Happy Birthday to Me!

The years just keep piling up and it's hard to believe I have reached to age of 63 - ARGH! But I still feel great and the kids that work here at YVI said 'No Way - You're lying - You ain't that old!' That makes me feel better and to tell the truth, I don't know what 63 is suppose to feel like.

I know there are days when the arthritis in my foot and hip hurts more than others; that I like to take a mid-afternoon nap now and then; I can't drink and dance all night like I once did, but thankfully I have my health, my family and my friends and they make my life a joyful one. I just pray that Medicare is still around in 2 years!

I had to share with you my Wild West birthday! I woke up early and was out doing my morning walk-around- the-resort(2 miles) when my friend John called and ask if I would like to 'saddle up' and go to Pahaska for breakfast? This is the original Buffalo Bill Cody homestead and his log cabin still stands. I said I would love to - depending on what I had to saddle-up on. When he assured me it was only his motorcycle, I said 'you bettcha!'.

The weather forecast was for a high in the mid-80's, but at 7 a.m. on the back of a cycle, it was damn chilly. I had on a helmet, sweatshirt, jeans and a leather jacket but I had forgotten gloves and my fingers were freezing! We sped down the road, heading 25 miles toward the Park, and suddenly had to slow down to almost nothing to dodge 5 BIG buffalo slowly strolling down the middle of the highway! Wildlife is everywhere you look. While we were eating I looked up and there was this beautiful red fox peering in the window. She was hoping for a bite to eat and was very happy to just stand there and let me take pictures.

After my delightful birthday breakfast, I headed into Cody for the rest of the day. Treated myself to a nice lunch, went shopping for a perfect birthday present and gave myself a membership at Buffalo Bill Cody Historical Center.

This is one fantastic museum. There are actually 5-museums-in-one - and the gift shop - WOW! I lucked out and met the head of funding (who is from northern MN) We had a lovely chat while she told me what all my membership entails. (Check out the link to the Center on the left.) The very first thing I'm going to take advantage of is a members-only horseback trail-ride, lunch and 2-hour hike with a naturalist through Yellowstone on June 13th. I also get to attend a private, evening function at the Whitney Western Art Museum before it re-opens June 21st.

On the way back to YVI, I stopped and took a picture of this really weird structure perched on top of a peak in Wapati. Seems a very 'strange' gentleman started building it, fell off the roof and died. It went to his heirs, they don't want it, so now it just sits! I would just love to see the inside but understand it isn't safe. And since there wasn't too much traffic, I pulled the Jeep off the highway, climbed the guardrail and took the picture of the Shoshoni River as it gushes through the cliffs into the damn.

All-in-all, it has been a perfect day! Getting older means one gets more time to see and do more!

Until next time... take care of each other.

ReAnn