Field Notes - Dispatch 22 – Teton National Park,
Wyoming
Friday, July 7, 2015
Greetings Fellow Adventurers!
Not all is a bed of lupine here in the Tetons. Old
Trout and Scout have been kayaking here for five days and most of the
time we have been dodging rain storms. Fortunately, we are both from
pioneer stock and as long as the cocoa holds out, so will we.
Last night we put the kayak in Jackson Lake and as
we were getting ready to paddle from shore, a black bear came loping
along the beach. My mountain man instincts kicked in immediately and
I screamed like a little girl, jumped behind Scout (MR) and realized
all I had to defend us was a water bottle which I managed to drop.
The bear was gone in an instant and ended up on the hillside above us
happily munching chokecherries. Overall, I believe I handled the
encounter very well but I still quiver just thinking about it. Must
be the leftover adrenaline. Scout sees things a bit differently and
wants her own side arm for Christmas. Says she would feel more
protected with a Colt .44 at her side than me. Needless to say, I am
a bit offended.
As I draft this telegram we are sitting in the
Jackson Lake Lodge next to a set of three story picture windows
through which should be a stunning view of the Grand Teton Mountains.
Today it looks like what one would see if placed inside a three
story pingpong ball--a complete white out due to clouds and rain. No
matter, I have been regaling the tourists from the East with tales of
my various adventures and acts of daring. The tourists seem to
appreciate my efforts and often use me as an example to their
children. “Boys and girls”, they say, “stay in school and off
drugs, or you may end up like this smelly old trout.” It is good
to know I am helping the youngsters of America, if only as a caution.
Of course, what I am really thinking about is lunch
and what I will order. They specialize in stuffed baked trout here
but I catch so many big rainbow myself that such a dish holds little
interest for me. I think I will just have a simple salad with a milk
shake followed by blueberry pie alamode. I find salad allows me to
keep my slim figure with little physical exertion. One’s physical
appearance is so important nowadays, don’t you think?
Well, that is all for now. Time to see if Scout is
ready to put on the feed bag. This is an expression that she finds
particularly abhorrent and one which I often use. In closing, let me
say that I hope all of you are dry and having some summer adventures
of your own.
Over and out.
