August 27, 2004 - Lake Sawyer, WA - 1

Well, the knee arthroscopy went just fine.  The procedure was done on Wed. the 25th, and today we walked down to the edge of the lake.  Barb on one hand, a cane in the other.  Sure felt good to be outside again for a little bit!  I can already tell there's been an improvement.  It was downhill for a little bit, and there was no pain whatsoever!  Yippee!!  And now that the pain killers have worn off, I can think well enough to blather some on the website and hopefully get caught up!

While these pictures were being taken, I was laying around the campsite nursing my sore knee.  Barb and Dean went without me.  Made me mad, too.  Mad enough to decide to get the knee worked on first chance we got once we hit the Federal Way area.  I'll let her tell you about the flowers and the hike.  Following from Barb:  Well that's a fine how-do-ya-do.  It's been at least two months since these have been taken and maybe I can remember some of the names, but certainly not all.  I can't forget the one in the top left--pussytoes; that's what they look like and feel like, only in miniature.

We were here in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in the spring (June) and wildflowers were blooming everywhere.  It was delightful to see so many and enjoy the colors and the beauty.  Friend Dean, fast becoming a wildflower expert for the state of Wyoming, could easily identify them all.  The one above is a scarlet gilia (I'm not so smart though except that I wrote some of them down & Dave kept the note!). 

Another unforgettable name is this pale & dark yellow.  It's called butter-and-eggs.  And the photo with the little girl legs and "looks like" white rocks really aren't.  It's a fungus not unlike a mushroom, only much larger.  I had the name down pat when I was there, but it totally escapes me now.

And here's Dean getting another fantastic shot of a Wyoming flower which he has likely already identified and catalogued.  The rushing water was below this bridge.  The sequence following was so much fun to watch.  A squirrel doing what he does--eating a flower.  He'd stretch up, grab the top, pull it down, and start munching.  Pretty soon the flower was gone, and he'd be in pursuit of another.  Didn't seem to mind that we were having fun watching either.

The bird is a flicker with beautiful orange coloring underneath quite visible in flight.  We had these at our home when we lived in Federal Way--woodpecker family.  One became a nuisance at our home.  We had closed up the vent openings at the top of the house with hard wire and we believe this particular one had nested in there (our attic) the year before.  In his (her?) frustration at not being able to enter, he began pulling wood slices off our dark stained house--which quickly became very visible (the wood underneath the stain was still light).  But that's another story.   The flower next I believe is Indian paintbrush, then the trail Dean and I hiked on the way to Bradley Lake.  A great day for a great hike.

These are shots of the Taggart Lake area which we passed on our way to Bradley Lake.  Just beautiful scenery all around.

More of the trail and wildflowers.  And, again, Taggart Lake below.  Then a fun interloper--a marmot who was happy to run around scratching the ground and eating until a hawk flew overhead--then he bolted like he'd been shot.  Ah, the ultimate marmot predator of course.

Ah, we made it to Bradley Lake, me in picture below.  Standing on water?  Well, there is rock there.  I saw one of the most colorful birds on our way there that I have every seen.  I believe it was a painted bunting.  Wow, what a treat!  And below, there's Dean taking a picture of me on the wildflower trail while I took a picture of him.

We had already traveled at least a mile or two when we got to these signs.  So, what's another mile up and back.  It was casual and beautiful day all around.

Oh, one of the best shots of all is seeing Dean on his knees, camera in hand, focusing of a beautiful tiny flower, with the mighty Tetons in the background!  By the way, Grand Teton is French for big breast, so you don't want to wear your Grand Teton t-shirt in France or Quebec cause you might get some funny stares.