Three more times.......

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5:52 am - Sunday - October 1st - 29º F, humidity 83%, wind 5 mph out of the west by northwest.......partly cloudy......forecast high for today in Gardiner, MT is 44º F, and 42º F in Mammoth Hot Springs, WY.....rain, maybe, this afternoon.

I know, the title was sort of predictable if you know me a little, but I like countdowns.....just three more times driving up the Gardiner River Gorge road to Mammoth Hot Springs to work, and the same number driving back down to our home.  The days are going by quickly as the General Store is staying comfortably busy during the day......

......once again I was paired with Addie and Jonah.  Under the new schedule (9 am to 6 pm) we begin our workday at 8:45 am in order to get the fountain area ready for business by 9 am.  It takes just about 15 minutes to get the hot dogs on the rollers, the chili heating up, the pretzels cooked and on display, and pull the lids off the ice cream tubs in the freezer.  Then we stand around for about 2 hours before things begin to get even a little busy.  Most of our early sales are coffee, hot chocolate and hot cider.....we may even sell a few soft pretzels.  Between 11 am and noon we usually get a small rush of folks dropping in for an early lunch at which time our hot dog and bratwurst sales accelerate, and we even begin to dish out a few scoops of ice cream.  Then there is a lull for about 45 minutes to an hour, but by 2 pm things pick up and stay comfortably busy for the rest of the shift.

The makeup of the post Labor Day tourists is completely different from that of July and August.  The people we are seeing now in YNP seem much more courteous in many ways.  We actually see folks pulling into the 'PULL OUTS' to let faster traffic pass them......we rarely, if ever saw this in June, July, or August.  Rarely do you see people just stop in the middle of the road to take pictures of a bison some 100 yards off the road......instead they find a place to pull over, and then stop to take their pictures...what a novel concept!  Those coming into the store seem much more aware of their surroundings, and rarely have to ask what a particular ice cream's ingredients might be, or where the nearest public restroom might be.....they actually either figure it out on their own, or actually read the numerous signs we have on display to explain the various flavors of ice cream we serve, and where the public restroom is.  For the most part the mix of folks, as one of our supervisors related, is made up of 'newlyweds, and the nearly dead'.....in other words......20 somethings and older retired folk.....very few young children.

As I was nearing the end of my shift in the 'Fountain' our floor supervisor (Dodge) asked if I would move my cash drawer over the retail desk at 5:30 as one of the cashiers went home ill (Thomas).....of course, I said yes.  Actually, we were done cleaning the fountain by 5:20 so I moved my drawer then, and spent the last 40 minutes working beside The Lovely Elaine.  We closed the doors at 6 pm, and then counted down our drawers......we were on our way down the Gardiner River Gorge by 6:15 pm.....the end of 'another day in paradise'.

Just three more work days until we roll our wheels......time is short, and another wave of 'until next times' is just around the corner.

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.