Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I made reservations for June ...

"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." ~Bertolt Brecht

"Change of weather is the discourse of fools." ~Thomas Fuller

"There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people." ~Bill Bowerman

When we left Texas, we did, like smart little boys and girls, pack jackets for the trip.

Because you never know when it will be cooler than you expect, we said.

Uh-huh.

So, when we heard, a mere 22 hours before our scheduled arrival, that the forecast for our stay at Yellowstone included, oh say, 28 (feels like 16), winds 15 mph, 31 (feels like 20), winds 20 mph, 33 (feels like 24 - yeah, there were periodic heat waves such as this one), we were a bit ... well ... what is the word?

The next day we headed west. In an effort to build morale (or delusion, one - I haven't figured out which), I asked the family to help me compile a list of reasons we should go to Yellowstone in such conditions. Drum roll, please ......

TOP TEN REASONS YOU SHOULD GO TO YELLOWSTONE IN "JUNEUARY:"

10. If you get a cold, you won't have to go to school ("Oh, wait - we're out of school ...")

9. Blizzard conditions look beautiful from the warmth of your car, especially if someone else is responsible for dodging the black ice

8. More animals at lower elevations trying to find food

7. It's a good excuse to sing Christmas carols in the car (Please, someone teach my children some verses to Jingle Bells other than "Batman smells, Robin laid an egg ...")

6. You can warm your hands over any of thousands of thermal features (no, it doesn't work)

5. The motel room is already paid for

4. Hot chocolate never tasted better (at least in June)

3. Because - trust me on this - you won't have to fight the crowds

2. The sulfur smell is not nearly so putrid when your nose is frozen

and the number one reason to visit Yellowstone in "Juneuary" is ...

1. You might actually begin to long for a Texas summer

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P.S. I promised you a few more pictures. Enjoy! :-)

Rocky Mountain National Park, through Moraine Park

Standing on a fallen tree in Sprague Lake

(B, you need to know that the only reason he got out of the car to walk around this lake was because I told him how S pushed you into the lake when you were his age! He thought that was a hoot and wanted to see the scene of the crime!)

Hiking down from Cub Lake into Big Thompson Canyon

The lower of the double rainbow (if you look very closely in the upper righthand corner, you can see the second one!)

What a lineup

Big man on campus

The Cathedral Spires of the Black Hills, from Needles Highway

Sylvan Lake exploration, Custer State Park

Two little devils and one big one?

I have no idea. My brain was frozen.