Several years ago I was amazed by an aerial photograph of Yellowstone National Park's Grand Prismatic Spring. It was like a giant turquoise eye surrounded by dendritic patterns etched in yellow and reddish earth. I couldn't wait to see this volcanic fantasy land.

On an autumn afternoon, I climbed a hill near the spring and looked down on this wonderful chromatic landscape. Even from ground level, the view was wondrous, with the rising mist colored a pale aqua.

Yellowstone's volcanic features support colonies of bacteria found nowhere else on earth. In fact, one of these bacterial species has been patented--a strange concept to me--and has earned its "owner" millions upon millions of dollars.

Lee Rentz