October 9, 2010 7:165 a.m.

Day 14 was Sept. 17,2010

On to Grand Teton National Park, where we were planning to meet our next door neighbor, Gail, who lives in Wyoming during the summer.   Our neighbors are the only sunbirds we know -- retired people who leave Florida in the summer for cooler climes. I can see myself doing this some day, too, except not at the same level as she.  More like... a single-wide in one of the coolest towns in North Carolina.

Well, anyway, after getting our National Park passports stamped at the visitor center, we headed to the Jackson Lake Dam and used our tripod to take a family photo in front of the Teton Range.  So when you see this photo, all the main mountains are there, but as is the habit with photos, they all look so much smaller than they actually were when you were standing there.  You know what I mean?

Soon with met up with Gail, who presented us with goodies for our trip, including a carrot cake she baked from scratch, and then we drove to a picnic ground where she assembled a tasty "cold pizza"-style recipe from ingredients she had brought with her.  It was fun to watch her put it together, although she felt that she was taking too long to do so.  She had also made rocky road brownies that she left with us.  She told us of a great spot to view the Tetons and we followed her in our van to go there.  As soon as we arrived there, we got out of our van in time to see a lady walking over to us, smiling, and saying "well this is serendipitous!"

No kidding.  Turns out this lady is the nurse assistant to Sweet Girl's pediatrician.  Back in July, at Sweet Girl's annual checkup, we had discussed how we were both planning trips out west in September.  We were both eventually to make it to Yellowstone at some point, etc. etc. etc.  Well, you can imagine how strange it was to run into her just there and then (and not even at Yellowstone, and if we had gone to a different spot in the park during those five minutes, we would never have seen or thought of nurse Kathy and so on).  We took pictures together with the children for her to bring back to show the doctor.  Funny!

Then Gail told us to follow her to Moose Junction where she knew a family of moose lived, and we spent some time viewing moose resting at the Snake River.  Very memorable activity for all of us.  The children, especially one of them who likes to keep his hands busy, went down below the bridge we were viewing moose from --- to collect some interesting rocks.  These rocks, we still have in our house.  Rocks from the Snake River.

After another hour, Gail and we went our separate ways.  She will be back here next door to us on or around Oct. 12 (soon).

We drove on to Dubois, Wyoming, entering cowboy country -- a really neat little western town, but not before having to drive through a construction zone over the Togwotee Pass.  The elevation at this pass was high, nearly 10,000 feet, and the construction season would be very short.  In fact, they had had a snowfall a week or two earlier, that had cost them precious time.  So, the highway was completely torn up, both sides, for many miles and we had to drive over rocks and gravel at around 5-10 miles per hour.  We had never experienced anything quite like this before; another "western experience" for us on our trip.  So, it goes to prove that if you are heading somewhere, leave earlier than you think you might need to leave.  You never know what's down the road.

We loved the Dubois / Wind River KOA.  We got to meet Murray, the golden retriever who loves to listen to children read to him.  We also met three of the most friendly horses, one who is male and is named Prince Edward.  Well, the children were trying to figure out who he was, and would call his name repeatedly, but at some point each individual horse came over to socialize, so they never did figure out (on their own) who Prince Edward was.  They also explored tiny creatures in a mountain creek (the White River?) at night, which they love to do, and they enjoyed the best slide ever.  Remember the old time galvanized playground slides?  They were the best, and we would have more of them around if it weren't for lawyers (thanks, guys, for "improving" our lives).  Got to love the Wild West!

It has been a very full, and very pleasant, day!

The tripod captured family photo in front of the Tetons.

Following Gail to the picnic spot.

Assembling the pizza.  It was yummy!

Nurse Kathy!  What a surprise!

Chips took this photo in front of Grand Teton.

Grand Teton.  The pointiest one.

Mama moose and child.  Took an hour to get this pose moment.

Bringing out the banner for view.

Looking along the Snake River for those moose.

How dramatically the scenery had changed in about 50 miles!

Is this Prince Edward?

Love these slides.  Miss them, too.

Checking out that cool, crystal, mountain stream.

Children learned to play Klondike in the van at night.