'Big sky' Montana

With all the overwhelming beauty of Yellowstone to blog about I keep forgetting to show you a little of our 'own' park, the Yellowstone KOA that is.
These pictures are from when we'd just arrived, as you can see there weren't too many people around yet.
I think the spaces are fairly large and I like it that each site has it's own bench, table and fire pit. Even all cabins have their own rocking benches hanging at the tiny front porch.
Our space is one of the largest in the park, we really lucked out there!

This bottom right is us

                                                        

For the tent-ers they have a few of these round structures. The one one the left has 'pie-shaped' wedges fenced of in front of the building. You can pitch your tent in one of them and use the counter under the roof for cooking and eating.

The one on the right has sinks and stoves that can be used by anybody.

As you can see you'll barely notice it's a campground from up above.

As I said before we've been ordering a lot of parts for some minor repairs we had to do and James has been busy checking them off his list.
The toilet had a small leak from the base so we ordered some parts from Thetford and when they arrived James had to contort himself around the throne to get the thing out and, even worse, back in when it was repaired.
You who know how small RV bathrooms are will understand this wasn't the easiest job!

As you see in the center picture our anode rod for the water heater also needed to be replaced. It was almost completely corroded through!

 Next on the list was the screen door. Merlin had scratched it to an inch of it's life and after we replaced the screens we cat-proofed it (hopefully) by installing 2 aluminum screens we found at Home Depot over the bottom one (with the use of Velcro).

 

And than there was the generator that all of a sudden didn't want to start anymore.
James found some wires that had corroded and cleaned some parts but didn't see much else wrong with it.
I googled and found the company in California that distributes them and they were very helpful in giving pointers what to check next.
Unfortunately it still doesn't work but we pretty much nailed it down to it being the carburetor so I think that's going to be the next item we'll have to order. Fortunately it isn't very expensive!

 

 

Our space has a nice concrete slab next to the RV but there was a little 'hole' in the back that wasn't covered. Off course that turned out to be the spot with the nicest view so James went into what they call here the 'boneyard', which is the parks junkyard of old and spare stuff, and came back with some old planks and plywood.

Et voila! Our new patio.

Phew! Just in time for coffee and (apple)pie!

 

 

Maybe you remember the picture of the old school building of two blogs ago?
Well, it appears to have some secret inhabitants!
One morning I discovered some movement at it's base and out came three of the cutest little creatures!

Peekaboo! See the one at the bottom of the Cal sign?

They are little red fox kits (see the little white tail tip?). They had a great time playing in the sun and one of them walked right up to me to have a closer look!

 

All of a sudden mother fox (vixen) appeared around the side of the building. She clearly hadn't seen me walk up but than she did and after barking 2 short warnings at her cubs she took off in a flash.
The kits (or cubs) turned as one and were gone in 2 seconds flat! They were very well trained!
                                               

How cool is that? Why go into the park to see animals? We got plenty around here!
I think I'll give them some room though, I don't want her to panick and feel she has to move them.

Although we had a rather cool week with 2 rainy days in a row it is very nice once again and we're ending our days often around the fire pit.
Nothing better than a, slightly burned, dog over the fire!

And guess what? James is reading! Books, I mean, not his usual manuals :)
Well....reading....he's listening, to be honest. I bought him a Sandisk Sansa Clip and he's listening to audio books I download for him from the library.
Amazing what this incredible teeny weeny little device can do! It also has a radio and you can put all your music on it. Unbelievable!
He loves it. Only problem, now he's listening to the darned thing the whole time and it's impossible to have a conversation with him!

You'll miss it if you don't look closely

 

 

 

I have to admit, I got one for myself too. You know I love, love, love to read and now I can read and spin (or knit or clean or walk the dog or......you get the picture).

 

Talking about pictures. Here are a few I shot from the various birds in the (our)park. I wish I had more zoom but you can see they're all different. (No?)

 

 

 

Clockwise, from the top left: White-crowned Sparrow, Tree Swallows, Mountain Bluebird (male),MBb female, ?(Judy?) Sandhill Crane, Red Robin, Canada Goose.

 

 

 

 

 

This little guy just sang his heart out! So sweet!