Snowmobiling The American West, 2026: Old Faithful

As students of this blog know, we are into snowmobiling, from our Montana years, and also our retirement years. The basic history of all this begins here. And continues through 2022. Just enter "snowmobiling" in the search box. We had planned on going to West Yellowstone and doing the Park, again, in early January, but there was so little snow the Park was not allowing snowmobiling within its boundaries. So we can cancelled and hoped for more snow in February. It came, just enough, and on February 24th we flew to Idaho Falls and then took the shuttle to West Yellowstone, planning to spend a week in a motel there, snowmobiling every other day or so, both in the Park and in its western environs. Our first day out was a guided tour (the only way to snowmobile in the Park) to Old Faithful...

Our steed for the day, from Two Top rentals...a Skidoo two-up
grand touring machine, 900cc, pretty much like the one we owned
earlier in this century

Just a couple miles into the Park, the first of several hundred bison
we saw that day

It looks like a crowd, but this is probably half the snowmobilers in the
Park, gathered at the first major pit stop, at Madison; our tour consisted
of 18 people, 9 sleds

At Gibbon Falls

Thermal areas provide grass...

Street scene

Old Faithful in refractory stage

Right on schedule

We are in the front row of the bleachers...something
you could not even imagine in any other season

Full eruption

More thermal features

Ever more

Ditto

Ditto again

Et cetera

More water features

More bison

Official portrait

Random Initial Orlando Scenes

Our work of moving in and setting up our apartment continues, but not without occasional divertissements, mainly at Disney. It was "art" month at EPCOT, and, of course, we had to go for that. Understand, of course, that Disney art is to art as Disney music is to music. It's only there to promote Disney. And to sell.

But first, something other blogs don't show you...a molting chameleon...

Vicki sporting her new Minnie ears

Posing in my favorite Renoir

Snow Green

Vicki in her favorite painting as a teacher/librarian

Not so Hidden Mickey

And Minnie

The usual decadence

Rehearsal for Birds reenactment...or possibly Crebain 
from Dunland...

2kg Disney chocolate croissants

Raphael would be so proud

Back to reality; and home

Interim Update #1,291

Our January did not go entirely as planned. There was so little snow in Yellowstone that we canceled our snowmobiling trip there, dividing that time between Cary and Knoxville. By mid-January, it was time for our move to Winter Garden, and, with the help of U-Haul, some loaders and some unloaders, we got all our stuff into a truck and trailer (unplanned), drove from Cary to our new apartment in Winter Garden, unloaded, and began settling in. A few days later, ahead of the winter storm, Rebecca and Penelope arrived, having driven our car from Cary. Even their visit did not go quite as planned, since Penelope had contracted Flu B, probably from her performances in the Addams Family musical, and their Park visits were thus a bit limited. We had a good time nonetheless.

Much of the remainder of January was spent unpacking bins and boxes, acquiring a few new bits of furniture (our stored furniture was down to our ancient Statton Old Towne OBF bedroom suite and a few odds and ends), many trips down amnesia lane, many questions and issues, most yet to be resolved. We've been to the parks just a few times, but we do get outside our door 4 or 5 nights a week to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks, which are about half a mile away. The concussions often set off car alarms nearby. The weather has been cold, here as elsewhere, and that has restricted our outdoor activities. Nonetheless, we did make it to Animal Kingdom this past week, enjoyed a few new activities, and it reminded me it was time to blog.

Penelope as pictured on the Addams Family set

Another removal!

"New" furniture

Fireworks outside our door; yeah, that's Cinderella's 
Castle...

Ratatouille casts a shadow of the Winged Victory...a strong portent...

Dining set...possibly a keeper

Now in Animal Kingdom...

Mama and baby giraffe on the Safari ride

Flamingo city

Eyeing a toddler on the safari truck in front of us

Getting mooned by White Rhinoceros(es)...where is
Salvador Dali when you need him?

So serious, always so serious

Personal spirit animal

So, on the Gorilla Walk,  we were chatting with a ranger about the effects
of the extreme (for Florida) cold and its effects on the park...devastating
for much of the plant life, not so much for the animals since they were all
inside...inside? we asked; and yes, she said, take the Wildlife Express and
you will see some of the barns...

So we did...a first for us...and well worth the ride (no wait time)

As with everything else at Disney, there is another side to the magic...
that which makes it possible...often more fascinating than the show itself

Moving right along, me experimenting with costume bits
for a proposed Disney Renaissance Fair (Faire)

The look I am going for...