Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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A National Geographic article I read recently, on how greater intelligence is being attributed to animals, got me thinking about how smart my pets have been. I have had a lot of pets over the years, but there have also been times in my life, when I had none. Anyway, the article made me go through my life and review my different pets and see how much merit this article had. My first pet was Tippy, a collie pup my dad bought for me, pretty much, right after I was born. He got bigger faster...
My fellow reporter, Mike Armstrong wrote about times changing and it sparked something in me that I wanted to share with you. When I retired, I heard from other retirees that they didn’t know how they got so much done before they retired because they are busier now than when they had a full-time job. I also found myself busy, doing things I enjoyed. Puttering in the yard, hanging out with grandkids and kids, and spending time with friends. What I didn’t do was all the things I thought I wou...
Not to jinx myself, but I have been pretty lucky with this whole aging thing. I recently completed lifeguard certification and this body surprised me by being up to the physical aspects of the test. The written part on lifeguarding and CPR was not easy and I was happy to pass it. However, I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to do all the physical tests in the time required. Swimming laps was the one part of the test I was confident in. I was worried aoubt swimming from the shallow e...
Bringing something akin to a second spring, leaves turning into the colors of flowers, fall is in the air. Our bright blue skies provide a vivid backdrop to the reds, yellows and oranges that splash across the mountains and prairies. It may sound silly but the colors of this time of year make me smile. Fall colors are naturally on the warm color spectrum. These colors are very appealing because they remind me of the earth, something I’m drawn to–nature. The leaves, warmed by the sun, have an...
by Samantha Tylka There are many small towns in today's world. One that really sticks out is Hanna in Carbon County, Wyoming. The population was 841 during the 2010 census. The recent census of 2020 has the town at 673. The town was started as a coal supply location for the Union Pacific Railroad. Much of the town is built on top of the former Hanna No. 4 Mine. What really makes up the town though is the people. We have a lot of events going on to make the town more interesting and fun not just...
Editor, The September 15 Saratoga Sun included an article about the Food Bank of Wyoming in Hanna and the local food pantry in Saratoga. We would like to make it known that the town of Encampment has a community food pantry housed at the Presbyterian Church. The pantry is open to all by simply calling any deacon from the Presbyterian Church at any time. This food pantry receives numerous donations, monetarily as well as food, from community members, churches, and the First Lady of Wyoming’s Hunger Initiative. We are also fortunate to receive wi...
When I have a bad day, such as yesterday; I had an instance where one of my flexi-pipes, under my sink in the bathroom, came apart spraying water everywhere, I calmed down by reminding myself it could be way worse. I could live in Eastern Ukraine. I really can’t imagine a scenario, like what is happening in that country, especially seeing all the damage which is being done to so many towns and villages. My little pipe coming apart can’t even compare to having a bomb hit my house and losing eve...
I was not surprised to hear of the Queen’s passing, but I was very sad to hear of it. My entire life I have heard and read about the British Aristocracy. My uncle was from Blackpool, England and spoke occasionally about the royals. He was not a fan, but I became one. So, when I heard of the Queen’s illness and declining health, I reminisced, remembering how impressed I was by her elegance and bearing. All families have scandals and skeletons in the closet that we want to keep hidden but in the...
Whether you want to be or not, you have to put on your brave face when your grandkids are with you. When a four-year-old wakes you up at 3 AM because they heard something, you can't tell them to take the flashlight and go look. You have to get up, remain calm, and collected and tell them everything is OK. You have to walk through a dark house, hopefully with your flashlight, if said grandchild hasn't used it to look under the couch, and left it there. During your journey through the dark...
It’s taken me three weeks to finally digest what happened in Wyoming during that GOP primary election Aug. 16. The results came quickly but what the hell really happened? This election was seen as a proxy fight between former President Donald Trump and his chief Congressional nemesis, Wyoming U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney. In the end, it was not a Cheney-Trump fight. It was simply a job interview and Wyoming folks demonstrated they wanted to hire someone who would work for Wyoming - not a candidate operating a national campaign to disgrace a former pres...
It has been getting a bit brisk at night which is great given how warm it has been the past week. For the record, I am enjoying the hot, if not scorching afternoons. I love the feeling of the sun heating my skin. It is easy to understand how I can hang in a place like Jakarta, Indonesia in the summer and not care at all as it cracks 110 degrees. I am a warm weather guy. No doubt about it. I have written a few columns on the trials of living in Wyoming winters. The wind, the cold, the road closur...
I’ve been called a Pollyanna more than once in my lifetime. Actually, truth be told, this sobriquet has been tossed around too much to describe my optimistic perspective at least a few hundred times. It does chafe a little, but I have learned to try to embrace my “glass is half full” mind-set. Besides, who decided that the person who sees the glass as half full is somehow a romantic idealist and wears rose colored glasses to avoid dealing with reality? It’s like being told I’m too loud! I’m not...
In the next few weeks, thousands a little children across Wyoming will march off to their first day of school. Especially for those parents of kindergartners, this is a poignant time. It sure was for me back in 1976 when our daughter Amber marched off to her first day of school. Here is a column that I wrote about how I felt about that event. The column won a national award and was originally published in our newspaper, the Wyoming State Journal in Lander. It was included in my first book, The Best Part of America, which was published in 1993....
A silent Sunday morning greeted residents of Encampment A power outage that occurred at 6:15 a.m. was due to a pole catching fire, according to spokesman for Carbon Power and Light. Power had to be turned off in order to replace the pole safely. Members of the community were without power until 10 a.m. This is a good reminder to be prepared for sudden power outages, especially in our rural areas. Repairs and maintenance at this time of the year aren’t nearly as challenging as when winter has moved in with whiteouts, cold snaps and accidents. F...
Until I made my home in Wyoming, my political affiliation was the majority where I lived. I started voting in Maryland, a major blue state, although I will acknowledge the current governor Larry Hogan, is a Republican and well liked by the residents. He has been in office since 2015. I know Washington D.C. has a few Republican politicians, but they are more rare than Democrats in Wyoming. I guess I could say the same thing about Hawaii. I was registered to vote in all these places. When I lived...
Who doesn't love the feel of a soft, cozy sweater on a winter's day? In Riverside, just off of the highway, eight Alpacas live. This is where all that winter warmth begins. Their caretaker, Rachelle Barkhurst, became interested in Alpaca fibers when she moved to Wyoming about seven years ago. She had designed clothes for many years, but wanted to use a material that was more sustainable. She was introduced to Alpacas and it seemed like the perfect option. Barkhurst and her husband, Dan, decided...