Wyoming Breezes

Brenda and Marilyn Prairie Museum of Art and History Colby, KS 2015 A couple of weeks ago, I shared a post about playing Jacks at recess , and several readers also remembered playing the game with their friends. Another game that I played often as a child, both at school with friends and at home by myself was Hopscotch.  The diagram painted on the sidewalk leading to the prairie school at the museum in Kansas was quite different to the one that my friends and I played. The diagram we used was like the one below, but with much larger blocks.  Our diagram was not painted on the sidewalk: we drew it in the dirt with a stick. We didn't number the boxes because everyone knew the sequence.  I remember have some favorite stones for playing hopscotch. The perfect stone was flat and about the size of a fifty cent piece. Anything bigger would probably not reach the upper blocks.  We would practically fly through the boxes after we picked up our stones, turned, and hopped ...

Giant Jacks and Ball sculpture  by Christopher Weed Douglas County Library Parker, CO I have fond memories of playing Jacks at recess and lunch during my elementary school years. The giant jacks and ball in front of the Parker Library triggered those memories.  Do you remember playing Jacks?

JoAnn Conwell Wind River High School Kinnear, WY approx. 1985 When I returned from teaching overseas, I got a job teaching Language Arts and Journalism at Wind River High School. The school sat adjacent to the highway between Kinnear and Morton. The staff was young, and we eventually worked together for over 20 years.  JoAnn was the high school secretary, and she kept things running smoothly. JoAnn always called the staff "kids" which looking back made sense because most of us were young. The staff lounge/workroom was adjacent to the principal's office and had a connecting door to the front office where JoAnn worked. One day, JoAnn came into the staff lounge via the principal's office with her hands in front of her, and the first words out of her mouth were, "Now kids, don't laugh." She sat on the arm of the ugly, celery green sofa and sheepishly explained that she had superglued her thumbs together. Despite her warning, we all laughed and wondered how o...

Ahh, the memories!  Did people really dress like that in the 70s?   Did I?  Did you?

Sunday’s supper Bierock/Runza/Kraut Burger January 2022 A week ago, a woman on the Next Door app was taking orders for Bierocks: the Moose Lodge was having a fund-raiser. Some people on the app didn’t know what the group was selling, but Bierocks (aka runzas or kraut burgers or cabbage rolls) were a popular meal that Ferne and Rosie prepared in the school cafeteria nearly 40 years ago. One of my coworkers even wore a loose dress when cabbage rolls were on the lunch menu so she could enjoy seconds. My friend Sue occasionally made a batch of cabbage rolls and shared some with me. Thanks, Sue I ordered a dozen (they freeze well) from the Moose and picked them up yesterday afternoon. The building smelled amazing, and all I had to do was follow my nose!  It seems odd to have a German meal with a Mexican beer, but favorites tend to go together. 😉 Do you have a favorite dish that you rarely prepare? 

Up, Up and Away socks October 2021 I love hot-air balloons! This pair of socks reminds me of the brilliantly colored balloons that fly over Riverton every summer during the Rendezvous Balloon Festival.  These were knit with one of the sock blanks I dyed a few weeks ago.  The vibrant colors in these socks will lift my spirits every time I wear them. In fact, I might even skip down the street. Anyone remember the Fifth Dimension’s Up, Up and Away from 1967? 

carrom board in a flea market Laramie, WY A couple of years ago, I spotted this carrom board  at a local flea market, and it brought back memories of the board that occasionally was brought out when I was young. The board we had used wooden rings — a set of red rings and a set of green rings. A black ring was also included as well as bare wooden rings.  I remember playing a game similar to pool on the board, and of course checkers could also be played as well as backgammon. I don’t remember ever playing with the backside of the board, but it had circles painted on it with pegs attached at various intervals. It was fun to flick the rings and try to capture the opponent’s rings before mine were captured.  Did your family have a carrom board or have you ever played the game? 

tap shoes - circa 1974 September 2021 Sometimes it's difficult to let go of the past. For me, it was a pair of scuffed tap shoes.  When I was teaching in Wheatland in the 1970s, I enrolled in a beginning tap class for fun. The class had about ten students - all adults. None of us had ever tapped, and we had a great time learning the various steps. It was difficult to find a place to hold the class because the custodians were not too keen on having their waxed floors scratched by tap shoes. We never performed for an audience, but each week we danced during the hour long class.  I never mastered the art of tap, but I now appreciate those who have. I still remember a few of the steps, but I'm not as light on my feet as I once was, and my knees would not be happy with me if I even tried to tap.  Recently I went through my closet to clear out items simply taking up space, and I unearthed the bag containing the scuffed, patent leather tap shoes from my "youth." It was time ...

This is a repost from 2014. Spring always brings back memories of the geese Mom raised on the farm.  Nesting Goose approx. 1977 My mother loved her geese, and the numbers grew steadily every year. It was common to see the flock (gaggle) parade around the yard and even across the County road to swim in the irrigation ditch. One year the ditch rider complained about the geese in the ditch, but his complaints fell on deaf ears because the geese kept the algae in the ditch under control. Mom's flock of geese grew to nearly 50 in 1977 Mom's geese got a bit territorial in the spring, and it was wise to give them a wide berth, especially near their nests. The goose and gander took turns sitting on the large eggs, and they both would extend their necks and hiss if someone got too close to the nest. It was common to see the ganders chase the dogs across the yard if they got too close to the flock or to the goslings. I've also seen the geese as well as the ganders chase people who go...

close up of an abandoned threshing machine This old threshing machine was located on my brother's farm. I can't remember if it was there when he bought the farm or was moved there afterwards. It sat on a windswept hill surrounded by other abandoned farm machinery abandoned threshing machine Many of you may not know the purpose of this large machine, but it was the predecessor of the modern combine. The crew who worked with the thresher was large, and it was a dusty/dirty physical job.  Mom told me that Dad travelled for a couple of years with a threshing crew before they were married.  an old family photo of a thresher at work. separating the grain from the straw

Nancy and Rosa S. mid 1980s I'm pretty sure my brother, Rich took this photo of Mom and me at the kitchen sink. It looks like we are peeling potatoes and preparing for the next meal. Since the Christmas salt and pepper shakers are on the shelves, I'd say the photo was taken in November or December.  Several generations of babies were bathed in the sink, and numerous stacks of dishes and pot/pans were washed in it over the years. 

painted by Brenda M. 2020 I mentioned that my niece, Brenda has been painting during our weekly FaceTime calls, and some of you have asked what she paints. This cute bear arrived in my mailbox this week. Brenda and her Mom host an annual cookie and ornament exchange, and they decided last year that 2020 would be the final party. That was long before COVID-19 decided to descend on the world. They thought thirty years was a good stopping point.  Every guest at the exchange receives a gift from Marilyn and Brenda, and this year it was doorstoppers. My BIL cut wood bear forms, and Brenda began painting the 30 bear doorstoppers in March. I requested stars on my bear's pajamas. Isn't he adorable?  Brenda added a note on the back of each of the bears. I keep telling her to sign her work, but she rarely does.  cover of the invitation December 2020 The invitation for this year's gathering featured nearly all of the gifts the guests received over the years. Some time, Marilyn made ...

North Pole village December 2020 Marilyn and Brenda have been collecting houses and accessories for the North Pole village (Department 56) for years. Many of the houses were purchased at clearance sales. This year, my brother-in-law created a new styrofoam base for the display.  Unfortunately, I will not be able to see the display in person, but it looks fabulous in the photos that he shared. The display captures some of the magic of Santa's hometown.  Do you have a collection of Christmas items?

Libraries have changed drastically in a few decades:         •  card catalogs have disappeared         •  digital self-check out         •  digital library cards Can you think of any other changes?  Personally, I miss using the old card catalog. I enjoyed flipping through the cards. When I was in high school, I helped the librarian type cards for new books or books that had been donated.  The old checkout cards were fun. I'd often pull them out and see the names of those who had previously read the book(s). Now, I suppose it would be considered an invasion of personal privacy. 

John Deere "G" approximately mid to late 1950s It's difficult to tell what implement is hooked up to the tractor; however with the weights on the tractor's back wheels, I'd guess it is a plow, but I could be wrong. The wheel weights added traction. The canvas cover (heat housing) around the tractor tells me this photo was taken in the Spring or Fall. The cover helped keep the driver somewhat warm since the tractor had no cab. The cover was not used in the Summer. I can still "hear" the distinctive putt-putt of the tractor as it idled. Dad (shown in the first photo) usually topped off the tractor's gasoline before heading out to the field. The fuel tanks were in the middle of the yard under a dim yard light that was switched on and off in the house. Later, the incandescent light was replaced with an automatic mercury light with a light sensitive control.  When my brothers were young, they played basketball under the yard light. A hoop was hung on the ...

dealing with the leaves approx. 1982 The trees around the farmhouse were huge and dropped truckloads of leaves every Fall. Before my Mom got a riding lawnmower that picked up the leaves, it was my job to rake them up every Fall. I didn't really mind the job, but it sometimes seemed never-ending. I often wish I had a penny for each leaf I raked.  Sometimes the leaves were raked into the ditch next to the house and burned, but often they were loaded into the pickup or the manure spreader and unloaded in the fields. Once my Mom started mowing up the leaves, she burned them near the front gate away from any buildings.  To this day, I love the smell of Fall and the sound of leaves crunching underfoot. Do you like raking leaves?

Don't you love the fuzzy slippers and cigar!  Life on the farm taught me to handle a saw, hammer, and other tools with confidence. I used those skills in my first teaching job and taught my students how to make scenery for the plays I directed. We constructed stage flats with simple wooden frames and unbleached muslin. They were built to last, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them are still being used. I keep a small tool box in the garage with basic tools, and one in the trunk of the car, too. Are you comfortable using building tools?

Justin W., Harold and Dwight M. Grand Lake, CO July 2019 The house we rented had a "cadillac" fire pit, and my nephew Dwight used it to prepare special meals and treats in his Dutch ovens. We also gathered there in the evening to enjoy s'mores. Want to see one of his creations? a giant cinnamon roll in a Dutch oven before baking half with nuts and half without nuts a giant cinnamon roll in a Dutch oven after baking Stephanie W. adds icing to the cinnamon roll baked in the Dutch oven giant cinnamon roll ready for slicing delicious! Dwight planned all the menus for our stay. Dwight, his wife and daughter prepared nearly all the meals.