Wyoming Breezes

Mountain View Cemetery Riverton, WY July 2021 Last week, I took a long, delayed road trip to the area of Wyoming I will always call home because it is where I was born and raised. Other than visiting friends and familiar areas, I stopped at the local cemetery. Because of the pandemic, I haven't made my yearly Memorial Day visits to place flowers on my parents and my brothers' graves, so I felt compelled to stop and tidy the area around their gravestones.  The cemetery was peaceful and pleasantly cool on the 100+ degree day due to the towering pine trees. The pine trees have grown so much that they provide a thick canopy over the narrow road separating the grassy sections. 

Native American drummers Riverton, WY June 2019 Early June, a friend joined me on a trip to Riverton to pick up Memorial Day flowers. Carol moved to Laramie from Missouri a couple of years ago and had never been to central Wyoming. I took her to as many places as I could on our two-day journey. We went to the large book store at Sweetwater Station, to Sinks Canyon, to the Eagle Bronze Foundry, to Fort Washakie, to the trading post, and several other places. Carol wanted to see parts of the reservation and some dancing. We stayed at the casino, and luckily, the summer weekly dancing was being hosted by the casino. We were fortunate to catch the first night of the dancing. beaded shawl June 2019 This lady's shawl was beaded and simply gorgeous.   fancy shawl dancer June 2019  hoop dancer June 2019 I was thrilled that my favorite dancer, a highly skilled hoop dancer, was on the program. She moves so fast that it is a challenge to get photographs. If ...

on the corner of Sunset and Federal Riverton, WY 2018 How would you interpret this sign?  Does it mean that parking is not allowed on the street? If drivers can't park on the pavement, is parking allowed on the grass or on the cement? The sign is a bit ambiguous and probably should simply state:            "No Parking"            "No Parking allowed from here to corner." Painting the curb red would certainly be cheaper and more effective than the confusing sign.

scraping frost off the windshield Tuesday, September 25, 2018 Riverton, WY  . . . the first taste of Winter   Last Tuesday, I scrambled to find the ice scraper in the glove compartment to clear all the windows before driving.  A dusting of snow was visible on the ridges of Shirley Basin. WYDOT webcam near Buffalo, WY September 28, 2018 Three days later, residents in northern Wyoming dealt with fog and more than a dusting of the white stuff.

listed August 9, 2018 Riverton, WY Today, I am back in Riverton for the closing on the sale of my house. I walked out the door for the last time on Thursday, August 9, 2018. The "For Sale" sign was placed in the yard as the movers were loading the truck with my possessions. I didn't anticipate that the house would sell so quickly - just 47 days from listing to closing. As Fall approached, I was making arrangements to winterize the sprinklers and possibly the house. I'm relieved that winterizing, fall cleanup and snow removal are no longer on my "To Do" list. The couple who bought the house saw it last Sunday (September 16, 2018) and made a cash offer on Monday, September 17th. I countered on Tuesday, and they accepted my offer. Winter January 2017 I'll miss the house and the neighbors, but not the snow shoveling! While I'm here, I plan to visit with friends and tie up some loose ends: utilities, banking, etc.

Brenda's vehicle loaded with "stuff" July 2018 Several of you have asked if the move is going smoothly, and I'm happy to report that everything is on schedule. Brenda was here for the balloon rally, and she helped me start the purging and packing phase. She climbed on a step tool and cleared the top shelves in the garage. She helped me lug items out of the backyard shed. She advised me on what papers to put aside for shredding. She assisted in packing my fabric stash. We loaded her vehicle with "stuff" for donation and then loaded it with items that she wanted to take home. Some aunt I am: she came to see me for a vacation, and I put her to work. I honestly could not have managed without her help. Thanks, Brenda! two extra rollouts from the city July 2018 I requested two large rollout dumpsters from the city, and for a few bucks they obliged. I packed them to the gills, not once, not twice, but three times! items designated for the Senior Cente...

Love Birds balloon Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally July 2018 The 38th Rendezvous Balloon Rally was held last weekend. My niece, Brenda drove up from Denver again this year to see the balloons. Last year, I ambled among the gentle giants with a cane, as it was less than a month following my knee surgery. This year only 19 balloons were featured because Casper's rally was moved to the same weekend because of a scheduling snag with their launch field. Reportedly, half the original balloons went to the Casper balloon rally. Even though the launch field at CWC had fewer balloons, it was a fun event. I was surprised three of the balloons were from Canada: they proudly flew the Maple Leaf. The "character" balloon this year was the adorable love birds, shown above. It was massive. While waiting for the love birds to be inflated, Brenda and I watched two gentleman playing frisbee with some young boys. It wasn't so much the game that caught our eye, but what the m...

Cloud Kisser Riverton, WY official balloon ( source )

January 25, 2017 High temperature 19 F Low temperature 3 F Friday, July 6, 2018 5 PM

Woodpile Riverton Branch Library June 2018 Weekly outdoor concerts started on Wednesday, June 27, 2018. The crowd that evening was small but appreciative. I think the temperatures that day (high 90s) discouraged people from coming out; however, it was pleasant in the shade of the building and the pine trees that towered overhead. Woodpile, a folk music group, performed mostly songs the members had written. Besides the instruments shown in the photo, they also played the banjo and mandolin. The free concerts at the library will continue on Wednesday evenings through July with different performers at each concert. Do you attend outdoor concerts in your community?

Central Wyoming College faculty and graduating class (click image to enlarge) yellow star is over my head May 1971 Central Wyoming College  (CWC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and I am proud to be an alum of this small community college. By the time I graduated from high school (1969), CWC had graduated two classes. To increase the student body in those early years when the college had no dormitories, the college paid students to drive. Having the option of living at home and attending college was an attractive proposition. I received my Associates' Degree in 1971 and was a member of the third graduating class of Central Wyoming College. More about the college's history can be found on Wikipedia . After graduation, I attended the University of Wyoming (UW) in Laramie, Wyoming, and graduated in the summer of 1973 with my Bachelor's Degree in education, with minors in theater and speech. CWC prepared me well for my transition to UW. The campus had three...

backyard playhouse Riverton, WY September 2017 I often pass this adorable playhouse on my neighborhood walks, and it pulls me back to my childhood dream of having my own playhouse. How I would have loved this little house and would have spent countless hours in and around it. Did you have a playhouse or a favorite place in your yard to play?

Autumn Quilt Block October 2017 Most of the leaves fell from my Ash trees while I was in Colorado, and the young man who winterized my sprinkling system offered to rake the leaves (for free) because he wanted them for his dairy goats to munch. I gladly accepted his offer. Saturday was a dreary and snowy day with no real accumulation because the ground is still warm, but soon that will change. I love living in an area that has distinct seasons even though they do not always occur in a typical or predictable order.

artwork on the side of Ashgrove Elementary School Riverton, WY September 2017 Three cheerful murals hang on the south side of Ashgrove Elementary school. The sunflowers in the foreground were planted by the students last spring. The seed heads should attract some birds or squirrels this winter. Do the schools in your area have gardens?

I had the opportunity to snap photos of the murals that have recently been hung around town, and thanks to the recent edition of Wind River Country, they can be properly identified. Riva San Biagio Venice by Maurice Prendergast 100 W. Main, Riverton, WY Man with Crossed Arms by Paul Cezanne between N. 2nd E. & N. 3rd E. Riverton, WY The Mounties Always Get Their Man by Charles M. Russell 2441 Peck Ave. - C.E.S. Building Saddlestring Cavvy by Bruce Graham Broadway at Main St., Riverton, WY Contemporary Sioux Indian by James Bama Broadway at Main St., Riverton, WY murals hanging at Broadway and Main Riverton, WY There are a couple more murals that I need to photograph. Hopefully, I will be able to do that soon while it's still on my mind. Other murals can be seen here: (some are grouped together in the posts)     Carson's Men     The Wind River     Still Life - Plate of Peaches     Luncheon of the Boat...

I settled in my chair just as the moon began to take a bite out of the sun August 21, 2017 Riverton, WY I snapped a before photo of the corner of my deck and house for comparison as the eclipse proceeded. Dark in the middle of the day - totality in Riverton, WY 11:39 AM August 21, 2017 looking southeast It was noticeably cooler as the moon covered the sun. At the second of totality, I heard honking horns from around my neighborhood. Totality - the moon had totally covered the sun looking to the north during totality Totality was just over 2 minutes, and it flew by so quickly.  The sunlight following totality had an eerie bronze tone.  immediately following totality - sunlight was a bronze color I didn't venture out on the streets after Saturday afternoon, but from these photos posted on Facebook this afternoon, it looks like predictions were not too far off. Federal Blvd. is normally not this busy. I doubt it has ever had so much traffic on...