my 15 minute break in the morning and in the afternoon I go out and walk or run.

I walked after dinner tonight and took my camera along. I took a few pictures. I decided to stop by the General Store and buy a little bottle of wine for $2. I took it up to the counter to pay and the woman asked for my ID. It wasn’t because she thought I was young but that’s their “policy.” It was so stupid but I didn’t get my wine. Maybe I’ll go back tomorrow with my ID!

6-14 (Sunday)



When I got to the EDR this morning there was a big buffalo blocking the way in. Thankfully there are two doors so I was able to go around to the other one and get in. Some of the people from the next reservations training class were in there eating breakfast. I hated thinking about what they are facing.


The EDR , , , oh, my gosh! We eat on plastic trays with dividing sections. We can get starch from the hot line (various types) or we have a choice of two kinds of soup. There is a place where we can make sandwiches with different lunch meats and there is a salad bar with all kinds of fruit, most is not fresh. There is lettuce, olives, cheeses, tomatoes, onions, tofu, etc. There is an area where you get soft drinks, tea, water or fruit juices. We always have dessert. When we get to the part of the line where we will get our food we have to show our ID card and give the server our ID number. After we have gotten what we want to eat we sit down at one of the long tables or at one of the single tables for four. When we have swallowed all the starch we want we take our tray to what I call the slop area. We throw our silverware into three separate containers, one for spoons, one for knives etc. We toss anything that is left in our glass into a sort of trough drain. There is a huge garbage container lined with a plastic bag. We turn our blue plastic tray upside down and bang it several times to get rid of any food into the can. Next to the garbage can is a plastic container where we stack our trays. That garbage can is so gross. It reminds me of the movie, Animal House!


On my way back to the dorm this morning I saw two huge jackrabbits in the parking lot. Boy, can they jump! Their feet are about a foot long.


In one of my recent blogs I said I saw big horn goats, my friend Wendy, pointed out to me that they were probably sheep and not goats. She is absolutely right, I misspoke/miswrote - they were sheep.


I went to church this morning at the little chapel. It was very homey. I walked with some of the married couples from my dorm.


Is anyone interested in driving my car out here and then flying home? OR does anyone have an idea how I could get it here? All suggestions are welcome.


This afternoon I walked up the hill behind our dorm and then over to the corrals. There is an old cemetery near the corrals that was interesting. Some of the grave markers date back to the late 1800’s. Many of them are children.

6-12 (Fri)

Today I put one guy on hold while I waited for a supervisor to help me with something. He didn’t know that I could hear him even though he couldn’t hear me. First he started talking to his kids about the roaches in the room. Then he started singing, “I’m on hold, oh I spend my life on hold. Why do I have to get put on hold?” It was so funny. When I came back on the line he was very nice and never knew that I heard him singing.

6-11 (Thurs)

I was on the phones by myself all day today. I did a lot better than I thought I would. I only had to call the supervisor 106 times for help. I hope to only call her 98 times tomorrow.. Just kidding. I did have a Chinese girl from California call me around 11:30. She kept changing her mind and wanting all these different dates and rooms. She said her cell phone was running down because we were on the phone two hours. I know it was 1:30 when I went to lunch and they had finished serving. There was a little salad stuff still out so I ate that.

I ate with the “sisters” from my dorm tonight. I mentioned the “fungus” on my leg and that I needed to get medicine at the pharmacy in Gardiner. They immediately said they would take me as soon as we finished with our dinner. They are the only ones who have offered.

When we went into town tonight we saw some mountain goats high up on a cliff. That was exciting.

Outside my dorm last night.

6-10 (Wed)

Some new people must have move in next door and above me. tI could hear the guy above clomping all over his room. It sounded like two girls next door and they were talking real loud and yelling out the window from about 11:30 to 12:00. I was afraid to put in ear plugs for fear I wouldn’t hear my alarm in the morning. If they continue I’m going to report them. Wouldn’t you know I wouldn’t sleep well the night before my first “real” day of work?

When I went to work today I asked if I could observe for awhile. The boss said I could. Before noon I started taking calls on my own and then when I came back from lunch I was at my own station. I was surprised at how well I did. I didn’t really have anything too complicated but it was a good way to start.

It was bright and sunny today but the wind was really cold.