Getting back into the swing of things – taking care of basic necessities while holding down a job – is tougher than I thought.  I’ve only been out of the workforce for two years. My body says that’s like 14 in retired years.

So, maybe taking a job dolling out one hundred scoops of ice cream in a single afternoon was a little ambitious. Successfully completing said task while managing an autoimmune disease may take some divine intervention.

Did I tell you I have an autoimmune disease? Yes, in April of this year I was diagnosed with undifferentiated connective tissue disease, or UCTD. To make a long story short, I experience fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, and arthritis in several joints. Not necessarily conducive to effectively serving customers in a physically tasking environment. Still, I am determined to complete my five month assignment for two reasons: 1) I made a commitment to my husband, to Wilma and Fred, and to the folks who hired me and 2) I really enjoy what I’m doing.

Let’s talk about my second reason which is, let’s face it, why you’re here. So, first of all, I’m working and living inside Yellowstone National Park. Who gets to say that?! It’s like I’m checking off an item from my bucket list that I didn’t even know existed. Both my job’s location and employee housing have plopped me into the thick of nature, in a way that I never knew was possible. And much like Dorothy in Oz, I often feel both overwhelmed and humbled by the majesty of it all. It is not unusual to look out the window of our rig and see a bison casually strolling through the campground, stopping to munch on dandelions just feet from our door. A number of elk have taken up residence in the meadow adjacent to our campground. Or maybe I should more appropriately say a group of hoomans has taken up residence adjacent to the elks’ meadow.

Then there are the ravens. Though a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe, growing up in Texas provided me with few…okay, zero…ravenesque encounters. The closest I’ve seen to a raven are the crows that crowd our parking lots, waiting for any scrap of food we leave behind (french fries are a favorite) while splattering our freshly washed cars with excrement. I mistakenly believed that there was very little difference between the two birds. Boy, was I wrong! Ravens are HUGE! I mean hold on to your toddlers, and leave Fluffy at home huge! And like huckleberries, which grow wild in this area, ravens have their own line of apparel and trinkets in our store.

Now, they say there are moose here in the park, but I have yet to see one. Also on my list of hope to sees are the big horn sheep known to perch precariously along the cliffs and mountainsides that make up the park’s landscape. 

Last, but certainly not least, YNP is home to bears, both black and grizzly. And before anyone conjures up images of Yogi or Smokey, let me say this: we attended mandatory bear safety training with a park ranger one evening. The major take-aways? ALWAYS carry bear spray, walk/hike in groups while making noise, and purposely getting too close to a bear (or any other wild animal) for any reason carries a $5000 fine in addition to whatever life-threatening injuries one may sustain. Yes, Mister and I are living our version of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, and neither one of us is trying to be Jim.

Bottom line, we’re living and working in Yellowstone National Park! We wake up to the sounds of huffing, grunting, squawking, and buzzing and go to sleep to the sounds of chirping, howling, and sometimes shrieking (that whole circle of life thing). I sometimes feel like we’ve stumbled upon the filming of a Discovery Channel documentary. 

Once at work, my view from the fountain is a landscape shot of Yellowstone Lake seen through a large bay window. The store itself is a wooden, cottage-like structure built in 1919. Though some modern conveniences have been installed through the years, the bones of the store are original, as are the majority of the fixtures in the fountain where I’m stationed. 

Even more rewarding is the opportunity to meet and work with people of different backgrounds, different age groups, and from different parts of the country. Sadly, unlike in previous years, COVID has prevented people from outside the U.S. to come work in the park. Still, the experience here has been unique, unexpected, and appreciated. 

Of course, the work is hard, and for now we are often too tired to do much of anything in the evenings. It IS a job, after all. But, as my Mom used to say, “Nothing worth having comes easy.” So, I’ll take it and see how it all  goes. 

Right now, however, it’s time for me to get some rest. Tomorrow is another day!