Sunday, August 24, 2008

The Gun Barrel Fire Near Cody, WY and Hotel Irma



















We headed out this morning to Cody, WY and to our surprise ran into a young bull elk in the park, and the Gun Barrel fire in Shoshone National Forest! It's hard to see from this picture, but right in the center you can actually see the flames. We watched the helicopters with their water buckets...best we can tell they are trying to manage the flames, rather than try to put them out. The fire is killing pine beetles that are destroying the forest! We also saw the Le Hardy fire in the park that is still burning. It was impressive but frightening! Let's say a little prayer that all the firefighters will be safe, and that the fires are managed.
We had lunch at the Irma Hotel in Cody! The food was superb. The bar in the restaurant was the original from 1902 and gorgeous! We walked around town a bit and checked out some galleries...we like Red Lodge and Jackson better, but I have to admit we didn't go to the huge Buffalo Bill Cody museum. Here's how the hotel is presented at http://www.irmahotel.com/

"Step back in time… into the old west of today, at the Irma Hotel, – a place that Buffalo Bill Cody called “a gem” just outside of Yellowstone National Park. Stay in historic rooms that housed some of the most famous personalities the world have ever known such as Frederic Remington, Annie Oakley & Calamity Jane. You can even stay in Buffalo Bill’s private suite, or in a host of other historic or non-historic rooms, all with up-to-date amenities and air conditioning.
Enjoy the finest dining in the West, including our famous prime rib. Enjoy a drink and friendly camaraderie at the Buffalo Bill Bar or in the Silver Saddle Saloon. Fancy enough for royalty, and comfortable enough for cowboys and cowgirls, the Irma Hotel is the heart and spirit of Cody, Wyoming!"
We're heading home on September 21st! It will take us a few weeks to get home...we are planning some side trips to the Arches National Park in Moab, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Sedona and, of course, Murfreesboro, Arkansas to dig for diamonds! Hopefully we'll be home sometime the first or second week of October. We'll keep you posted. It is already starting to slow down here in West Yellowstone and we're noticing a difference in the park with fewer cars. I'm still chasing a moose with horns, and we're probably heading back down to the Snake River in the Tetons as we've heard there are some there. This has been an incredible opportunity for us to learn that we don't want a gallery, that retail is really hard work, and there are tons of fun people in the world! We had more countries represented in the store than states! With the dollar weak, and other countries' currencies strong, the foreign tourists were here in force and buying lots! Thanks for supporting our faltering economy!
I'm watching CNN and struggling to understand an Obama/Biden ticket...I'm not fond of McCain...but I'm struggling without Hillary in the race. This may be the first time that I just throw in the towel and flip a coin. I'm not an Obama fan, Biden is not someone I have much respect for given his inappropriate remarks in the past...where is Hillary going to end up in this scenario. I'll try to keep an open mind and watch the next few months of campaigning before making a choice, but this has been a very disappointing political season.

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