Boat trip on Lake Yellowstone

On Sunday we had a quiet day around Lake Village, exploring the woodland paths and walking along the shore of the lake. Unusually, James wasn't feeling well so he went for a nap in the afternoon. The scenic boat tours of the lake are not running this summer due to some sort of technical dispute between the lake authorities and the company that operates the boats, so Davie and I decided to hire a wee speedboat instead. We were shown the controls and warned sternly not to damage the propeller on the many rocks that lurk under the water near the shore. We chugged off sedately out of the harbour and then opened up the throttle when we moved out into the bay, it was great fun bouncing along the tiny waves. However when we rounded the island into more open water the waves were distinctly larger and the wind rose alarmingly. I must admit to getting quite perturbed as we were tossed around, slapping back down on the water between waves. My hero, Davie, was not at all worried and took the wheel, in fact he was laughing wildly, enjoying the "thrill" as he steered us back to calmer waters. We got some lovely views of the Lake Hotel from the water as well as seeing some fumaroles along the shore - Lake Yellowstone is within the caldera that comprises much of the national park.

We sat in the hotel lounge later having a drink before dinner and again listening to the resident string quartet. I really enjoyed their mix of light classical and popular music; as well as Strauss and Mozart they played tunes like Disney's Under the Sea, Bohemian Rhapsody and even Game of Thrones, which were beautifully arranged and all sounded great. At about 9.30 p.m. the American flag was lowered on its flagpole just outside the window. and everyone stood and sang as the string quartet played The Star Spangled Banner, then applauded enthusiastically - another example of the patriotism that we have observed here.