The Federal Government shutdown has not closed our National Parks. No one was manning the North Entrance under the Roosevelt Arch in Yellowstone National Park yesterday morning when we entered but the park was open and there were other visitors there besides us. The best part is that we discovered an official park greeter in the Lamar Valley at a rest stop. Its boxy, rather robotic looking frame stood, hands on hips, its trash door face sporting a smile and dressed with a jaunty tie that appears to indicate “no P”, rather ironic for a rest stop. I’m not sure of the significance of the pair of shoes, one resting on its shoulder and the other at its base. Perhaps someone didn’t want to disturb the smile. Later in the day, the robotic greeter had returned to its original intended purpose, that of a trash dispensary. The frost had melted away and with it, the pleasant greeter. And, I have to give a shout out to Moose for pointing out this Carolism that I somehow didn’t notice when we arrived at the rest stop. Perhaps it was because I had to use the facilities and if I’d seen the “No P” sign, I’m not sure what the consequences might have been. 😱