The Brothers Chickles

We were humbled by the sheer size of her. Her beauty and wonders amazed us. We were continually awed. Yellowstone.

(That's Old Faithful with a sleeping bison in front.)

We spent some glorious days in Yellowstone. WE meaning the Brothers Chickles, their wives and their children. After many months in planning, phone calls and emailing back and forth, we camped (yes, with tents) in Yellowstone. The children re-discovered their cousins and met the newest member of the clan. It was wonderful to see all of them in one place, having a ball, running around the campground, playing pretend in an elaborate storyline and telling stories around the campfire - stories that became more bizarre as it gets passed from one person to the next.

We consumed enormous amount of the pancakes (plain, banana & chocolate chip), french toast, oatmeal, sausage, bacon, eggs and coffee (oh! heavenly coffee). These fares were normally eaten fast before the morning chill rendered them too cold. We would lunch wherever our journey had taken us that day - mainly consisting of sandwiches and an occasional cold pasta from the night before. At the end of the day, we dined like kings. Gourmet dinners with wine. Roasted marshmallows and, better yet, peach and apple cobbler cooked over the fire rounded out our meals. We deserved these treats since we logged in many miles during the day.

We saw the marvels of Yellowstone. We oohed and aahed at the geysers (Old Faithful, Grand Geyser, Grand Fountain, Castle Geyser, Beehive), chortled (and made similar noises) at plopping mudpots, delighted in the colors of the hot springs and gasped at the bisons, elks, bear (singular), yellow-bellied marmot, eagles and ospreys. One standout was soaking in the Boiling River where two river system (thermal and fresh) came together to make the water warm (and interesting) for bathing. It was bizarre to be sitting one moment in hot-tub temperature water and then gasping when cold water washes over you.

What made this get-together wonderful was our time together. All three brothers live in different part of the country. Massachusetts, California and Missouri. We will miss the small things (which really are big things): playing cards, talking, laughing, telling stories, cooking and dining together. With our sites next to each other, we luxuriated in being neighbors even in such a small amount of time. It was grand. Even in such short time.

Hiking around the geysers.









The cousins from left to right: Theresa, James, Uncle Justin, August, Lauren and Emma








Emma and James playing War