Don't wait for the world to come to you.......

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6:50 am - Monday - August 28th - 44º F, humidity 64%, wind 4 mph out of the east.....partly cloudy and hazy (smoke from fires to the north.....still)....forecast high for Gardiner, MT is 90º F (whoa doggies!), and 84º F in Mammoth Hot Springs, WY....it's going to be a warm one!

It seems I'm getting back into a regular exercise routine....for the third successive day I managed to get on my bike (attached to the trainer) and do a 30 minute workout.

Well, the brief burst of activity at the General Store Saturday was short lived......Sunday we were back to the steady decline in foot traffic, which we had seen occurring most of the past week.  In fact several co-workers were allowed to go home early there was so little to do.  This is a two edged sword for me.....I like not being so busy, but when we are not busy time seems to run backwards.

For the past month, or so I have been working with two young men from Ghana, a young lady from Thailand, and another young lady from Texas who all work for Xanterra at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.  They are working 20 hours per week for us to earn extra money.  Anthony and Peter are from Ghana, but are attending a university in the Czech Republic near Prague......Anthony is majoring in  International Finance, and Peter is majoring in Forestry.  Pang is here from Thailand to work and explore Yellowstone, and the USA afterwards.....she sends money home to her mother in Thailand every two weeks.  Taylor calls Austin, TX her home, but she follows the seasonal work road wherever it leads her.....she loves to visit new places and meet new people, and with the money she earned this summer she is going to fly to Italy, France and England between jobs.  These kids are all younger than my oldest grand child who is 24, and yet they are out exploring the world, and not waiting at home for the world to come to them.  All four are very hard workers, punctual, and wonderful cleaners.....I'm a little OCD when it comes to cleaning, but they make me look like a piker.  I say all that to say this....here are four young kids who all come from very modest beginnings who are not letting their origins hold them back.  Anthony, Peter and Taylor, who are all black, do not think they are oppressed, or being held down by anyone, and neither does Pang who is Asian.  They are all out in the world overcoming obstacles like the rest of us, and making their way through life successfully......they think America is an amazing country with unlimited opportunities......they give me hope, and I am proud to call them friends.

Ultimately TLE and I were allowed to go home early, also....well, we left the store around 9:15 instead of 9:40.....we hadn't had a customer for almost an hour!

It's time for me to wind this up and get ready for another day of hiking in Yellowstone....we hope to put in 10-12 miles today which will leave us with about 10 miles next week to reach the century mark.....right on schedule!

Thanks for stopping by!

When you shop Amazon, please use our link (below) to access their website.......we will appreciate every purchase you make using our Amazon Affiliate link, and  remember, using our link will not add one penny to your purchase, plus we will receive a small commission.