The sun didn't stay out very long yesterday as the clouds rolled in and the rain started again before 10 AM. We even had a winter storm watch alert issued for the hills and mountains above 8500 feet. The high yesterday was only 63 degrees, and the low was 41. It is 40 outside right now, and still cloudy with occasional showers. I could see the snow on our radar yesterday and bet that the Tetons got another dose that will contribute to the runoff later this summer. No grass will be mowed until this weather turns around. We are keeping our jackets handy and the fireplace going these days.
Our solo night at work last night went pretty much without incident last night. We had another of the oriental tour buses that was late arriving again. This time though, there were only 16 people on board so we didn't have the traffic in the lobby that we usually get with this tour company. We handled all the check-ins and other transactions without any problems.
Right now it appears that we will spend another morning inside until this weather improves...
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Monday, June 16, 2014
More Winter Weather
For some reason, the winter weather doesn't want to lose its stronghold on this area. We had another day of wet, cool weather yesterday that forced us to hang out in the fifth wheel and do pretty much nothing before going into work. It wasn't the best way to spend Father's Day but having the US Open golf tournament on TV helped. It's too bad that the tournament actually ended with the first round last Thursday as nobody got even close to the German, Martin Kaymer, the entire four rounds. It happens sometimes - one golfer gets a hot hand and can do no wrong, wins a tournament, then disappears from sight for awhile. This looks like one of those times.
There was an episode at work last night when we arrived at the front desk. Evidently, the two bartenders from the night before got drunk and trashed the bar before leaving the premises on Saturday night. They quit their jobs and left a mess in the bar that resulted in delaying the opening yesterday until the mess could be cleared. It is beyond our comprehension why they are permitted to drink on the premises in the first place.
We also had a problem of our own when the device we use to provide coffee and hot water blew a circuit breaker. There is a particular tour company that comes in twice a week with buses that are 100% Chinese. They love to prepare noodles and other meals that use up our hot water at a record clip and we are constantly running back and forth from the lodge kitchen refilling the containers. We had to leave the sole individual that works the night shift at the front desk with a warmer that wasn't working and one more bus due to arrive. We hope she made out all right trying to satisfy the 50 or so people that arrived after we left.
The sun is shining this morning so we hope to get the grass mowed - finally - before starting work today. It is still in high 40's this morning but should warm up enough for us to get the job done...
There was an episode at work last night when we arrived at the front desk. Evidently, the two bartenders from the night before got drunk and trashed the bar before leaving the premises on Saturday night. They quit their jobs and left a mess in the bar that resulted in delaying the opening yesterday until the mess could be cleared. It is beyond our comprehension why they are permitted to drink on the premises in the first place.
We also had a problem of our own when the device we use to provide coffee and hot water blew a circuit breaker. There is a particular tour company that comes in twice a week with buses that are 100% Chinese. They love to prepare noodles and other meals that use up our hot water at a record clip and we are constantly running back and forth from the lodge kitchen refilling the containers. We had to leave the sole individual that works the night shift at the front desk with a warmer that wasn't working and one more bus due to arrive. We hope she made out all right trying to satisfy the 50 or so people that arrived after we left.
The sun is shining this morning so we hope to get the grass mowed - finally - before starting work today. It is still in high 40's this morning but should warm up enough for us to get the job done...
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Cold Fathers Day
This morning is Fathers Day and the temperature is 35 degrees outside. We cranked up the furnace this morning to get things heated up enough to move around to get our coffee and sit without a blanket around us or without shivering. The inside temperature was 55 this morning. The forecast for tomorrow is more of the same and by Tuesday we will be down to 28 degrees with a high of 47. Go figure.
The weather was all over the place yesterday with wind, rain and hail. We got these shots from inside the fifth wheel of the hail we had around noon:
It turned to rain and melted all the hail in a short time.
The weather made it easy to stay inside and watch the US Open Golf Tournament. So far, after three rounds it is a one man show with Martin Kaymer from Germany running away with the tournament. It takes a little joy out of watching the tournament when it is a foreigner so far in the lead, even though you always like to see a great performance by anybody. With the final round today, I would be surprised to see another golfer close the gap of the six shot lead that he has.
It is up to 39 degrees outside as I finish up this entry. We would like to mow the grass this morning, but it needs to warm up some more before I go outside to do anything.
Happy Fathers Day...
The weather was all over the place yesterday with wind, rain and hail. We got these shots from inside the fifth wheel of the hail we had around noon:
It turned to rain and melted all the hail in a short time.
The weather made it easy to stay inside and watch the US Open Golf Tournament. So far, after three rounds it is a one man show with Martin Kaymer from Germany running away with the tournament. It takes a little joy out of watching the tournament when it is a foreigner so far in the lead, even though you always like to see a great performance by anybody. With the final round today, I would be surprised to see another golfer close the gap of the six shot lead that he has.
It is up to 39 degrees outside as I finish up this entry. We would like to mow the grass this morning, but it needs to warm up some more before I go outside to do anything.
Happy Fathers Day...
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Visit to Greys River
It was so windy and cool yesterday - 25 mph winds and 70 degrees for the high - that we decided to just take a drive somewhere. There is a neat road that runs along the Greys River in Alpine that we drove last year about this time and was loaded with wildflowers. It was nearly the same this year, except my photos weren't real sharp with the possible exceptions of these below:
We saw lots of Wild Rose along the drive:
and the usual Balsamroot flowers that were everywhere:
There was one area in particular where the Lupines were like a blanket in the field:
It was still breezy and cool by the time we finished the drive and we came home to watch golf (me) and do some laundry (Josie). That pretty much shot the rest of the day.
Yes, it's back to work today and the forecast is for more cool, damp and breezy weather so it's good that we will be inside for the next several days. The long term forecast is for us to hit the seventies again by the time we get our next days off. We may get a chance to mow our grass before going into work today, so that would be something worthwhile for the morning. We see that the Phoenix area is baking at around 105 degrees, so we feel fortunate to be here...
We saw lots of Wild Rose along the drive:
and the usual Balsamroot flowers that were everywhere:
There was one area in particular where the Lupines were like a blanket in the field:
It was still breezy and cool by the time we finished the drive and we came home to watch golf (me) and do some laundry (Josie). That pretty much shot the rest of the day.
Yes, it's back to work today and the forecast is for more cool, damp and breezy weather so it's good that we will be inside for the next several days. The long term forecast is for us to hit the seventies again by the time we get our next days off. We may get a chance to mow our grass before going into work today, so that would be something worthwhile for the morning. We see that the Phoenix area is baking at around 105 degrees, so we feel fortunate to be here...
Friday, June 13, 2014
Ultrasound, Bunnery and Museum
The main objective for yesterday was to have Josie's ultrasound successfully completed. We went to the hospital at 8 :15 for her appointment and we were out of there by 9:30. They found what seems to be a small disturbance but will require another mammogram next week to compare results from the earlier mammogram and the ultrasound. We are cautiously optimistic.
We went to the Bunnery in town following the hospital procedure and had a nice breakfast. This was our first visit to this popular restaurant in Jackson:
We followed that with a visit to the Jackson Hole Museum:
We (The Virginian) were given free passes by the Historical Society and we took advantage of that to pay our first visit. There are actually two Museums, one that depicts the early settlers and a second that features the historical significance of the Yellowstone Indian tribes. We took a few photos while there. Starting with some of the relics from the early settlers:
and some of the trophy animals that were hunted by those early homesteaders:
We were actually a little disappointed at the size of the museums. We expected to see a much larger presentation than was there, and the contents, though very interesting, were only a small representation of the history of the area. Maybe the museums are still in their early development. We had a nice conversation with one of the hosts at the museum who was a workamper. He and his wife are in Jackson for their second year and are staying at the Gros Ventre state campground while working this season.
This is the weekend for the US Open Golf Championship and I hope to get a chance to watch the action. I forgot to set the DVR to copy the action yesterday, but will make sure I get the final three rounds copied.
We also confirmed our schedule to visit Cody on Thursday and Friday the 26th and 27th of this month. We will only stay one night as we want to make sure we get back to Jackson in time for work on the 28th.
There are no firm plans for today at this point, but we will do something if the weather cooperates. It's cloudy and breezy right now, so we'll wait and see...
We went to the Bunnery in town following the hospital procedure and had a nice breakfast. This was our first visit to this popular restaurant in Jackson:
We followed that with a visit to the Jackson Hole Museum:
We (The Virginian) were given free passes by the Historical Society and we took advantage of that to pay our first visit. There are actually two Museums, one that depicts the early settlers and a second that features the historical significance of the Yellowstone Indian tribes. We took a few photos while there. Starting with some of the relics from the early settlers:
and some of the trophy animals that were hunted by those early homesteaders:
We were actually a little disappointed at the size of the museums. We expected to see a much larger presentation than was there, and the contents, though very interesting, were only a small representation of the history of the area. Maybe the museums are still in their early development. We had a nice conversation with one of the hosts at the museum who was a workamper. He and his wife are in Jackson for their second year and are staying at the Gros Ventre state campground while working this season.
This is the weekend for the US Open Golf Championship and I hope to get a chance to watch the action. I forgot to set the DVR to copy the action yesterday, but will make sure I get the final three rounds copied.
We also confirmed our schedule to visit Cody on Thursday and Friday the 26th and 27th of this month. We will only stay one night as we want to make sure we get back to Jackson in time for work on the 28th.
There are no firm plans for today at this point, but we will do something if the weather cooperates. It's cloudy and breezy right now, so we'll wait and see...
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Comparing Weather
It is cooler this year than last. Last year we had consecutive days in the high 80's on the same two days versus temperatures in the low 70's this year. It is also much cooler in the mornings as we are getting down into the upper 30's at night. It's a situation where we are using the heater instead of the A/C so far. The cooler temperatures also tend to keep us inside more than we would like, but the trend is for warmer days ahead.
Our week ended yesterday with three buses and an increasing number of registered guests to check-in. We are about 240 guests ahead of last year so far for the month of June. I think the biggest reason is that we have had more tour buses than for the similar dates last year. At this point, we are unsure about the schedule for our days off this week except that Josie has her ultrasound scheduled for 8:30 AM this morning.
We heard from our friends that visited us earlier this week from Cody and they have the 26th & 27th of June as days off in their schedule and have asked us to come to Cody for a visit. They have made tentative reservations for us at the cabins at a "friends" discount of half the regular price. How can you refuse an offer like that? We haven't visited Cody at all since we worked there in 2010 and are anxious to see the changes and also to visit with old friends that are still working at the Buffalo Bill Village. In the meantime, we have some comps to use before the end of June - namely, the Bar-J Chuckwagon, whitewater rafting and horseback riding. There are lots of things we need to do before June ends in a couple of weeks...
Our week ended yesterday with three buses and an increasing number of registered guests to check-in. We are about 240 guests ahead of last year so far for the month of June. I think the biggest reason is that we have had more tour buses than for the similar dates last year. At this point, we are unsure about the schedule for our days off this week except that Josie has her ultrasound scheduled for 8:30 AM this morning.
We heard from our friends that visited us earlier this week from Cody and they have the 26th & 27th of June as days off in their schedule and have asked us to come to Cody for a visit. They have made tentative reservations for us at the cabins at a "friends" discount of half the regular price. How can you refuse an offer like that? We haven't visited Cody at all since we worked there in 2010 and are anxious to see the changes and also to visit with old friends that are still working at the Buffalo Bill Village. In the meantime, we have some comps to use before the end of June - namely, the Bar-J Chuckwagon, whitewater rafting and horseback riding. There are lots of things we need to do before June ends in a couple of weeks...
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Staff Meeting
We had our annual front desk staff meeting yesterday before we started work. It is a mandatory meeting where our manager, Judy, has all the front desk staff gathered to review procedures, changes in procedures, dress codes, policy reviews and any other topic that the staff wants to discuss. The meeting lasted for just over a half hour and we started work a bit earlier than normal at 2:45 PM. We clocked in for the meeting at 2:15, but don't expect to get any extra pay for the time spent in the meeting. That takes care of meetings for another year.
Our shift last night was an indication that business is picking up for the season. We had 25 walk-ins which is, by far, the most so far this year. There were two buses and we spent a lot of time last night handing out maps of Jackson and bus schedules for the free "Start Bus" transportation that is offered by Jackson. It is the norm for most tours that spend a night in our lodge.
Our Friday is today and the week seemed to have sped by. Josie has her ultrasound tomorrow AM and we will glad to get that out of the way so we can do something fun like take a bike ride or do another hike. We should be seeing more and more wildflowers as we get into the warmer season this month...
Our shift last night was an indication that business is picking up for the season. We had 25 walk-ins which is, by far, the most so far this year. There were two buses and we spent a lot of time last night handing out maps of Jackson and bus schedules for the free "Start Bus" transportation that is offered by Jackson. It is the norm for most tours that spend a night in our lodge.
Our Friday is today and the week seemed to have sped by. Josie has her ultrasound tomorrow AM and we will glad to get that out of the way so we can do something fun like take a bike ride or do another hike. We should be seeing more and more wildflowers as we get into the warmer season this month...
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