It’s always tough transitioning from vacation back into real life, isn’t it? The beginning of the new school year brings a whole set of challenges, and I feel like I’ve spent the last week trying to precariously balance my college teaching schedule (which is still in progress) with my private teaching schedule with my desires and need for sleep and exercise and practice time. I’m getting there, but it means lots of emails, waiting for responses, and then realizing you forgot to email somebody else. I’ve also been trying to catch up on things I’d pushed off until “after vacation” and while, I do feel calmer and more under control than in previous years, the beginning of the fall semester is not an easy time to be alive.

It’s fine though, and things are going okay! I’d love to spend a few hours working on my Banff recap blog post, but I haven’t been doing that. I must admit, I’ve been reading a bit during my free time, so it’s not exactly that I don’t have time, but that I just haven’t felt like spending more time at the computer!

(If you are behind, feel free to catch up, especially so you know the context behind the following pictures!)

• Part 1: What Happened to Scott?
• Part 2: This is my {Bison} Jam
• Part 3: There are still a few glaciers left…for now
• Part 4: Tons of Water in Waterton

Louie shared all of his photos with me though, so I thought I’d share a few with you here. He has a really nice telephoto lens so he can get “up close” with animals more than I am able to with my camera and phone camera.

This was the first marmot we saw on the trip, on top of the Beartooth Highway.

Quite the view!

My favorite, bison.

This guy seemed to be chewing.

This was on the hike up to Mount Washburn (in Yellowstone).

The bison like to roll around in the dirt.

At the Brink of the Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

At Mammoth Hot Springs.

Our first stop along Lake McDonald in Glacier NP.

Some mountain goats hanging out above the Highline Trail. Later, these same goats (I think) ran by us.

A pika. The pika (pikas?) can only live in high elevations.

 

Boarding the boat on the Grinnell Glacier Hike.

At Grinnell Glacier. And the Lake formed by the melting glaciers.

Our view hiking back from Grinnell. This was a gorgeous hike.

Another view of the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton National Park.

Selfie with Waterton Townsite in the background.

Along the hike to Bertha Lake.

It’s hard to get good pictures of bears. These two I thought looked pretty good! This particular bear was simply along the road on our route to Banff.

I’ll incorporate some of his pictures into my next few posts, most likely. In any case, I wanted to pop in, share a bit, and now I must go off to work. I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend…think of us musicians who are likely playing weddings, events, and other gigs while you have your three day weekend