Snowy Thursday in Billings, MT.

I realized that I didn't fully explain the slide-show below (previous post). I intended to say that the little house is where we are staying. Isn't God so good to provide just what we need? He is just soo perfectly wonderful. We're really enjoying our little abode. It's a little two bedroom/one bath house, but part of a privately owned extended stay hotel. The actual hotel is behind us on a main thoroughfare and we're one block over on this quiet, little street. We've got a front and back yard, furniture, a fully stocked kitchen, and CABLE! Do you know just how valuable cable can be on a snowy, freezing Saturday? The show "How It's Made" passes for school in my book! The way I see it we're on a field trip every time we watch it. Hee-hee...

As most of you know, it snowed last week. We got here just in time. It was so beautiful....operative word - was - the high temp yesterday was 51 and today was about the same, maybe a bit cooler. So, the snow is gone for now. We've got more coming tomorrow and we're in for a snowy weekend. We had high hopes of making it to Yellowstone, but I'm not so sure we'll make it. After a bit of digging, I discovered that all of the roads in the park, with the exception of one which doesn't lead to Old Faithful, are closed for the winter. We'd still be able to go but here's the obstacle: Apparently, they aren't officially open for the "winter" yet. During these first snowfalls, they allow the snow to accumulate and pack. When they determine there's enough, they pack it some more and groom the roads for passage. Visitors may then drive to the various entrances, depending on where you're coming from (providing those roads are passable; check for local road conditions BEFORE you head out!!) and take a snow coach (basically a van on tracks) to the various sites in the interior of the park. So, here's the catch..."winter season" doesn't usually begin in the park until around December 15th and we may be well on our home by then. All is certainly not lost though, we've seen some incredible views thus far and our way home through Denver will be sufficient if we happen to miss Yellowstone.