Wyoming Breezes

I gave up handing out candy on Halloween several years ago, when children started showing up at my door not with cute little tote bags or pumpkin buckets but with pillowcases loaded with candy. About the same time, ads such as the one above began appearing in the local newspaper. I understand the dentists' rational, but it grates on my nerves that dentists have to purchase candy to keep their patients' teeth healthy. Where are the parents in this scenario? Where is the adult that says, "Let's go home and watch a video, or pop some popcorn, or visit grandma" when the child has a reasonable amount of candy or treats. Halloween has turned into a festival of gluttony, and I refuse to take part. Just call me a Halloween Scrooge!

Sen. Alan Simpson, Sen. Craig Thomas, and Wind River High School Close-Up group Washington, D.C. Spring 1995 When Dick Quayle, the social studies teacher at my school, asked if I'd like to accompany him and a group of students to Washington, D.C. for a week, I gladly accepted as I had never been there. Dick has taken this trip with a group of seniors for decades. Throughout the year, the students earn money for the trip by selling concessions, hosting meals, etc. As a chaperone for the group, all of my expenses, except for souvenirs, was paid. On the trip, it was my job to keep an eye on the students and to fill in for Dick, if necessary. One day, it was necessary: a foreign exchange student from Germany lost his passport, so Dick accompanied him to the German embassy. Dick asked me to take the other students to the Kennedy Center for their scheduled tour. I managed to wrangle the group to the metro station and on to the Kennedy Center without incident, but I was certain...

Dwight M. 1977 My nieces and nephews commonly spent their summers on the farm. They had a great time working with Grandma Rosie and Uncle Rich in the dairy barn, in the fields, and in the house. They even had time to do some crafting, playing games, and joking around. The photo, shown above, is my nephew Dwight. As a gag, he tried on an old wig, and we added Grandma Rosie's stockings, shoes, coat, and even her purse. I grabbed an old hat from the closet to finish the ensemble. Brenda M. and her Dad (Harold M.) approximately 1977 I wish the quality of this photo of my niece and her dad was better because it is a priceless scene. The dress and veil were worn by my two sisters on their wedding days. Brenda's bouquet is a bunch of red, plastic roses that belonged to Grandma Rosie. Note the shot-gun at Harold's side to carry out the illusion of a "shot-gun wedding."

Nancy (me) and Steve Barnes Halloween Costume Party rural ranch school near Wheatland, WY circa 1975 or 1976 Zelda, who taught at an isolated school, hosted a costume party and invited teachers and some friends from Wheatland and other ranch schools in Platte, Albany, and Converse Counties. Zelda's party was held at the ranch house, and fearing we would not be able to find our way out in the dark, we took bedrolls to spend the night. As you can see, I borrowed another cheerleader uniform  from the school closet. I made the costume that Steve is wearing the year before when my students performed  The Velveteen Rabbit . The "fabric" was an old stage curtain. Over the years, my students and I made several costumes from the massive pile of maroon and blue velvet. Unknown bandit, LuAnn Wolf, Dan Brecht, Roy Martin Halloween Costume Party rural ranch school near Wheatland, WY circa 1975 or 1976 The party was pretty mellow until four or five cowboys from a nei...

Hmmm, pretty scary to have containers that can choose! Today's post features photos my friend Sheila took in April 2012 while she and her husband Doug visited Japan. You may giggle and/or shake your head in disbelief at the humorous translations. Well, it's almost phonetic. Right? A cute note pad that states, "Fruit gives health sufficient on the body." An interesting name for a tissue

Little Frog Prince Western Region Oddball Baby Blanket started October 2012 My section on this Oddball blanket was knit in Double Moss/Box Stitch, using Caron Simply Soft (pistachio). Pet Snuggle Fremont Country Fiber Guild Project started October 2012 Several asked questions about the Pet Snuggles that were mentioned in an earlier post . I started one (72 stitches) on size 10.5 needles and two strands of worsted weight yarns. It makes a nice heavy blanket for a pet that needs some comfort. The snuggle will be completed with five  sections (five inches each). Update : December 27, 2012

Stearns' farm (upper buildings)  north of Pavillion, WY circa 1980s The farm was dubbed "Over North" because it was 10 miles north of the home place . It consisted of approximately 500 acres, some of which was non-irrigable. My brother leased this property, located in an area called Third Division, from the Bureau of Reclamation for several years, beginning in the mid-1960s. The area was part of the plan to bring irrigation to the Wind River Valley; however, in 1957, the farmers in this area formed their own irrigation district. Unfortunately for the homesteaders, the economy failed, and they were unable to complete the project. Hoping to get their original irrigation project on track, the Bureau of Reclamation purchased back the land from 78 original farmers (approximately 22,000 acres), and a six-year lease was offered to the general public for 8,900 acres in Third Division. My brother, Rich obtained the lease on the farm. The full history of this project can b...

Rootin' Tootin' Boot Bag $125 by Jill Judd Dubois, WY The creativity of artists always amazes me. This bag and the one below were on display in Wyoming Wool Works , the site of a recent Fiber Guild meeting.  The tag on the bag reads, "Inspired by her love of the 'Old West,' designer Jill Judd converts the beautifully decorated tops of vintage cowboy boots into completely original handbags. The myriad of shapes, styles, colors, and stitching patterns of the boot tops ensures that every single bag is a one-of-a-kind piece with its own individual character - a mirror of their historic lives! Each bag is hand laced and adorned with braided leather handles. They are then accented with custom-made sterling silver conches for a distinctly 'western' flavor or with vintage jewelry pieces for a 'cowboy glitz' appeal. Refreshingly unique, Rootin' Tootin' Boot Bags appeal to as many different customers as there are boots, and they are as ful...

Saturday, the Fremont County Fiber Guild met in Dubois (the Upper Country) for its monthly meeting at Wyoming Wool Works , a shop owned by one of the group's members. Everyone browsed the shop and admired all the creative displays of fiber goodies before the meeting started. The meeting agenda centered around future projects and meeting programs. In January, the guild's project is a community Spin-in, featuring vendors, demonstrations, and information for those interested in spinning and weaving. Knitting lessons will also be available. Before enjoying the tasty lunch, the business at hand was deciding what to do with the guild's "library." For many years, several boxes of books and magazines were stored by one of the members, who decided she wanted to reclaim her closet. At the meeting, the items were separated into categories, and members offered the guild a donation for the books/magazines they wanted to rescue. During the meeting several members knit...

Group Shot Southern Japan April 1980 Wherever I went in Japan, I frequently saw tour groups posing for photographs. Note the flag in the center of the front row. Flags of various colors and size were carried by the tour guides to keep the groups together.

Stearns' Farm looking southwest circa 1956 The Bureau of Reclamation took aerial photographs of area farmsteads at various times, and farmers were given the option of purchasing prints. The black and white photo above shows the family farm in its early days - about twelve years after my parents purchased it. In the late 30s and early 40s, the Wind River valley was the site of proposed irrigation projects, and my dad and his brother, who grew up on a dryland farm near Provo, South Dakota were eager to become a part of that venture. (One of the irrigation canals can be seen in the lower right corner of the photo.) My parents had been married about 10 years when they moved from South Dakota in the early 40s. The irrigation project was the driving force behind their coming to Wyoming with four small children. My uncle Ted had moved to Wyoming earlier, and he encouraged his younger brother to make the move. My parents lived with my uncle until they could purchased a farm of...

Nancy in the orchard I was three years old when this photo was taken in the apple orchard behind the farmhouse. Three rows of apple trees provided apples for canning, baking, and snacking as well as a windbreak for the house. The apple varieties I remember were red crab, sweet crab, yellow crab, Yellow Transparent, and tart, winter apples (Wealthy and Winesap). Dad, Marilyn, and Nancy Mom made the best crab apple jelly and chunky applesauce. She baked apple pies, apple cakes, and apple crunch. As the trees grew, it was difficult to pick the apples from the highest branches, and we sometimes resorted to shaking the trees. Windfall apples were also harvested. The winter apples were often put in the under ground root cellar because they kept well. Over the years the orchard was neglected, and the apples fed the wildlife. Here is one of my favorite recipes for using apples. Mom got the recipe from a family friend.                 ...

New Outhouse August 2012 About two months ago, I spotted this stylish outhouse for sale at an area business. The simple structure was a beauty and a far cry from the outhouse that I remember from my childhood. The outhouse of my youth was a two-holer and rustic. Located near a large cottonwood tree and about 100 feet from the house, the little house faced a large field to the south. I remember that it always contained spiders and their webs. The farmhouse had a room designated for a bathroom, but it was not plumbed until I was probably five years old. I don't know exactly when the outhouse was retired, but I do remember "playing school" in the room that eventually became the bathroom in the house. Update : May 14, 2013 I found a letter, dated March 13, 1957, that my oldest sister wrote to a friend. Obviously, the letter was never sent, but she wrote, "We finally got our bathroom in the house and built a new Grade A barn. We are milking fourteen head and ...

Child's Sewing Machine Quilt Show Display Lander, WY September 2012 Imagine the excitement this mini machine created in the heart of a child on Christmas morning or a birthday. Clearly, the owner took very good care of this beauty. Did you have a toy that was functional as well as fun?

Samurai Armour Japan 1980 The armour displays I saw in the Kumamoto Castle were intriguing. My only exposure to armour was from my history classes which focused on the armour worn by knights in England and Europe. You can learn more about Japanese armour on Wikipedia . Samurai Armour Japan 1980