Wyoming Breezes

natural bouquet at the top of a rose bush Laramie, WY A couple of weeks ago, I spotted this unusual cluster of roses on the top of a large rose bush near a neighboring apartment building. The bush is large and clearly reaches the eaves of the building.  Thanks to colder temperatures, it is no longer blooming. The colorful cluster of roses made me smile every time I saw it because it was so unusual. Have you ever seen a cluster of roses like this? 

Today may be the first day of Summer, but some of the denizens of Laramie (like this tree at a local business) aren’t quite sure. It’s been downright chilly here the last two days (highs reaching the low 60s and low 40s in the morning). Strong southeast winds seem to be blowing off of an iceberg. I’m back to wearing wool socks, long sleeves, and a jacket.  Supposedly, temperatures will be in the mid-70s today and 80s over the weekend, but I’m not going to bet on it. Like the tree, I’m going to hedge my bets and be prepared for anything! 

Golden Cottonwood trees 21st and Reynolds Laramie, WY Last Wednesday, I stopped to snap a quick photo of these golden trees. I knew the leaves would probably all be down after the snow storm, and I was correct. Wyoming doesn't have too many trees with russet, orange, or red leaves this time of year, but the golden ones do put on a spectacular show.  Soon, we will be entering days surrounded by brown, gray, and white, but for a short time before Winter settles in, Nature fills our community with gold.

October 12, 2023 photo "borrowed" online from Downtown Laramie Alliance As predicted, Thursday/Friday's storm dropped about three inches of snow on the area, and by Saturday it had all melted because the ground and streets were so warm. Even with that, Interstate 80 was closed for winter conditions Thursday night. It seems like people forget how to drive in snow/ice, and it takes them a while to remember.  It's pretty typical for this area to have a mid-October snow storm and then another around Halloween. I'm thrilled that this storm was here and gone in a couple of days.

Usually the weather service is reliable, so it’s time to pull out the sweaters and wool socks because ready or not winter weather is coming! 

Saturday afternoon the sky opened up, and it rained, and rained, and rained. The stormed seemed to park on top of Laramie and dumped nearly 3 inches in less than an hour. It was reminiscent of the typhoon rains I experienced in Japan.  I grabbed my phone to take photos but decided a video was needed to capture the unusual sight. I didn't think of turning my phone to take horizontal video.  This scene is from my patio: it shows the sidewalk between buildings J and K and then the street to the west.  Here's the view out of my kitchen window.  Bunny and Sue patiently wait for me to stop filming the flooded street and play While it was raining, Bunny (a neighbor) and Sue (a friend from Riverton who was visiting) and I played Five Crowns. Between the heavy rain and the enjoyable card game with friends, the afternoon passed quickly but will be forever memorable.  a drift of hail from the storm August 13, 2022 Sunday afternoon, the drift of hail beside my patio hadn't ...

Over the weekend I purchased some plants for my tiny garden patch: some perennials and some annuals.  This time of year I'm anxious to dig in the dirt, but Laramie's altitude (over 7,000 ft) makes growing plants a challenge. As you can see on the graphic, the average date of the last hard frost is June 2nd, and by that time all the nursery plants have been picked over. If I don't purchase plants now, I'll be out of luck, but I don't dare plant them yet.  I'll place them in the sun and water them during the day and move them into a sheltered area at night until at least the end of May when I will turn the soil in my tiny plot and put them into the ground.  I'm trying to get a perennial bed started, but haven't had too much luck the last three years. This year, I'm adding two more blanket flower plants (one from two years ago survived another winter) and some salvia to attract bees. I couldn't resist the tiny geraniums (they were on a clearance rac...

Last week the wind howled through Wyoming! Interstates 25 and 80 were closed to light, high profile vehicles. Despite the warnings, semis and campers were toppled. In town, unsecured items took flight. My recycling bin rolled down the street. I had two wind causalities: the Spring outdoor quilt block, and the patio thermometer. One can be repaired; the other is toast. I got a chuckle from a post of the Next Door app about the carport.  Wyoming wind is not for the faint of heart. 

Laramie, WY March 6, 2022 On Friday, the ground was bare thanks to Chinook winds and warmer temperatures last week; however, Friday night and most of the day Saturday, the snow fell. What's unusual about this scene is the snow on the tree boughs and the lilac bush branches. The winter wind blows a LOT in Laramie, and typically, the trees shake off their snow coverings. I love seeing this unusual winter scene outside my patio doors. 

One of my teeth has been giving me problems — achy, sensitive to cold, sensitive to exhaling cold air. From experience, I know how difficult it is to get treatment close to the holidays. I made an appointment with my regular dentist, and after he ran some tests, he recommended I see an Endodontist for a root canal. Not a problem unless, said Endodontist is in a neighboring town and . . . this happens.  Yep, the Interstate and secondary roads to Cheyenne were closed from Friday to Sunday.  WYDOT had snow plows working, but the wind was horrendous and delayed the opening again and again.  Trucks and private vehicles were lined up in all the major towns, waiting for the green light. Sunday morning I noticed that the interstate was open between Laramie and Cheyenne for eastbound traffic. I knew it probably wouldn’t be too long before all the gates would be open, so I made plans to leave and hopefully be ahead of the impatient truckers and travelers who had been stranded since...

second snow storm Laramie, WY October 19, 2021 Last Tuesday, the second storm of the season dropped 3-4 inches of heavy, wet snow in the afternoon. The storm started as rain, and by late morning turned to snow. The first storm, a week earlier, dropped a similar amount. Thankfully, the two storms spared the trees in town that were badly damaged by an early September snow storm last year.  Temperatures rose at the end of the week, and most of the snow (except piles in parking lots) melted quickly. 

I’m running and sneezing a lot these days! 

small indication of Fall September 2021 Subtle signs of Fall are visible all over town. Trees are gradually starting to show color, but trees in the mountains are passed peak color. Temperatures have been glorious - cool nights and mid to high 70s during the day. Of course, those trends can disappear quickly. I certainly hope Fall will last much longer than it did last year.  I rarely decorate for the seasons other than the wreath on my front door, the outdoor “barn quilt,” and a decorative house flag. Do you decorate your home’s entry way for the seasons? 

twining on the patio during a Sunday FaceTime call September 2021 Sunday, I worked on the rug I started a couple of years ago. I’ve moved the frame in and out of the closet for months to get fabric from the stash. Since I didn’t have a quilt project started, I decided to twine during the weekly FaceTime call with my sister and niece.  The weather has been gorgeous this week and the slight breeze has cleared the air of smoke. It was quite pleasant to be outside. I managed to add three inches of weft to the rug, and about 2.5 inches need to be added before the rug can be removed from the frame.  I prefer to twine outside because it can be messy with lint and strings coming off of the weft fabric strips. 

photo from County 10 website taken by Marty Brammer July 2021 Flame finds a way to beat the oppressive heat (temperatures over 100 degrees F) last week in Fremont County, Wyoming. 

Alpine Shire socks June 2021 I managed to do a bit of knitting over the last days - finishing one sock and nearly through the cuff on the second sock. The Alpine Shire color way makes me smile as I knit.  preparing to plant June 2021 Besides knitting, I planted a few flowers by the front door, swept and hosed the dregs of winter out of the garage, cleaned the patios and took the furniture out of storage, The weather has been wonderful, and the warmth is definitely welcome. I sat outside soaking up some natural vitamin D while knitting a few rows on the second sock.  On Thursday, I joined three friends for a lengthy lunch and visit at Applebees.  U-haul trucks and trailers are common sights in my neighborhood as university students move home for the summer. Traffic is down considerably around town, and the slower pace of summer is settling on the community. 

fluffy cotton from cottonwood trees June 2021 It's that time of year when the air is full of "cotton" fluff from the area cottonwood trees. The fluff is a nuisance, especially on my patio where it rolls around on the cement and forms large globs. Whenever the door is opened, a fluff ball manages to sneak into the apartment. Some years, it blows through the air like snow.   I'll be glad when the trees stop releasing their seeds encapsulated in the fluffy "cotton."

Snowman in Depot Park Laramie, WY  March 2021 It took several days for Laramie to dig out from the blizzard (winter storm Xylia ) that hit last weekend. Snowblowers and heavy equipment were the workhorses after the storm. Some people moved snow with shovels, but it was hard work lifting the heavy, wind-packed snow.  Grand Villa walks cleared with snowblowers March 2021 The grounds crew at Grand Villa typically clear the sidewalks and driveways with a small John Deere and blade, but the aftermath of Xylia was too much for the little tractor. Heavy duty snowblowers were brought in to cut through the drifts, and heavy equipment cleared and piled the parking lot snow.  I was relieved that I didn't have to deal with the removal of the snow. 

preparing for a power outage March 2021 Early last week, meteorologists predicted a massive snowstorm would hit the area over the weekend. They warned it would be slow moving and would have the potential to become a historic storm with accumulations measured in feet, not inches.  Blizzard warnings were issued in conjunction with this storm, so I began to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  I have a stocked pantry, so I did not need to shop for provisions. I got the oil lanterns out of storage, found candles and flashlights and batteries in the closet, and retrieved a portable propane heater from the garage. Snow began on Saturday evening and continued through Sunday. The wind howled all night, and all day on Sunday. It's impossible to determine how much snow fell because of drifting, but unofficial reports on Sunday afternoon, stated Laramie had received 18-20", and it is still snowing as I write this. Thankfully, the electricity stayed on and I didn’t need to use th...

I found a great fireplace video on YouTube that I've been using on chilly and windy afternoons. The video has a 10 hour loop without advertisements, so I can comfortably knit away the afternoon. Many fireplace videos have music, but this one is just the sound of flames and popping logs. I love it!