Blog Title: Doug's Diatribe

I was really curious about the famous “Beartooth Highway,” which runs from the NE side of Yellowstone to Red Lodge.  Charles Kuralt called it the most “beautiful road in America.” I just HAD to see it. And now, so will you!

Still in Yellowstone Park — heading toward the Beartooth range.       

The Beartooths are a massive uplift of rock. At roughly 3,000 square miles, the Beartooths are one of North America's largest land masses rising above 10,000 feet, reaching its highest point at 12,799' Granite Peak. This is a land of glacier-carved cirques, high alpine lakes and fragile tundra.

Clay Butte

The road winds and twists as it climbs up the side of the mountain.  I got off the side of the road to snap this shot.

This is the Bear's Tooth - Na Pet Say in the language of the local Crow Indians - from which the mountains take their name.

Finally I make it to the top of the pass — The top of the world!

Aspens in fall color on the mountainside

Gibbon Falls

Steamboat Geyser in a minor eruption.  When Steamboat has a major eruption — it can reach 340 feet!  It has not had a major eruption for many years. 

Emerald Hot Springs 

;

Driving down through the “Golden Gate”

More driving through the “Golden Gate” section

I caught a bull elk actually bugling in Mammoth Hot Springs area! A whole gaggle of elk were hanging out in the small town of Mammoth — much to the delight of visitors!  This bull was protecting his harem of cows, so I slipped in and caught him on film.

Terraces developed by the run-off from the hot springs in Mammoth.

More run-off from the hot springs.    

The Grand Canyon area is perhaps the most picturesque part of the park.  The canyon and waterfalls are always crowded — because everyone loves this area.

Tower Falls

The Lower Falls

bsp;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Its been a  few days since I returned — but I still remember the natural beauty of Yellowstone.

Kevin and I spent Sunday viewing grizzly bears and wolves through high-powered scopes.  It was a GREAT day! Monday I drove and got more shots of Yellowstone — all in the next post.

Kevin and I made a 10 mile hike today!

We were down in an area with a creek and rock walls

We came upon Lonestar geyser -- look at that cone!  It is one of the oldest geysers in the park.

We also saw a coyote there -- he was looking to steal my lunch!

It was back to the Grizzly Discovery Center this a.m. for some wolf pictures.

Then Kevin (The Bearman) picked me up for our hike.  We hiked aprox 4 miles to Shoshone Lake.  But there were no moose, wolves, bears etc.  But it was a nice walk.

And some great scenery along the way:

I also learned alot about some of the geothermal features of the park. Water is heated 3 miles beneath the surface by magma (don't worry -- this magma is like 90 miles beneath the surface in the Detroit area).And it bubbles up in the form of:
geysers, where a constriction in the rock holds back boiling water until it vents.   You all know about Old Faithful, which erupts about every half an hour --

And here are all the people waiting for Old Faithful to erupt --

Then there are hotsprings -- which have no constrictions. Superheated water cools as it reaches the surface, sinks, and is replaced by hotter water from below. This circulation, called convection, prevents water from reaching the temperature needed to set off an eruption.
Blue Star Spring:

Then there are mud pots -- which just bubble up through the clay:

Fumerales have very little water in them -- so they just flash to steam.  They sound just like a steam bath -- loud!

Did you know that Yellowstone is one of the 29 super volcanoes in the world -- and the only one NOT underwater. And that there are 12 earthquakes A DAY in Yellowstone!

We also saw some elk by the side of the road.

It is my first day, and I already have seen a grizzly  face to face!!!!! And survived!!!!!!

OK...I'll 'fess up.  I checked out the grizzlies at the Grizzly Discovery Center.  The are behind a fence. And I snapped some shots.  They also had live wolves -- but they were sleeping (reminds me of my own dog). Check out this picture of a cute griz...

By the way...They had some pointers of what to do if you do meet a real, live bear in the woods...

It is September, the kids are back in school and Yellowstone is teeming with retired folk (all of who visit now--to avoid the crowds). It is like a Russ Arbuckle convention here.

I am planning on seeing the Yellowstone movie at the Yellowstone iMax:

Tomorrow, I start hiking.  Stay tuned...

Iran seems to be preparing for the possibility of war.  They have purchased Russian air defense systems, have built nuclear facilities, and now are moving nuclear centrifuges to underground storage areas.

 

Predicting that sanctions will ultimately fail to stop Teheran's nuclear program, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, former head of Military Intelligence's Research Division, told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that time to launch an effective military strike against Iran's nuclear installations was running out. Jerusalem Post

I was unaware that there was the idea of a film in the works for President Ahmadinejad, but here it is:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rejected a proposal by Oscar-winning movie director Oliver Stone to make a film about him because Stone is part of the "Great Satan" cultural establishment, a semiofficial news agency reported. Yahoo! News

Stone had an interesting response:



"I have been called a lot of things, but never a great satan," Stone said in the statement. "I wish the Iranian people well, and only hope their experience with an inept, rigid ideologue president goes better than ours."

Rev. Ann Holmes Redding has things really figured out. "I am both Muslim and Christian...I am 100% both."  Now this is something really novel.

Redding has earned her master's degree and Ph.D. (New Testament Studies). She is also an ordained priest (of what denomination or sect I do not know). So she is well acquainted with the Bible and Christian religion.

Redding’s views, even before she embraced Islam, were more interpretive than literal.
She believes the Trinity is an idea about God and cannot be taken literally, she does not believe Jesus and God are the same, but rather that God is more than Jesus.
She believes Jesus is the son of God so as all humans are the children of God and that Jesus is divine, so all humans are divine because God dwells in all humans.
What makes Jesus unique, she believes, is that out of all humans, he most embodied being filled with God and identifying completely with God’s will. She does believe that Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected, and acknowledges that these beliefs conflict with the teachings of the Quran. “That’s something I’ll find a challenge the rest of my life,” she said.
She considers Jesus her savior at times of despair, because she knows Jesus suffered and overcame suffering, “he has connected me with God,” she said.
That’s not to say she still has to develop as deep a relationship with Mohammed. “I’m still getting to know him,” she said. Mideast Youth

This is a very convenient view, since it combines gnosticism, universalism, and pantheism all into one. And that is a remarkable achievement all in itself!

In reality, Rev. Redding is ignoring anything that doesn't make sense to her, or offends her, and is embracing what is comfortable for her.  She is not a seeker of truth, but rather a seeker of solace and refreshment. She is not seeking salvation, but consolation.

On June 19, 2007, The Voice of the Martyrs confirmed reports that believers in Iran are being detained, interrogated and in one case, imprisoned because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

According to VOM sources, this new wave of persecution is coming against Christians that meet to worship God in the privacy of their homes. VOM sources said, “We have confirmed reports that several believers have been interrogated and one house was stormed by an elite police team that confiscated a computer, several CDs and Christian materials. A Christian was arrested in this attack, and remains in prison.”

Christians in Iran are concerned about these recent incidents. Pray believers in Iran will remain steadfast in their faith despite this new wave of persecution. Pray for the release of the believer in prison and for protection for all Christians in Iran.

“Clearly, Iran’s government is alarmed at the growth of the Christian faith there,” said VOM spokesman Todd Nettleton. “This is a key time for the church in Iran. We call on Iran’s government to release this Christian believer who is being held, and we call on Christians around the world to pray for our brothers and sisters in Iran.”
Posted by: Stacy L. Harp Christian Persecution Blog