Yellowstone the Wylie Way

Hello everyone and welcome to John's Island. In this post ...

1. See what it was like to tour Yellowstone National Park by stagecoach in the early 1900s ... The Wylie Way.

2. The story of my Mountain Bluebird nest box in 2007.

3. Put Yellowstone on your phone. 

4. Talk about a Talking Dog.

[Click on images for a larger, better view]

 Touring Yellowstone the Wylie Way Postcard Set

[Early 1900s]

I'm at a loss to explain all the speckles.
Just guessing ...
Printing in the early 1900s had some issues. ☺

Critter lovers ... don't miss Saturday's Critters!

The back cover.

It all folds up.

About the Wylie Way

The Wylie Way refers to the approach to tourism and hospitality in Yellowstone National Park developed by the Wylie family, who were early pioneers in the park's tourism industry.

In the early 20th century (prior to 1916), the Wylie family built a series of tent camps throughout Yellowstone, which offered a unique and immersive way to experience the Park's natural beauty. These tent camps were located in some of the most picturesque areas of the Park, and were designed to provide visitors with a comfortable, but rustic experience in the wilderness.

Guests at the Wylie tent camps would stay in canvas tents furnished with comfortable beds, linens, and even electric lights. The camps had communal dining halls, where guests would gather for meals prepared by Wylie's chefs, using locally sourced ingredients. Each camp also had guides who would lead visitors on hikes and other outdoor activities, providing a wealth of knowledge about the Park's flora, fauna, and geology.

The Wylie Way was a departure from the more traditional approach to tourism in Yellowstone, which had largely been centered around hotels and stagecoach tours. The Wylie's tent camps provided a more intimate and immersive experience in the Park's wilderness, and helped to establish the idea of ecotourism long before the term was even coined.

Today, the Wylie family's legacy lives on in Yellowstone, where their camps have been replaced by more permanent lodges and cabins, but the emphasis on connecting visitors with the Park's natural beauty remains as strong as ever.

Ready to tour the Wylie Way
Yellowstone National Park
(Prior to 1916 when autos were first
allowed into the Park.)

Wylie Way brochure
for Season 1915

Mountain Bluebird Story

All of these captures are from 2007 and were snapped in the Madison Valley of Montana. The nest box went up early summer with hopes that a nest would be built. A pair of Mountain Bluebirds chose the nest box in very early June and eggs were visible by mid-month. Four eggs were laid, but only 3 hatched and they fledged in July.

4 eggs in the nest

Mom at work

3 Baby Bluebirds and one egg that didn't hatch

Hungry birds

When the door is opened they expect food!
It takes several days for eyes to open.

Dad at work -
As Mountain Bluebirds go, the male is
the really blue one.

Dad and Mom feed the little ones

Mom at work

They are so hungry! They grow fast!

Getting big enough to be shy!

Hard to hide in there!

Thinking about flying.

It won't be long now.

Put Yellowstone on your Phone

If you are a Yellowstone National Park fan you might like to have the Park on your phone's lock screen. In May, 2018, during a visit to the Park, I snapped a photo of the Great Falls of the Yellowstone and it turned out pretty well. See photo below. Just a touch of rainbow effect in the spray at the bottom of the Falls. A bit of snow still on the ground from winter.

While recently reviewing my archive of photos I decided to use that photo on my phone so the lock screen appears as in the next photo.

If you would like to use my photo on your phone that will be fine with me. Click on the Great Falls photo to get the large view and then download it to your computer. You can then add the photo to the photos on your phone. Need all the steps to put the photo on lock screen?  Of course ... these are the steps for iPhone ... probably similar for other types of smartphones.

To set an image from your Photos as the lock screen image on your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Open the "Photos" app on your iPhone.

2. Browse through your photo albums or use the "Search" feature to locate the image you want to set as the lock screen image.

3. Once you've found the desired image, tap on it to open it in full view.

4. Tap the share button, which is represented by a square with an upward arrow. It is usually located at the bottom-left or bottom-right corner of the screen.

5. In the share sheet that appears, scroll through the available options and locate "Use as Wallpaper." It may be necessary to swipe left on the bottom row of icons to reveal more options.

6. Tap on "Use as Wallpaper." The selected image will now be displayed with editing options.

7. Adjust the image as desired by using pinch-to-zoom or dragging it to reposition it. You can also choose between "Still," "Perspective," or "Live Photo" to set the image type.

8. Once you're satisfied with the image placement and type, tap on the "Set" button, which is usually located in the bottom-right corner.

9. Choose whether you want to set the image as the lock screen, home screen, or both. Select "Set Lock Screen" to set it as the lock screen image.

10. Your iPhone will confirm the change by displaying a preview of the lock screen. If you're content with the selection, tap on "Set" to apply the image as your lock screen.

That's it! The image from your Photos will now be set as the lock screen image on your iPhone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Talk about a Talking Dog

A guy is driving around the backwoods of Montana and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog For Sale' He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard.

 

The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador Retriever sitting there.

 

“You talk?” he asks.

 

“Yep,” the Lab replies.

 

After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says “So, what's your story?”

 

The Lab looks up and says, “Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.

 

“I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.

 

“I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.”

 

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

 

“Ten dollars,” the guy says.

 

“Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?”

 

“Because he's a liar. He never did any of that stuff.”