The weather—what else

A WYDOT message in my e-mail inbox this morning…

"I80: Closed EASTBOUND between Laramie and Exit 323, Happy Jack Rd. 06-MAY 07:07"

I’ve heard (and wondered) about when the gates come down, but have never been there when it happens...

So I checked out the WYDOT web cams

I guess some turn around to return to Laramie...

Somewhere between the Summit, Laramie & Cheyenne

No traffice on these portions of I-80

It’s been alternating between wet snow and snain all morning.

The ground might be too warmish for any accumulation.

The air, however, has that chilly wet feel more usual to humid climes.

Such is the life of a fledgling Frontier Woman...

Gofl course with a view...

Oh how I wish, I wish, I could capture the beauty that I see everyday.

The Snowies, there in the distance, are not the Rockies or the Tetons, but...

View from the ridge above the UWYO Golf Course

From just off the golf course & some lucky family's rear windows

My walking companion and I get such a kick out of seeing the university kids wearing shorts, sandals and t-shirts whenever the temp reaches 31 degrees.

What I saw...

on my walk around the golf course this morning.

lots of tracks

Then there was this mom...

Looking out for her babes

She was pacing, so we stayed respectful distance.

Some things never change…

I've spent a lot of time at the teenager’s school these past two days, helping with appreciation week.

Today I got to work with the littlest kid-lets, helping them write little love notes to their teachers.

Reminds me all over again, just why I am going back to school and why I love working with that age group.

Standing outside the cafeteria, trying to snag the oldest kid-lets to write little notes of ‘preciation for their teachers, I managed to snag some of the teenager’s friends.

Later, one of them told the teenager, "you look a lot like your mom."

Aw—I love the kid who said that, because I don’t hear that very often.

Then there are the teachers, some of whom do not yet know me and whom I don't want to know that I'm the teenager's mom—because then they'll know and I'll know, what we both know, which is that we just do not want to go there.

Just blown(in) the wind…

A bit more and they would be blowing across the road...


















Just like all the trash cans tumbling down the road and across the yards in our neighborhood.

Strong winds—an understatement

West winds 40 to 55 mph with gusts to 75 mph. (courtesy of laramieundergroundweather.com)

The wind tried to topple me, as I was taking this photo…



Better this than our neighbors—the wind blew their gas grill upside down.

Each time the wind blows—and I mean blows—I think, so this is the infamous Wyoming wind, only to realize how wrong a person can be.

Once again, I am feeling like one of those silly little pig brothers.

Only in this story, the big bad wolf is called—Mariah!

Real Cow Dudes and Gals

On Sunday, we popped in at the Central Rocky Mountain Region competition of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association to have a look see at the University of Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls who were roping, riding and competing in all things rodeo…



The competition took place at the UWYO Hansen Center, which is 2 miles out of town, on the way to Centennial.

The Legal Dude didn’t want to go, neither did the teenager.

They don't want to see animals harmed.

Nor do I, for that matter, but I've never been to a real live, front and center rodeo so the Legal Dude acquiesced.

The teenager, who no longer finds us fitting company to spend time with, adamantly refused to go along.

My camera refused to cooperate, so I have nothing but lousy photos to post...



That guy wearing the hat and yellow shirt reminded me of the young Australian actor, Tom Burlinson, who played alongside Kirk Douglas and Sigrid Thornton in the 1982 movie, “The Man from Snowy River.”


Internet photo

Though without the long Australian overcoat.

There's something about cowboy dudes...



Good thing I'm happily married!



Actually, he was the only dude who stayed still long enough for us to try and get a decent photo. I believe the Legal Dude took this one.

I remember a friend telling me about a wedding she attended two years back in Banner, Wyoming, and how the cow dudes looked so handsome in their hats and boots—to which I can attest from my time here—but once the hats and boots came off, they looked just like every other Tom, Dick and Harry (something I am unable to attest to).

An attempt to catch the bucking horse...



I'm told they cinch a belt around the horse’s middle, which is uncomfortable, thus causing them to buck.

Those cow dudes are required to ride for 8 seconds.

These “Dodge" dudes are always there, for when the rider dismounts from his bucking bronco onto the back of their mount. Then one of the Dodge Boys loosens the strap from the still bucking animal...



We saw a few cowboys tossed against the fence and up and down, and a few of them walked away limping.

I love the posture of this horse, who—as his cowboy matter-of-factly walks away from the poor little roped steer—seems to be looking at the audience as if to say...



Yep, that’s my cowboy folks!

Too bad I couldn’t get a cleaner shot…

Getting ready…



The cowboy on the left in the white hat had a mount who threw a little hissy fit...



This little cow gal is bummed! That loop she’s dragging...



was supposed to be lassoed around a little steer.

No animals were injured.

I’d go back.

Is this so terrible of me?