Petrified Tree | Yellowstone National Park

Next stop on our way through Yellowstone was the Petrified Tree.  I saw this on the map and thought "tree",  this must be a misprint, surely they meant "trees". Nope, it was just one, one petrified tree, standing alone, strong and beautiful.

Associate in Applied Science Degree in Accounting - Achieved 2011

July 22, 2011, at approximately 9:00 pm, in the auditorium of Walter Williams High School in Burlington, NC, Dr. Martin H. Nadelman conferred my degree. I am now officially a holder of an Associate Degree in Accounting. 

My name printed in the program, I doubled checked to make sure it was there.

Here I am entering the stage as my name is being announced. (Last name pronounced correctly.)

Getting the congratulatory handshake and extra acknowledgment for graduating with high honors.

Exiting the stage with degree in hand. 

(Ok, just the cover for the degree, the degree will be mailed at a later date.)

My accounting friends as we returned from receiving our degrees.

The gold cords I have around my neck and for graduating with high honors. You must have a GPA of 3.8 or higher to qualify for the high honors, mine came in at 3.848. The golden stole is my Phi Theta Kappa stole from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, this society requires maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher to be inducted into the society.

Here I am with my great friend, TammyJo; we were there helping and encouraging each other all the way. Congratulations TammyJo!

All my bling!

Mountain Views from Gardiner, Montana

Gardiner, founded in 1880, is located in Southwest Montana, at the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. This is the only year round entrance to the park. We found ourselves there after our visit to the Mammoth Hot Springs. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the local cafe and then found a quaint coffee shop where we had coffee, some internet time, and enjoyed the view. 

and San Diego is only 1,095 miles to your right.

Mammoth Hot Springs | Yellowstone National Park

For some reason I thought this was going to be a large spring fed swimming pool, heated by nature. I was wrong. I am not sure how to describe it other than just to say it was beautiful in a barren like way. 

They say that Mammoth was created over thousands of years as hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate on the ground creating the terraces. You can find more information on the Yellowstone National Park Service website. When you have some free time take a look, they have some great information and wonderful photos.

Wildlife at Yellowstone National Park

The wildlife at Yellowstone is awesome and being able to see some of it was a wonderful opportunity.

This elk decided that the grass was better in the campground. She was having dinner in the common area of Madison Campground, this was our first night of camping and our first close encounter with a wild animal. We were on our way to the store to get our dinner when we saw her so I had to stop and take a few photos.

Here is our first Buffalo sighting. We were on the way to West Yellowstone City in Montana when we came around a corner to see traffic stopped and wondered why? Then we saw the Buffalo starting to come up the bank and cross the road. The cameras were flying, it was awesome.

Here is one of the Buffalo from the above group. Once it had crossed the road we were able to drive right beside him and take a photo. Say "Cheese"

The next morning we left our campground, turn left, and there were more Buffalo, everywhere.

Buffalo eating...

Buffalo resting...

Tourists in the yellow stretch bus limousine looking at the buffalo.

This guy was just taking a stroll down the road. I took a photo as we drove by.

Same with this guy, just strolling (Rawhide song plays in my mind)

Here is a gorgeous shot that Rick was able to get of a Elk.

And we saw a couple of  big horned sheep, photo is bad, but we did get to see them up high on a hill.

Biscuit Basin | Yellowstone National Park

If I had to choose my favorite place at Yellowstone, it would be the Biscuit Basin. It was a short drive up from Old Faithful and definitely worth the stop. It is one of those places that you must see.

Biscuit Basin contains a small collection of thermal features. Many, however, are small, gem-like encrusted pools and geysers, including Silver Globe Spring, Sapphire, and Black Opal pools, Jewel, Cauliflower, and Black Pearl geysers. The Firehole River and a highway divide the basin. Sapphire Pool dominates the main group west of the river. The water of this pool, or spring, is crystal clear with a Oriental blue sapphire tint. Other important features include Shell Geyser, which has a golden-lined crater, and Jewel Geyser, known for the shiny, beaded sinter around its vent. - Yellowstone National Park.com

Firehole River

The start of the walkway through Biscuit Basin showing the stream rising from the geysers.

Black Opal Spring

Sapphire Pool

Jewel Geyser

Avoca Geyser

Silver Globe Geyser

 Two old geezers