Day of Leisure, Evening of Leeches

After days of lots of activity, unanimously a decision was made to have a rest day.   For a late breakfast, we all walked into the town of West Yellowstone and enjoyed a pancake breakfast at Running Bear House of Pancakes.  

A day of leisure means different things for different people.  For the kids it might mean clowning around at the house, minecraft, or playing on their phones.  For Runcie, it might mean the the opportunity to catch up on emails, news, or reading.  For Steph and me…  we were given the opportunity to explore the village area of West Yellowstone, Montana.  Beyond the average T shirt/ Souvenir Shops, we were able to discover outfitters and unique sporting goods shops, stone and fossil shops, as well as shops featuring local artists and jewelers.  

Before too long we started getting calls and texts from unnamed kids:  the natives were getting restless.    Twiddling thumbs led to a newly planned adventure into Idaho to splash around at Henry’s Lake, a nearby state lake and camp site. 

By late afternoon we were on our way.  When I heard we were headed to another state, I assumed we’d be in the car for a bit, but after a short fifteen minute drive, we arrived.  

While we waited at the entrance, a park ranger walked one car back to collect the $5 entrance fee.  Right before she walked away, she said, “Oh…. and there are some leeches in the lake…” 

Wait…. What!?!?!

Just for clarification, we made sure we heard her correctly as we drove through the entrance.   Yep…  Leeches.  The Runcies, who’ve canoed, fished, and camped in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, assured us that leeches were, “No big deal… Just pull them off…”   

With a tiny sigh of relief, the kids all cautiously entered the water… then deeper into the water…Francey was only in the water a few minutes…  Runcie told her to turn around, so he could check for leeches….  First he saw it… then she saw it!!   Francey came flying, almost like she was running on water.   Arms were waving, legs were flailing, Francey was screaming!   Let’s just say it wasn’t the most nurturing mom-moment for me;  I was doubled over laughing.  Leeches were removed, Francey was calmed, and she was back in the lake again.  Despite the initial panic their first leech, all the kids recovered quickly and contentedly jumped back into the lake and repeated the entire process.  Steph, Runcie, and I were content to sit on the shore and watch the excitement.  Soon, we learned there were free kayaks available to us, so the kids took turns exploring the serene lake.

Before too long, we started talking about dinner and decided to head back to West Yellowstone for dinner.  Since it was Friday night, it was a bit busier in town.  Walking around the little town, we finally ambled into The Buffalo Pub and enjoyed dinner there as well as some local live music.

Walking back to the car, we were thankful for the cooler mountain temperatures.   After we arrived, we all began packing for our Saturday morning departure through Yellowstone Park as we travel to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.   Excitement filled the our crew to explore new territory for most of the crew.