Our Home...Our Story...

Bette, and I live just south of Yellowstone National Park in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Our home is six miles north of the village of Kelly. We built a log cabin along the banks of Ditch Creek on the border of the Grand Teton National Park & the Bridger Teton National Forest. There are millions of acres of public land just out our door. The next road to the east is 33 miles away. Snow covers the ground here from October into May and it's often 20 degrees below zero. The coldest was minus 56 degrees!

For neighbors we have the largest population of wildlife in the lower-48 including moose, elk, deer, Mt. lion, grizzly & black bears, big horn sheep, bison and wolves. Plus assorted smaller critters, and countless birds from hummers to eagles. We have seen grizzly bears from our front porch, found wolf tracks in our horse corral, and heard them howling at the front gate. Our horses regularly, and reluctantly, share their pasture with bison and moose. (See Bison Pic and Moose Pic).

Probably my biggest wildlife thrill came when I was only fifty feet from a wolf - the two of us making eye contact for at least ten seconds - and don't you know she let out a tremendous howl - right there in front of me!

My wife is an avid hiker and one of the few people who has walked to within a few yards of a wild wolf in the back country. It happened to Bette & her good friend, Judy, last summer. They were truly blessed to experience such a thing! Bette has also walked up on cougars & grizzly bears. She is an experienced and aware outdoors person, who always carries bear spray!

In the summer Bette & I take horse pack trips into the wilderness - just the two of us. We are usually gone ten days and often don't see another person, or for that matter another human track. These are pictures of our camp at an elevation 9,200 feet in the upper reaches of the Gros Ventre Wilderness.(See Camping Pic & Gros Ventre Horse Pics)

We have two dogs, two cats, five horses, four children and eleven grandchildren!

These are the things that inspire and support my metal work. Special thanks go to Bette, who gives me so many great ideas and, when necessary, pops my balloon ... oh so gently!

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