 |
| One of the beautiful wild flowers we saw on Saturday |
Sorry we are late. We were having trouble getting the pictures to update from Saturday.
Happy Father’s Day to all those fathers out there. It is not the usual celebration since we are on a mission and the COVID-19 thing as well. We will be home to celebrate Walt’s birthday with the family though. It is still hard to believe that in two weeks from today, we will be on our way home to PA. That leaves us only one more Saturday of adventure here.
This week was a busy one for us. Walt now has to have the missionaries do their own vehicle inspections. It used to be local Senior Missionaries, but not for now. He sent out a checklist and then they were to complete it and email it back in. Of course, there were stragglers that took some prodding to get it done. Then there was all the things that needed fixed. There were lots of people without current insurance cards - he did already email those out. Several wiper blades needing replaced, chipped and cracked windshields, and some other minor things. Still it is a lot to take care of. I helped out by putting all the information on a spread sheet for him. He is really struggling with his tendonitis in his elbow and excessive computer work aggravates the situation. I am also a pretty fast typist. I am always happy to make things easier for him.
 |
| All of the following are wild flowers we saw on our Saturday excursion |
I did have some other things keeping me busy this week. On Tuesday we had 11 new missionaries arrive (some reassigned and others brand new) and then on Wednesday, 5 more. So I took care of lunch. Tuesday went pretty well. My calculations were a little more on target, plus the second day I can always get more of something if needed. I am learning more each time, although this was my last one. I take good notes before and after, so my replacements shouldn’t have much trouble. I did, at the last minute, Tuesday night, realize I would be feeding the first group again on Wednesday. Glad I didn’t figure that out on Wednesday afternoon. So Wednesday morning, I did have to pick up a few more rolls, cheese and cookies. It all worked fine. I am also realizing that the first group always eats more on the second day. We don’t know what kind opportunities the new arrivals have of getting food before they get here so we try to be thoughtful in having lunch. The second day, the missionaries are at the mercy of us for all their meals, so it seems to be there is a long time between breakfast and lunch and they are starving by then. I was told on Wednesday that there would be a small group at 1 pm and others around 1:30 or 2 pm. No one showed up till 2:30. They are still working out timing.
The next group of arrivals is July 7th, just days after we leave. They are all coming on that day, but there will be 20-24 of them. We had solid numbers for weeks now, and this week, some additional ones were added. Part of me wishes we would be here for this group, but going home sounds even better. I think it will be hard to leave this all behind. I like being helpful to the mission and getting to know so many of the missionaries. The plan for our replacements are a set of Elders for Walt’s job and a set of Sisters for mine. They will work part-time in the office and part time as regular missionaries. Neither of us know who they will be or when they will start. We like to say - We find out things when they happen, not usually before.
 |
| The high peak in the back is called the "Bear Tooth" |
 |
| The next group of pictures are various shots of our journey on the Beartooth Pass |
Our best day was Saturday as usual. We finally made it to the Beartooth pass. It is a road through the Beartooth mountains from Red Lodge, MT to the area around Lovell/Cody Wyoming. It is closed starting about October or when the snow begins to fall until the end of May. There are some really amazing views and scenery there. It’s quite a long road and very windy at spots. It was a beautiful thing to experience.
The first stop near one of the mountain tops had restrooms and a path that went around the side of the mountain. I noticed several chipmunks there. Walt figured they are used to people and so not very intimated by people. Then one chipmunk came running up to Walt, stopped and looked up as if to say - Do you have any food for me? Then quickly ran off. At the end of the path, there were about 7-10 chipmunks running around and two very fat ones eating out of someone’s hand. They were fat and had their mouths just stuffed with sunflower seeds. There was a girl up there with a bag of them and feeding any chipmunk that would come up. One little boy even petted one of the fat ones while he was eating.
 |
| Our chipmunk friends. This one was so chubby - check out those cheeks |
 |
| A selfie at the first stop. It's along way down. On the right near my shoulder is the road |
It’s hard to describe all the cool things we saw. We saw some skiers in a ski area with a small ski lift. Then saw other skiers gliding down a huge slope and then hiked back up. I noticed they were all young. We saw several beautiful lakes - one was Bearthooth lake. We saw the peak that is referred to as the Bear Tooth. We saw so many beautiful wild flowers. We saw a couple of amazing waterfalls and lots more. I think the pictures are better at expressing the beauty than any words I could write.
 |
| We just happened to come across these mountain goats and babies at one of the scenic overlooks |
 |
| One of the beautiful mountain lakes we saw. |
 |
| The top of the ski slope where there was a small ski lift. Some people were skiing in shorts |
 |
| This lake is still partially frozen |
 |
| Still quite a bit of snow at the top of the mountain. |
 |
| This is all part of the Shoshone National Forest |
 |
| This is the highest point of the Beartooth Pass |
It was a fantastic day. We didn’t do any big hikes, but did little ones along the way. We did find a camping/picnic area with a fire pit for cooking our hotdogs. Unfortunately, the bag with plates, napkins and the wire roasting sticks got left behind. Thanks to Walt, we did just fine.
 |
| Beautiful Lake |
 |
| Good to know we were in Grizzly Bear Country |
 |
| This is called Beartooth Lake. Pictures don't do it justice |
 |
| The pictures from here on out are taken on the Wyoming side. We were driving down the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway |
 |
| Had to get pictures of a waterfall!! |
 |
| A beautiful gorge |
 |
| You can see so much of the road from this view |
 |
| This was such a beautiful sight with the red rock |
We got home around 7:30 that evening and just got ready for Sunday. It’s always nice to have our place cleaned up for the Sabbath. Church was good today. Our District does a very nice job with respect and reverence for the sacrament ordinance. They are a good group of missionaries. We only have one more Sunday with them.
We both enjoyed being able to talk with our Dads today. We sure miss seeing them and are grateful we will get to see them soon. We are both quite blessed with wonderful fathers who have taught us to be kind, loving and responsible adults. Both are so respected and loved by both of us. We really miss them. Thank you both, Dads, for being such good role models in our lives and being there for us as we’ve grown up. Not everyone has such good fathers as we do and we feel very special to have them in our lives.
The words this week are short, but the pictures fill in quite nicely. We can’t believe we will be leaving this beautiful part of the world so soon. As we look back on our experience here, we feel so blessed to have met the amazing people that we have, and that we have been able to help many people find a closer relationship with the Savior. This upcoming week, Saturday and next Sunday will be the anniversary for the Aylesworths and the Smiths going to the temple to be sealed as a couple and a family for all eternity. What a privilege it has been to be part of their journey there. These friendships and many others will last forever.
Enjoy your week. We love you all and keep you in our prayers constantly.
Comments
Post a Comment