Date:         Fri, 15 Jun 2007 23:02:26 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      National Park variation of Manifold destiny...Fry-day Phunnie
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

  Another National Park funny (peculiar?) story..

  A different spring outing into Yellowstone National Park in a different Van..an Econoline, if I recall.  4 friends, going to opening day flyfishing on the Firehole river. 
   Of course, we all brought our doggies..(back in the 70s, everyone had a doggie in Jackson Hole) and as we are rigging up in the middle geyser basin, along comes a Smokey, who says "You have to have your dogs on leases here in Yellowstone"..We go.."Ok, no problem"  He goes.."I mean right NOW, this instant"..We are in the middle of a wide open meadow at a very wide pull off on a small side road..no traffic, no wildlife, dogs are within ten feet of the vehicle...He stands there, with his hand on his sidearm, the other on his hip...Body language..
  .My friend Peter, who has a problem with authority anyhow (from Vermont, doncha know?), says something like..."Hey, you mind if I finish this knot on this fly before I leash my dog?  And the Smokie, who obviously thinks we are a bunch of Hippies...(we are) says.."I mean RIGHT NOW..." so Pete puts down his Orvis and ties up his his doggie...the rest, we had ordered into the van already...
  So now, this Smokie has a "target" for the day...and not much else to do in Yellowstone in May.....All day, as we fish at various runs we know, we see this ranger, cruising past, making sure our dogs are not un-leashed...
  Around mid day, we move to a convenient spot with a roadside hot spring, and Pete decides it's lunch time...Opens his can of Dinty Moore beef stew and sets it into the hot pot, then takes his rod and starts fishing nearby, anticipating having a hot meal waiting when he returns to the van full of dogs...
  When he hikes back over the rise to the cars, here is Ranger Rick, again with one hand planted on his hip, the other gingerly holding Peter's lunch..."It THIS yours" he asks, knowing perfectly well that it was..
  Of course, Peter denies it's his and snidely mentions that at least the dogs are confined to the van...
  This newbie ranger goes ballistic and tells us to leave the park, right now!
  Of course, we did, since he had the gun (and we weren't have much action fishing, anyway)...
  So, if you are ever in Yellowstone, you can cook your beef stew in Mother Natures double boiler.  Take the label off first, like Peter always does,  before inserting into the hot water, though, so you don't spoil the spring..
  And keep your dog on a leash, Ranger Rick is around, probably a different one by now..
  Don Hanson.