Eastern Wyoming Photo Extravaganza

December 27, 2021

Christmas is in the books. Now it is onward toward the New Year, and we all wish and hope for a good one. 

The Narrows at Guernsey State Park

A few years ago, while waiting for a concert to start in Branson, Missouri, we explained we were from east-central Wyoming to a couple from New York. He said, "Oh, not the pretty part." He then explained they had been in Wyoming twice before and loved it. Each time they flew into Jackson, they spent some time and flew out. I wish I would have had the time to explain that Wyoming is quite stunning everywhere. Don't get me wrong, I like Jackson, we spend some time there once in a while, but it is not all of Wyoming.

A Mink along the North Platte River in Guernsey

The following photos – all taken in the last month or so, were all shot within a half-hour of where we live in Guernsey, Wyoming. We think this area of the state is pretty special.

Along the Laramie River

With the New Year come some new thoughts – such as

I was born in 1948, which means if I make it to the 2030s, I will have lived in part of 10 decades – a century's worth of decades.

A few miles south of town

After 42 years in the classroom, I retired in 2012. 2022 makes it ten years. Wow, that went fast.

Along my morning walk

I am currently writing my 17^th book. I hope to have a few more in me.

 

Fort Laramie river bridge

I count the miles on my morning walks and hikes in the park – settled for about 800 this year. Onward to one thousand in 2022.

25 miles west of town - nice view

Happy New Year – 2022

Wyoming Day and Books For Sale

Looks to me like I missed the only specific Wyoming Holiday – Wyoming Day, which is celebrated each year on December 10.  On that date in 1869 Territorial Governor John Campbell signed the bill that granted women the right to vote. The new law made Wyoming the first to allow the vote and the ability to legally hold elected office to women.

The bill originated because legislators believed the idea of women suffrage would be good publicity for the territory and might bring more single women to the state.

By Wyoming Statute, Wyoming Day, is supposed to be observed in schools and by other groups around the state each year. I am afraid that practice has long since fallen by the wayside. Too bad, this was a most significant step in American rights.

So How Cold Was It? - Seems like this time of year I normally post something about the weather and how tough the cold was on early settlers. I suppose that will be coming soon, but for now, I will only say, “I cannot imagine how early trappers could survive the cold like we had last week with temperatures plunging to double digits below zero.” BURR!

Thank You, Readers - Many thanks to all of the readers that have pushed my latest Wyoming novel, Ghost of the Fawn, up to number 30 in its category in softcover and number 91 in its eBook category.

If you have not given it a look yet, you can read a free sample here. The book was originally written for teenage readers, but it has found a terrific audience with adults. Thanks!

Meanwhile stay warm and keep reading and watching Christmas movies, we watch one nearly every evening. Christmas movies may be mostly sappy, but we need them, we need the feel good and warmth of the stories. I hope they keep them coming for many years to come.

A Nice Christmas Gift – Speaking of Christmas stories, here is the link to my book, from last year, of Christmas stories, you can read the entire first story for free, enjoy. UnderWestern Skies – 14 Tales of Christmas.

*All photos were taken on our Sunday trip to Laramie, Laramie City, in the old days, 100 miles away.

5 Periods of Wyoming History

Wyoming historians divide the history of the state into five periods. Thought it might be fun to take those five periods and try to list my favorite broad fact about each. So, here goes.

These are my favorites, please let me know what yours are.

1.    Exploration - trappers and traders

Without a doubt, Jim Bridger is the most famous early Wyomingite as all three, explorer, trapper, and trader. He also could be listed as one of the all-time great storytellers in Wyoming history.

2.    Emigration -  Oregon Trail

Many things could fall into place here, but the sheer numbers alone seem to be my favorite trail fact. Travel started about, 1843, peaked in 1846-1869, and by the early 1880s, it ended. During that period of time, 400,000 travelers used this main thoroughfare west. On average 10% died before reaching their western dreams.

3.    Indian Campaigns/Wars

Remember – this has to be something in Wyoming, thereby ruling out Custer on the Greasy Grass River.

 My top fact, The Gratton Massacre in 1854. Considered the first battle of the Sioux War, which by many, including myself, consider to be the beginning of the Indian Wars in the west.

Camp on the Laramie River not far from the site of the Gratton fight

4.    Territorial days

For me this is an easy one – Giving the vote to women happened when Wyoming was a territory in 1869, twenty-one years before statehood. Interesting that it may have been more for the publicity than for the rights of women.

Esther Morris - leader of the Women's Rights movement in Wyoming

5.    After Statehood

Many things could belong here, but I decided not to list people. Instead my favorite, after statehood fact about Wyoming is the wide open spaces, a state with only a half million people. Giving citizens and visitors incredible views in every county in the state.

Oh, if I were to list people they would be, Nellie Tayloe Ross, and Buffalo Bill Cody. Ross because she was the first women governor in the United States and Cody because of his legend, much bigger than his real accomplishments, but never the less important in making the old west into the movie, novel, and television wild west.

The west, Wyoming style

4 Season Wyoming

It happens every year. August rolls around and it is too hot. Not for me, but people all around are complaining. “I’m ready for fall,” is one of the most heard comments this time of year.

The problem is that we live in a true four season area - if fall comes early, winter cannot be far behind. A few skiers might be anxious for winter and snow, but most of us can wait. I like the heat, enjoy sipping Ice Tea on the deck in the shade, now that’s livin’.

The all-time record high for Wyoming I the summer is 116 degrees, now that’s hot. Much cooler here our all-time high is a mere 115. And about cold, Wyoming’s all-time low is -66 degrees. Here, where I live, the low is a banana beltish, -46 degrees.

A touch of snow last winter

We live in a high plains desert climate here with not much rain (a bit over13 inches a year), but not much snow either, (only 16 inches a year). Together that only adds up to about 15 total inches of moisture a year. Dry but low humidity and not much wind makes for comfortable living most of the year.

Grandkids walking in the summer sunshine

I enjoy the four seasons we have here. In winter, we have mild spells when it is quite nice outside. I have managed to play golf in 35 of the last 36 months and the month I skipped others did get out.

When it’s summer, I love it, when it is fall, I love it, when it is spring, I love it and when it is winter – well it’s cold outside.

Spring wind on the water at Guernsey State Park

4 seasons – couldn’t live without them!

Longmire and Other Wyoming Movies

Looks like Wyoming will not have to wait much longer for football or Longmire, both are coming this fall. Longmire will be here in early September with ten new episodes. Not sure I understand the concept of Netflix yet, all episodes will be available that same first day. I remember waiting for so many shows for the next week to bring a new story. Maybe I will just watch one episode each week for ten weeks – no probably not.

Although Longmire is popular in Wyoming, many wish it could actually be filmed here. Most will not notice, but those of us who live here do. New Mexico has a lot in common, scenery wise, with Wyoming, but not everything. But we do love our Wyoming authors, especially Craig Johnson the Longmire creator, and C. J. Box the bestselling author of Wyoming mystery novels.

Quite a few westerns have been filmed in Wyoming over the years but Hollywood tells us that our unpredictable weather and predictable short summer making filming difficult. Never the less a few good ones have been filmed here. 1953 seems to have been a good year when both, Shane and The Big Sky were filmed. The Mountain Men, filmed in 1980 is another notable Wyoming western.

Want more – look here. 

 

Smile

Women's Right's and a Great Career

How about this man’s career? John A. Campbell joined the union army in 1861 and by 1864 was brevetted as a Brigadier General. In April of 1869, President Grant named him Wyoming’s first territorial governor where he served until March of 1875.

 During his term, he signed into law America’s first women’s suffrage bill, making Wyoming the first state to grant women the right to vote. Not everyone around the state, nation or world was happy with this turn of events.

One example was this little ditty –

“Baby, baby, don’t get in a fury,

Your mama’s gone to sit on a jury.”

Two years later a bill passed both houses of the Wyoming legislature to withdraw women’s suffrage. Campbell vetoed it and Wyoming remained as the first to grant women the right to vote.

 His resignation followed his appointment as an assistant Secretary of State. He resigned his Secretary position when he was appointed American Consul to Switzerland in 1877. He died in 1880 and was interned in Arlington National Cemetery. Quite a career, and quite a life for a man who died at the age of 44.

Nothing beats a great Wyoming view - took this a mile and a half from home

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More Pronghorn

Recently I have been doing research and reading personal accounts of early homesteading and town building in eastern Nebraska where I grew up. I ran across a story of antelope (pronghorn) hunting in that area in the 1860s. I had never heard of Pronghorn in that area and I decided to do some digging.

When Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery explored the west in the early 1800s there were an estimated 35 million pronghorn antelope in North America. One hundred years later the population was estimated at 13,000 with extinction coming within the next decade. Today there are nearly a million pronghorn in Wyoming several hundred thousand thrive on the hard grass, yucca, cacti and sagebrush in the high grass prairies of this state.

It took full protection in every state to increase the heard, full protection for fifty years, but it worked. Much of the west has enough pronghorn for an annual hunting season as game managers watch and manage the herds carefully across the west.

Today pronghorn are a tourist attraction in the west, most of the year they are easy to spot and a joy to watch, especially running, up to 55 MPH.

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Tough For Tough Winters

Ever year about this time, I have the same thoughts. How did early people survive the winter? Putting up food and laying in fire wood was a must. If someone fell short in either of these areas it was sure death.

Living in Wyoming, where we have four seasons, winter always comes. Some winters are better than others but they always come, and no matter how mild, in the old days, there was always a starving time.

I was able to take several nice walks in December and as I walked I tried to observe what wildlife was still about. Then I looked for anything else, anything edible, and there isn't much.

Native People, Mountain men, early settlers, those were some tough people. A breed we will not see again.

In a society where a new video game is a great new adventure and a new pizza crust excites a segment of the citizens, we have lost touch with what it takes to be tough and along with it, maybe great.

Cold - both physically and metaphorically 

These old time people survived and thrived in hostel winters and against dangers and hardships that today we may not be able to imagine. Only wish I could be so tough.

A Few Ducks Find Open Water