OH Give Me A Home Where The Buffalo Roam

 We are heading out this morning to visit La Mar Valley.  We hear there is lots of wildlife.  It's about 1 1/2 hours away.  We stopped at the General Store here at Old Faithful Lodge and picked up some coffee and breakfast sandwiches for our journey.  It's so foggy we have to be careful.  The fog is pretty but hate for hubby to have to drive in it.

about 20 minutes later the fog has begun to lift. Clear blue skies and temperature is rising :-)  The snow cover mountains are beautiful.

SNOW COVERED MOUNTAINS

We can see a herd of buffalo so we stopped and walked around to try and get a picture.  We walked the boardwalk but the trees blocked the view, No problem if you keep your eyes open you can find then again.

I just love the Aspen trees.  A little information about them.  The leaf's small stem is flattened along its entire length.  The flattened stem allows the leaves to quake or tremble in the slightest breeze.  You will notice this tree because light reflects from each shiny leaf causing the entire grove to shimmer.                      

I don't really care for the trip up the mountains to get places.  It's beautiful when I can look out the window.  

Arriving in Mammoth Hot Springs now, this village used to be called Fort Yellowstone.  The village has a history that is interesting to learn about.  

Read or not? 

In 1872 when Yellowstone Park was established, the park was under serious threat from those who would exploit, rather than protect the area.  Poachers killed animals, Souvenir hunters broke off large pieces off the geysers and hot springs.  Developers came in and set up camps for tourists, along with bath and laundry facilities at the HOT SPRINGS. Finally, Congress enacted the Sundry Civil Act of 1883, and the secretary of Interior called upon the Secretary of War for assistance in protecting the park.  Army Company M, Fort Custer under Captain Moses Harris came to Yellowstone.  They came to rescue this area in 1886 and stayed for more than 30 years. 

Elk roam freely around this area.  

Before we left town we stopped at the General Store to pick up some lunch.  After we got out of town ways we stopped at a pull-off to admire the view and eat our lunch.

I almost missed these sandhill cranes.  They blend in so well with the landscaping.  

We are driving along a river and I see a Trumpeter Swan.  Marlon pulled off and then I see some common mergansers and mallard duck coming down the river. Oh, I just love the birds here.

Common Mergansers

Buffalo seems to be out a lot eating and getting fattened up for the winter.

IT'S BEEN A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND OUR LAST DAY HERE IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.