It was still dark at 5:00 this morning, which suprised me. In memory, the sky brightens well before five–all the way from May through September. Here we are at the end of July, though, and the sky was barely light enough to make my way downstairs. Damn. I hate to give up the long days of summer so soon.
I also hate to admit that [...]

Sad but true: there aren’t many farmers in Wyoming, anymore. I went to our once-weekly, two-hour-long farmer’s market on opening day–”buy local,” the signs advertised–and only saw crafts, baked goods, and a few pathetic vegetables. The best stand was operated by Sheridan College, whose students grow produce in the fields where the antelope (literally) roam and even make sausages in [...]

Last night I was driving home after a pleasantly sweaty time at the gym, and realized to my delight that I was too exhausted to get antsy about what was playing on my iPod. On my morning commute, I can skip over a dozen or more songs until I get to the only one that sounds “right.”  (And then play it [...]

I swear the silent lightning woke me up, though I’d be hard pressed to explain how, scientifically, that could have happened. Maybe a magnetic force drew me to the window? Or else my eyelids are unusually thin. Whatever the reason, I woke to see whole sections of the sky lit up with fabulous flashes of silent, white light. [...]

Confession: rodeo was a blast. Admittedly, praying to God beforehand was strange, and the announcer’s insistence on supporting the troops grew old. (Are 2007’s last-place finishers in Baghdad right now?) But by and large I found myself riveted.
Best of all were the Indian relay races:

…in which half-naked Native Americans ride bareback, change horses three times and race in a full gallop [...]

First off, a shameless plug for the Big Horn Mountain Festival, which I attended with the man this past weekend in Buffalo, WY. It’s always more fun to tear down than build up (as any construction worker can attest) but I have nothing bad to say about this outdoor festival. And I wouldn’t consider myself an afficionado, [...]

There are obvious, animal-activist reasons to avoid rodeos. Exhibit A: calf roping. Not exactly a legitimate “sport.” If you haven’t been to a rodeo (and I’m talking to you, East Coast), the process goes something like this: a man with no visible career prospects runs pell-mell toward a cute baby cow, ties it up in [...]

After bemoaning my fate for a full 24 hours I decided it’s not the worst thing in the world to be on antibiotics in the summertime. The whole “take while eating” part, for starters. That’s always a sweet directive. Though I have to admit the line about avoiding dairy products threw me for a loop. I could practically [...]

Since I live in a rural community where the highlight of the 4th of July is, honestly, watching my vet blow up explosives in his backyard, I did exactly what Hollywood hoped I would this weekend: dragged my man to the movies.
I guess the blowing-stuff-up bug hadn’t left me at the vet’s backyard, because I had a hankering to see [...]

 
The phone number is the same in both ads! 
I guess that reward must’ve really been something special, since the guy obviously wanted to keep it himself….