Baby It's Cold Outside

Today it is cold -  very cold, high of 0, yep zero, zilch, no degrees at all. Wind chill tonight will dip to 40 below.
When this happens in Wyoming we say, "feels like a touch of winter in the air."

I know, I know, by now you are all feeling very bad for me. But before you do I might mention that in my part of Wyoming I still was able to play golf seven days in December. Most years I play in every month, other years I miss playing in January. And, I will play with a light sweatshirt but if I need more than that, no golf. We do get lots of nice colder weather hiking in though.

If you are in my part of the country, bundle up and stay warm. 

Happy New Year!

Saw this Guy a Couple of Blocks From Home Today

Cedar Wax Wing Looking Out at Winter

I Am Not Cold - But Was I Supposed to Fly South?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. I hope everyone has a great day! We had much family celebrating with us - a most wonderful day.

Ten Photos I Wanted to Use This Year

Thought it might be fun to post a few photos I didn't use this year. Here are ten that I really like but didn't get a chance to use on my blogs this year. For two of these I even slipped out of state. Kind of my year in photos I didn't post. 

Laramie Range Sunset

North Platte River

Laramie High Plains Windmill

Fort Laramie

Pronghorn on the Green - Rawlins

Chimney Rock on the Trail West

Around the Corner from Rushmore

Buffalo Near Esterbrook

First of the Year - Back Yard Garden

Boot Hill - Hartville, Wyoming

Snow at Last

Now that summer is officially over with snow yesterday and last night, guess I can get into my normal grumpy winter mood. Here in the cowboy state we get most of our yearly moisture in the form of snow. It reminded me of this line from a C. J. Box book -

“Wyomingites, Joe had observed, didn't know what to do when it rained except get out of it, watch it through the window, and wait for it to go away.” C. J. Box Open Season

With snow on the ground today, I couldn't wait to get outside. By afternoon the wind was gone, the sun peek-a-booed in and out and the temperature went to 30. Another great day out west.

The Colors of a Wyoming Winter

Winter looks like it has reached us here in Wyoming. The days have still been pretty pleasant and only a bit of snow has fallen but the landscape has taken on the look of winter. We live in a wonderful, more temperate, part of the state but that hasn't kept Mother Nature from painting everything with brown and gray. If you take the time to look around it is still possible to find some natural color and beauty, even if it is December.

For many people winter is a time to stay inside, I like going out into the cool weather. I find the stark landscape this time of year much to my liking, until spring that is. Here are a few shots I took this week.

Sun Splashed Pine and Ice on the River

A Study in Reflection

Fawn in Tall Grass

Dinner Time

Going South

A Winter Day

Winter Color

Tiny Cedar illuminated  by the Setting Sun -Christmas Tree

and finally

Stark in any Season

What a Sweet Couple

My wife would say, “oh what a sweet couple,” and they are.

What am I talking about?

There is a nice pair of Bald Eagles in the park, eagles commonly mate for life and both of these are mature adults, maybe we will have some babies in March.

Eagles are not as disturbed by human’s this time of year as they are in spring and summer, but never the less, I stayed well back, these photos are from about 300 yards, maybe a bit more.

Upper Left the Female and Lower Right the Male 

 

The Female - they are larger by about 25% than the Male

Male Bald Eagle

The Six Week Governor

George W. Baxter settled in Wyoming, after a degree from West Point and three years as a Calvary officer at Wyoming’s fort D. A. Russell. He spent his first three years in private business, trying to start a range cattle operation of which he knew nothing and didn’t seem to be well adapted to cowboy life.

Governor Baxter

But then came politics.  Baxter was appointed, at age 31, to be the territorial governor of Wyoming with the helpful influence of southern democratic friends, not by anyone in Wyoming. When Wyoming’s delegation in Washington got to work and he was forced out after six short weeks in office. Baxter traveled to Washington to protest but to no avail.  Baxter served his very short term from November 11 to December 20, 1886, four years before Wyoming became a state.

There is a funny story in Charles Guernsey’s book, Wyoming Cowboy Days, which shows Baxter was not only a poor choice for governor of a western territory, but also appalling at politics in general. Guernsey, who was a most influential politician in his day, was asked by Baxter during a chance meeting on the street if he was for or against a certain, soon to be introduced, bill. When Guernsey said he was against it, Baxter asked how much it would cost to have him for it. Guernsey, saying that Baxter, “didn’t know any better,” laughed it off, taking no offense with Baxter or his awkward attempt to bribe him.

Maybe six weeks as governor was plenty!

When Baxter resigned from office he was replaced by another short term governor Elliot S. N. Morgan, Morgan served for thirty-five days before being replaced by Thomas Moonlight. Interestingly this was the second time that Morgan served as governor having served for 46 days in 1885 after the death of Governor William Hale. 

Wyoming may have been better off without Moonlight, see my blog post on him here. 

http://wyoming-fact-and-fiction.blogspot.com/2012/07/incompetence-and-politicians-governor.html