Wyoming Rural Electric News February 2022

WYOMING

FEB 2022

RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS

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MANUFACTURING A NEEDED WORKFORCE H I G H S C H O O L S A N D C O L L E G E S W O R K T O R E A D Y S T U D E N T S F O R C A R E E R S

23 STERILE TECHNIQUE

34 A TRIBUTE TO CHUCK LARSEN

BASIN ELECTRIC

RELIABILITY

POWER YOU C AN A LWAYS D E P E N D O N At Basic Electric, we understand that life doesn’t stop when the going gets tough. No matter the season or storm our members face, reliable and affordable electricity for our members’ homes, schools, and businesses is our mission.

We’ll do everything we can to keep fans running, the lights on, and the coffee brewing.

Reliable Energy for Our Way of Life.

2022 F E B R U A R Y

15 CENTERPIECE ON THE COVER Manufacturing a Needed Workforce: High schools and colleges work to ready students for careers

BY ELIZABETH SAMPSON

FEATURES 06

CO-OP YOUTH

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CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SMITH

Cover photo: Cheyenne Central High School senior Andrew Schlabach during class earlier this year, working on a robot that will help students safely participate in chemistry projects.

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JUST FOR FUN

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22

KIDS’ CORNER

FROM OUR READERS

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BOOK GIVEAWAY

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COUNTRY COOKS

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PEN TO PAPER

S P R I N G TA I L S

CAMPBELL C O U N T Y : PA S T AND PRESENT

BY JUDITH R. GONZALES

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PUZZLE

WORD SCRAMBLE

BY DIXIE LIRA

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GREENS

C H O C O L AT E ICE CREAM & CHICKEN POOP

JUST PICTURE IT PROBLEM S O LV E R S

BIG HORN’S C AT C H E R RUSSELL

T H E W YO M I N G COW B OY: A LIFETIME CAREER

BY NEVA BODIN

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ESSAYS & ANECDOTES

STATE NEWS & EVENTS

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WREA NOTES

T H E C O - O P FA M I LY

BY SHAWN TAYLOR

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HOME ON THE RANGE

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ENLIGHTEN US

STERILE TECHNIQUE

BY DR. BRUCE CONNALLY

T R I B U T E: FIRST HORSES

BY CHUCK LARSEN

GRASSROOTS NETWORK THE CURRENT COWBOY STATE BUZZ WHAT'S HAPPENING

WREA NOTES

T H E

C O - O P

I hate to start the New Year off with the sad news that we lost another great cowboy. Chuck Larsen was the former General Manager at Carbon Power and Light in Saratoga. He retired about five years ago and he and his wife Linda moved to Hulett, where he resided until he sadly passed away last month. Chuck was much more than a co-op manager, he was a writer (oftentimes for WREN magazine) a cowboy poet, and friend to everyone he met. And, as the pastor at his service said, “the best neighbor anyone could have.” He was also a mentor to me. When I started at WREA 17 years ago, Chuck took me under his wing and, despite him being a cowboy’s cowboy and me a spiky haired “kid” from Cheyenne, we just seemed to click, and Chuck became one of my go-to managers that I could call with any questions I had about the utility industry, the co-ops and how we operate, and pretty much anything I could throw his way.

To add to an already sad day, I hit a deer about five miles outside of Hulett the night before Chuck’s service in my truck that I’d only had for three days! I was able to make it to town but needed the help of someone to pull my fender off my tire.

Here is where the redeeming quality of the co-op family helped turn a bad day into a not so bad day. As I was waiting for AAA to show up and help me out, I went to the Ponderosa for a bite to eat. I struck up a conversation with the bartender and a few locals that were there and, after I explained what happened, they gave me the number to Lily’s Garage & Mobile Shop and told me that she could definitely help me out. So I gave the number a call and left a voicemail, realizing that it was maybe around 9:00 on a Friday night. I had a great meal and a great conversation with some good people who either knew Chuck or knew of Chuck. I think I’ve written about the small world that is Wyoming, and the even smaller world of the co-op family and this was evidence of that.

FA M I LY

Long story short, the gentleman from AAA in Newcastle showed up much earlier than anticipated, was very friendly and professional and got my truck taken care of to the point that I would be able to drive back to Cheyenne, and shortly after that Lily from Lily’s Garage called me back and she was ready to come help me out first thing in the morning. I told her that things were already taken care of but thanked her profusely for not only calling me back on a Friday night after business hours, but also for her willingness to come help me on a Saturday. She also knew who Chuck was and offered her condolences … to a complete stranger … on a Friday night after business hours. It made my heart feel good.

The next morning at Chuck’s celebration of life, it was great to hear stories about the impact he had made on the community that he’d only lived in for five years (we already knew this was the case in Carbon County). I saw many great co-op family members that I hadn’t seen for a long time and met complete strangers whom I felt I had known for many years. That’s the beauty of the co-op family. One of Chuck’s poems was read, entitled “This is Who we are, and this is What we do.” He wrote it after the “superstorm” Atlas a few years ago, when a massive snowstorm hit the state and ranchers and farmers were particularly hit hard. His poem was about how people stepped up and helped their neighbors and complete strangers get through the aftermath of the storm, because this is who we are, and this is what we do. I loved that poem and I loved Chuck.

In closing I wanted to share a poem from Chuck that was read at his service entitled “Pony Tracks.” I think it sums up Chuck’s life and what he meant to so many of us and how he would like us to remember him.

Much love to my co-op family.

PONY TRACKS

By Chuck Larsen There are pony tracks in the sage tonight Tracks that none of us can see There’s a rider headin’ for higher ground He’ll be missed by you and me The horse there between his knees Was picked from an unforgotten string Good ponies from times long gone Horses worth honored remembering He’s ridin’ tall and sittin’ easy A reflection of the life he’d chose No fences now to block his way Only one gate to open and close The horse, he knows the trail So he lets him have his head They’re out there waitin’ for him now Family and friends gone on ahead There will be some joyous catchin’ up Cherished yesterdays to be retold Tall tales and “remember whens” Cowboy traditions uphold And for those of us left behind It’s the natural way of things We gather to reminisce his life Consoled in the comfort that it brings For all of us, our time will come And we’ll not leave in sorrow For a good hand has led the way And there are pony tracks to follow.

SH AWN TAYLO R

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

24 MEET THIS MONTH’S FEATURED HALL-OF-FAMER PHOTO COURTESY OF WYOMING COWBOY HALL OF FAME

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THE WREN MAGAZINE WYOMING RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS The official publication of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, volume 68, number 1, February 2022 (ISSN 1098-2876) is published monthly except for January for $12 per year by Linden Press, Inc., Periodicals postage paid at Cheyenne, WY (original entry office) and at additional mailing offices.

WREN Magazine is owned and controlled by rural electric cooperatives in the interest of the economic progress of rural areas specifically and the entire population of Wyoming and the nation generally. WREN Magazine has a total average monthly paid circulation of 40,437 for 11 months ending September 2020.

WREN Magazine is delivered to rural electric member/ consumers and other subscribers throughout the entire state of Wyoming and the nation.

Acceptance of advertising by WREN Magazine does not imply endorsement of the product or services advertised by the publisher or Wyoming electric cooperatives.

WREN STAFF Publisher: Linden Press, Inc. — Editorial Team — Maggie York Alison Quinn — Design Team — Dixie Lira David Merkley Shawna Phillips

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Garland Light & Power, Powell – Scott Smith, President High West Energy, Pine Bluffs – Michael Lerwick, Vice President Wheatland REA, Wheatland – Sandra Hranchak, Secretary/Treasurer Basin Electric, Bismarck, ND – Paul Baker Big Horn REC, Basin – John Joyce Bridger Valley Electric, Mountain View – Ruth Rees Carbon Power, Saratoga – Kenny Curry Deseret Power, South Jordan, UT – Gary Nix High Plains Power, Riverton – Matthew Frericks Lower Valley Energy, Afton – Fred Brog Niobrara, Lusk – Andy Greer Powder River Energy, Sundance – Mike Lohse Tri-State G&T, Westminster, CO – Julie Kilty Wyrulec, Torrington – Dewey Hageman

SUBSCRIPTION RATES $12 per year, Single copies $1.50 each

ADVERTISING To purchase, contact Dhara Rose: [307] 996-6552 • dhara@golinden.com

OFFICE OF WREN OWNER 2312 Carey Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001

SEND ADDRESS CHANGES AND CORRESPONDENCE TO PUBLISHER AT WREN Magazine • 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001, [307] 286-8140 wren@wyomingrea.org

POSTMASTER — Send address changes to — The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, c/o Linden Press, Inc., 223 S. Howes St., Fort Collins, CO 80521, [970] 221-3232. Include 3-digit co-op code.

PRINTED WITH VEGETABLE INK

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Big Horn Rural Electric Association nominated Catcher Russell, who attended the Wyoming Youth Tour last year.

Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives are proud to support our youth, giving college scholarships and lineman scholarships.

PHOTO BY CASSIE RUSSELL; ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID MERKLEY

CO-OP YOUTH

CO-OP YOUTH

WREN: Tell us a little about your experiences on Youth Tour: CR: Wyoming Youth Tour was amazing! We visited a lot of places in the state that I hadn’t been to before and I learned about how co-ops operate. We toured an aboveground mine in Gillette, which was very interesting, and also visited the ITC. WREN: How have your hometown, family and/or friends influenced you: CR: My grandpa was Tri-State representative for Big Horn REA for a long time, so I learned a lot about co-ops from him.

WREN: What are your plans for the future: CR: I plan to get a Master’s degree in Accounting or Computer Science and possibly take some classes in Photography.

CATCHER RUSSELL HOMETOWN: Basin HIGH SCHOOL: Greybull High School YEAR OF GRADUATION: 2023 COLLEGE(S): South Dakota Mines | University of Wyoming | Tulane MAJOR STUDY INTEREST: Accounting or Computer Science

Youth Tour and youth camps were canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Your rural electric cooperative may be taking applications for next year. See the insert in the center of the magazine for contact information.

GRASSROOTS NETWORK

More Than $20K Raised For Wyoming Animal Shelters In Honor Of Betty White

6,156 $ 6,000 $ 4,000 $

BLACK DOG ANIMAL RESCUE IN CHEYENNE CASPER HUMANE SOCIETY IN CASPER KINDNESS RANCH IN HARTVILLE

FROM ELLEN FIKE, COWBOY STATE DAILY Three Wyoming animal shelters received thousands of dollars in donations, many of which came in honor of Betty White, the well-known actress and animal lover whose 100th birthday would have been on January 17. She died on December 31, just a few weeks shy of her birthday.

The #BettyWhiteChallenge encouraged social media users to donate $5 to their local animal shelter in honor of White, who rescued several dogs during her lifetime and worked with the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association for decades.

Shelters across the country were flooded with donations on January 17 in honor of White. For example, donors raised nearly $50,000 for animal shelters in Philadelphia and country singer Trisha Yearwood raised $24,000 in just minutes for her charity, Dottie’s Yard Fund.

Following White’s death, the Audobon Nature Institute shared a story about how she paid for a plane to relocate zoo and aquarium penguins and sea otters from New Orleans to California following Hurricane Katrina.

“SHE DID NOT ASK FOR FANFARE,” THE ORGANIZATION WROTE ON TWITTER, “SHE JUST WANTED TO HELP.”

Kaitlin Whitman, spokeswoman for Black Dog Animal Rescue in Cheyenne, said the donors gave the shelter $6,156 in White’s memory.

“It was a truly heartwarming day with lots of messages of gratitude for Betty and the work that we do,” Whitman told Cowboy State Daily. “We had 192 individual donors and many first-time donors as well.”

Casper Humane Society Director Craig Cummings said that the shelter received nearly $6,000 in donations. “We have been amazed by the response from our community,” he told Cowboy State Daily.

“The people in Casper are always generous but we are so grateful that they came out in force to celebrate the life of an animal lover.”

The Kindness Ranch in Hartville raised at least $4,000 in honor of White, but Executive Director John Ramer said he expected the total to be closer to $5,000 once all of the donations have been added up.

FEB 2022

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ILLUSTRATION BY HUDSON BAIR

THE CURRENT

Cody hotline school t-shirt drawing contest CODY HOTLINE SCHOOL IS LOOKING FOR DRAWINGS FROM ELEMENTARY-AGE CHILDREN’S PERSPECTIVE, DEPICTING LINE WORKERS PERFORMING WORK SAFELY.

The first place winner receives $200 and their drawing is featured on the Cody Hotline School T-shirt. The second place winner will be awarded $100 and both the third and fourth place winners receive $50.

Please draw your ideas of a person safely working on your electric lines and power poles. Use whatever drawing material you like. Write your name, address, age and phone number, as well as your service area or power supplier’s name on the back of your drawing.

Drawings need to be received by March 15, 2022.

Find more information about Cody Hotline School at codyhotlineschool.com.

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FEB 2022

Hudson Bair won the 2021 T-shirt drawing contest.

M A I L D R AW I N G S T O : Cody Hotline School LLC • PO Box 697 • Lusk, WY 82225 or turn them in to your local electric cooperative.

ELECTRIFY AND SAVE

UPGRADE YOUR HVAC AND SAVE Looking to comfortably heat your home this winter while being more efficient, environmentally friendly, and still save money? Consider a high-efficiency heat pump! + HEATS EFFICIENTLY IN SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES Modern cold climate heat pumps can heat homes efficiently down to -13°F and operate in sub-zero temeratures as low as -20°F.

+ IMPROVES YOUR HOME’S AIR QUALITY Natural gas and propane furnaces generate heat by burning a mixture of fossil-fuel and air. Heat pumps don’t use combustible fuel to create heat which eliminates potential exposure to dangerous combustion byproducts such as carbon monoxide.

+ SAVES MONEY COMPARED TO ELECTRIC BASEBOARD HEAT OR PROPANE FURNACES A heat pump can transfer up to 300% more energy than it consumes, compared to a high-efficiency gas furnace’s 95% rating. Because of this, electric heat pumps can also save substantially on fuel consumption.

VISIT US AT www.tristate.coop/BE

Tri-State is a not-for-profit power supplier to cooperatives and public power districts in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming.

THE CURRENT

Time to ditch your old space heater?

IF YOU CAN’T REMEMBER WHEN YOU PURCHASED YOUR SPACE HEATER, IT MIGHT BE TIME TO REPLACE IT.

Just like the flip phones of yesteryear have progressed into today’s modern cell phone, portable space heaters have come a long way, too. Most of today’s models have built-in safety features, such as non-exposed coils and sensors that detect overheating or touch, as well as an automatic shut-off feature in case it gets tipped over.

Regardless of whether your space heater is fresh out of the box or several years old, it should be used safely,

since most home heating fire deaths (86%) involve using one, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). In fact, heating equipment is the secondleading cause of U.S. home fires, right behind cooking.

Along with using a unit that is in good working order, be sure to keep clothing, papers, rugs and other flammable items at least three feet away from a space heater. More than half of heating-related home fires start when items are too close to the heat source, according to the NFPA, including upholstered furniture, clothing, a mattress or bedding.

SAFE ELECTRICITY RECOMMENDS THESE S PA C E H E AT E R SAFETY TIPS:

Use a space heater with care.

For additional safety tips, visit SafeElectricity.org.

KEEP FLAMMABLE ITEMS AT LEAST 3 FEET AWAY

Wills, Trusts & Probate

PLUG IT DIRECTLY INTO AN OUTLET

PLACE ON A FLAT, LEVEL SURFACE

MAKE SURE THE CORD IS NOT FRAYED OR CRACKED

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FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND USE MODELS ENDORSED

BY A REPUTABLE TESTING LAB

DO NOT USE AN EXTENSION CORD OR POWER STRIP, WHICH CAN OVERHEAT

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DO NOT USE A HEATER WITH DAMAGED PLUG OR PRONGS 10

FEB 2022

DO NOT USE AROUND SMALL CHILDREN OR PETS

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More than a chair or recliner, it’s designed to provide total comfort. Choose your preferred heat and massage settings, for hours of soothing relaxation. Reading or watching TV? Our chair’s recline technology allows you to pause the chair in an infinite number of settings. And best of all, it features a powerful lift mechanism that tilts the entire chair forward, making it easy to stand. You’ll love the other benefits, too. It helps with correct spinal alignment and promotes back pressure relief, to prevent back and muscle pain. The overstuffed, REMOTE CONTROLLED EASILY SHIFTS FROM FLAT TO A STAND-ASSIST POSITION

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46594

Now available in a variety of colors, fabrics and sizes.

Footrests vary by model

COWBOY STATE BUZZ

Rockpile Museum Announces Access Program for LowIncome Families FROM CAMPBELL COUNTY ROCKPILE MUSEUM THE CAMPBELL COUNTY ROCKPILE MUSEUM ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAS JOINED MUSEUMS FOR ALL. Museums for All is a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits. The program supports those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits visiting the Rockpile Museum for a minimal fee of $3.00 per person, up to four people, with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. The Rockpile Museum will also extend this benefit to those in the Women, Infants and

Children Program (WIC) with the presentation of a WIC EBT card. Similar free and reduced admission is available to eligible members of the public at more than 700 museums across the country. Museums for All is part of the Rockpile Museum’s broad commitment to seek, include and welcome all audiences.

Museums for All helps expand access to museums and raises public awareness about how museums in the U.S. are reaching their entire communities. More than 700 institutions participate in the initiative, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums and more. Participating museums are located nationwide, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands.

“By participating in Museums for All, we hope to be a more welcoming place so that a wider segment of the Campbell County community can enjoy our exhibits and programs,” said Rockpile Museum Board President Lucas Fralick.

“Joining this program shows the museum’s commitment to providing access while also generating the revenue necessary to sustain our programming. Admissions fees and other earned income provide crucial support for the care of the museum’s collections, the development of exhibitions, and the presentation of public programs and educational activities.”

PEDIATRIC CARE Anywhere, Anytime!

Cheyenne Regional Medical Group’s SmartExam has the pediatric care your family needs without the waiting room!

• Use your computer or smart device to answer questions about your child’s non-life threatening symptoms, anywhere, anytime!

• Get a diagnosis and a recommended treatment plan from a CRMG provider within an hour.* • SmartExam can be used for children ages four and older! *During business hours M-F, 7 a.m – 9 p.m., Sat, Sun & Holidays, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Activate a MyChart account and use SmartExam for your child’s diagnosis. cheyenneregional.org/smartexam 12

FEB 2022

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CoQ10’s Failure Leaves Millions Wanting Use this pill to supercharge your brain and think better than ever.

Millions of Americans take the supplement CoQ10. It’s the “jet fuel” that supercharges your cells’ power generators, known as mitochondria.

As you age, your mitochondria begin to die. In fact, by age 67, you lose 80% of the mitochondria you had at age 25. But if you’re taking CoQ10, there’s something important you should know.

As powerful as CoQ10 is, there is a critical thing it fails to do. It can’t create new mitochondria in your cells.

Taking CoQ10 is not enough “There’s a little-known NASA nutrient that multiplies the number of new power generators in your cells by up to 55%,” says Dr. Al Sears, owner of the Sears Institute for AntiAging Medicine in Royal Palm Beach, Florida.

“Science once thought this was impossible. But now you can make your heart, brain and body young again.”

“I tell my patients the most important thing I can do is increase their ‘health span.’ This is the length of time you can live free of disease and with all your youthful abilities and faculties intact.”

Medical first: Multiply the “power generators” in your cells Al Sears, M.D., recently released an energyboosting supplement based on this NASA nutrient that has become so popular, he’s having trouble keeping it in stock.

Dr. Sears is the author of over 500 scientific papers on anti-aging and recently spoke at the WPBF 25 Health & Wellness Festival featuring Dr. Oz and special guest Suzanne Somers.

Thousands of people listened to Dr. Sears speak on his anti-aging breakthroughs and attended his book signing at the event.

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Why mitochondria matter A single cell in your body can contain between 200 to 2,000 mitochondria, with the largest number found in the most metabolically active cells, like those in your brain, heart and skeletal muscles.

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COWBOY STATE BUZZ

PHOTO COURTESY OF COLD COLLABORATIVE

New Film Explores Barriers to BigGame Migration FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING A NEW WILDLIFE DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHTS THE OBSTACLES ELK, MULE DEER AND OTHER HOOVED MAMMALS FACE DURING THEIR MIGRATIONS, AND HOW WYOMING PROGRAMS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP ANIMALS KEEP MOVING. Produced by the Wyoming Migration Initiative (WMI) at the University of Wyoming, the short film, “Barriers,” gives close-up views into the struggles of animals and explains how migration data and maps can help conserve herds long into the future.

The film explores three major types of migration barriers that, over the long term, can contribute to habitat loss and declining populations: fences these animals have to jump over or crawl under; roadways with busy traffic; and new developments in wildlife habitat.

NO MORE FROZEN GRANDMA

“Barriers” is available to view on WMI’s social media channels and to stream on Vimeo and YouTube, and by searching online for “ W Y O M I N G M I G R AT I O N B A R R I E R S F I L M .”

The film draws on years of cooperative research findings from long-term trail camera and GPS collar studies.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and many other public agencies and nonprofits contributed to these studies.

Together, the research has revealed how our growing human footprint can negatively affect migratory populations.

“Almost everyone who spends time in open spaces has encountered the remains of an animal that suffered from one of these barriers,” says Gregory Nickerson, “Barriers” co-producer. “We hope this film makes clear that research and technology can help us move beyond just accepting these losses. People have the tools to help animals keep moving.”

One of the goals of the film is to help the audience visualize the effects of migration barriers as if they were right there with the animals. Viewers will see fawn mule deer and bull elk getting caught in fences, and pronghorn avoiding fences altogether. A clip showing the aftermath of a deadly elk-vehicle collision is overlaid with a graph of the upward trend of such accidents in Wyoming.

Some of the barriers can only be visualized through migration maps. Animations produced by “Barriers” film editor and WMI Research Scientist Patrick Rodgers show how a pronghorn makes an unexpected detour around a 9-mile-wide natural gas field, and how migration data can help site wildlife road-crossing structures.

“Increasing our knowledge of migration corridors and movement areas is critical to ensure the future of elk and other wildlife,” says Blake Henning, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation chief conservation officer.

FIBER AND WIRELESS AVAILABLE NO CONTRACT UNLIMITED DATA NO THROTTLING www.VCN.com 14

FEB 2022

888.682.1884

The film documents the teamwork involved in resolving wildlife barriers, whether it is stakeholders meeting to identify solutions or volunteers retrofitting a fence to be wildlife-friendly. The stewardship on public and private working lands includes ranchers, hunters, outfitters, recreationists, biologists and agency managers.

While much of the film focuses on elk, mule deer and other big game in the American West, the film also shows how biologists around the globe are using similar methods to study and conserve migratory ungulate populations, including footage of caribou in Canada, khulan in Mongolia, wildebeest in Zimbabwe and guanaco in Argentina.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL SMITH

C E N T E RCENTERPIECE PIECE

MANUFACTURING A NEEDED WORKFORCE

BY ELIZABETH SAMPSON

High schools and colleges work to ready students for careers.

Cheyenne Central High School seniors Andrew Schlabach, left, and Fisher Brown, right, test the CPU of their robot during an engineering design class earlier this year.

PROBLEM SOLVERS YO U C A N ’ T F I X E V E RY T H I N G , B U T M AY B E YO U C A N F I X O N E T H I N G

For the 2022 editorial year, Wyoming Rural Electric News magazine is featuring problem solvers in our communities. We’ll visit people with new ideas, triedand-true ideas or just a get-it-done attitude.

Who is making a difference in their community, in the state and beyond? What motivates them? What problems are they solving?

Kids will learn about problem solvers, too! We will feature problem solvers in nature, with the help of the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute. Turn to to Kids’ Corner on page 22 to find out more.

Cheyenne Central High School senior Andrew Schlabach builds a robot during his design engineering class.

hile wildfires cut across the drought-plagued western United States, a team of high school students from Wyoming wondered if they could find a solution to quickly replant trees in devastated forests. Their idea was to engineer something almost like a crossbow to rapidly plant seedlings in wildfire-ravaged forests.

W

Andrew Schlabach, who is a state officer and a senior at Cheyenne’s Central High School, designed the device with two teammates, but they quickly learned the rocky Wyoming soil shattered their saplings when they hit the ground.

“Our project didn’t work particularly well, but we had a lot of fun trying to build it,” Schlabach said.

Even though their device didn’t solve the issue, the team’s enthusiasm, creativity and problem-solving are just what Wyoming employers in the manufacturing industry are looking for, and instructors in the state’s high schools and community colleges are looking for ways to help prepare students for those jobs.

Betsey Hale is the CEO of Cheyenne LEADS, an economic development corporation. She said manufacturing is a growing sector both in Cheyenne and throughout Wyoming.

THERE ARE GOOD “QUALITY JOBS RIGHT HERE IN WYOMING.

From gun manufacturers like Stag Arms to kitty litter company Precious Cat and to Eagle Claw, a fishing tackle manufacturer—these businesses need problem-solving employees to join their team.

“They’ll train the people,” Hale said.

“These are good solid companies that are just really looking for people who are willing to work. You don’t have to leave town, you don’t have to leave Wyoming. There are good quality jobs right here in Wyoming.”

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While some people might be surprised to learn that manufacturing jobs are starting to return from overseas, Brian Gross, owner of Cheyenne’s Alliance Brew Gear, said these jobs are definitely returning to the United States.

He explained that shipping from China is cost prohibitive, and the United States’ lower cost of energy and price of plastics are actually making it more affordable to create products here.

Gross’ company, which specializes in designing and manufacturing coffee shop equipment, is preparing to manufacture home and semi-commercial coffee grinders, and he plans to work with Wyoming companies to get as many of the parts as he can.

“I should be able to make 100 percent of the products here in the United States,” he said. Part of expanding his business in the state includes building up the local pool of skilled workers for some of his more technical manufacturing jobs.

That’s where the state’s high schools and community colleges come in.

Gross has been working with Laramie County Community College (LCCC) for several years in their efforts to bring a manufacturing technology program online, which would include an advanced manufacturing training center for hands-on learning.

Erin Taylor, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Community College Trustees and wife of WREA’s Shawn Taylor, said the state’s

THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT A COMMUNITY “COLLEGE DOES—THEY TRAIN WORKFORCE. Cheyenne Central High School seniors Andrew Schlabach, left, and Fisher Brown, right, test the accuracy of their servo motors for their robot during an engineering design class.

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community colleges are always looking for ways to make sure their students are learning the skills needed to be a valuable part of the local workforce.

“It’s something the colleges are looking at all the time—where are the current needs in the workforce?” she said, noting this has always been the role of the state’s two-year schools.

“That’s exactly what a community college does—they train workforce.”

For example, students at Sheridan College can major in Machine Tool Technology and Industrial Technology, while LCCC is working with industry partners like Gross to create a new manufacturing curriculum to teach things like precision machining, design and 3D printing.

Cheyenne Central High School sophomores Parker Koerwitz, left, and Liam DeVine, right, test their robot during a mechanical design lab.

He has also had the chance to work on skills that employers find valuable—things like leadership, being on a team and working hard. This year he and two teammates are designing a robot that will let young students safely enjoy a hands-on experience with chemistry experiments. They will spend the school year designing and building their robot, and then they will take it to the state competition in the spring. He said they know their plan is ambitious, but their robot will have two arms—one with sensors in all the joints and one with motors.

According to Dean of Outreach and Workforce Development at LCCC Mary Tast, the school’s industry partners have said this education is a current need for local industries, and they believe it will help attract future businesses.

“We’re hoping that by offering a highly technical advanced center in manufacturing that it’s going to attract new businesses to our region as well,” Tast said.

LCCC will also encourage current businesses to consider the facility for training their employees on specific skill sets.

“Not only are we training up a new workforce with this center, we’re hoping we can customize training for specific businesses as well,” she said.

Meanwhile, at the high school level, students like Andrew Schlabach, the tree planting problem solver in Cheyenne, are learning job and life skills in an organization called SkillsUSA, a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO).

Schlabach said SkillsUSA has given him the opportunity to explore many different careers. Through his participation in robotics and engineering competitions, he learned he is interested in pursuing a future in computer engineering.

ORKFORCE TRAINING

“The idea is you can move the arm with sensors and it will perfectly mirror the arm with motors in it so you can operate a glass beaker filled with chemicals from a distance,” he said. “That way kids can still be safe and be figuratively hands-on with those chemicals and do those experiments.”

Students like Schlabach work with SkillsUSA advisors in their schools. These teachers are typically CTE instructors, teaching classes like engineering and welding. However, students are encouraged to participate in any competition they are interested in. Those projects range from manufacturing, diesel technology and carpentry to leadership and extemporaneous speaking.

Brandon Cone, an engineering and machining teacher and SkillsUSA advisor at Campbell County High School in Gillette, said the organization is a partnership between business and industry working with education to better prepare students for their next step, whether that is a trade school, university, apprenticeship or joining the workforce.

In addition to career knowledge they gain, Cone said an important tenet of SkillsUSA is what people refer to as soft skills—showing up on time, coming to work when they are supposed to and being willing to work once they get there.

“We try to look at both sides of that student and that future employee— not necessarily skills you are going to use your hands for, but more the skills that are going to make you a more well-rounded worker. My goal is I want productive citizens that come out of my program.”

I ALWAYS TELL THEM IF“YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU DO YOU’LL NEVER WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE. Cheyenne Central High School seniors Andrew Schlabach, left, and Fisher Brown, right, assemble parts for their robot during a design engineering class.

Erron Hopkins, SkillsUSA advisor and welding teacher at Cheyenne’s Central High, knows some of his students will take what they learn in SkillsUSA and use it to help get a job in the future.

“A lot of the kids want to be working with their hands and building things,” he said.

“I always tell them if you enjoy what you do you’ll never work a day in your life.”

He said many industry partners serve as judges at their competitions, which gives the students a great way to meet future employers and start a career.

As a former member of SkillsUSA and a current advisor, Campbell County High School’s welding teacher Mikayla Patton is a proponent of how SkillsUSA not only teaches hands-on job skills to students, but also of how it teaches leadership qualities.

One project she likes to encourage students to try is the Job Interview project.

“It gives those kids a real-world experience before entering the job force,” she said. “When you do Job Interview, they tell you--here’s what you did well on. Here’s what you can do better. It’s always a positive takeaway that they get from Skills.”

Janie Wilcox, SkillsUSA state director, said there are 54 SkillsUSA chapters in Wyoming, and students have the chance to compete in more than 50

career-exploratory projects. Wilcox explained that the organization is a great talent pipeline for moving graduates into entry-level jobs in business and industry.

“This is such a hot topic right now in Wyoming,” Wilcox said. “We need to be training more young adults in the trades and finding ways to keep our young adults in Wyoming.”

She thinks SkillsUSA can help with that—along with changing the message that the only way to get to a good job after high school is to take the four-year college path.

“In SkillsUSA we’re constantly committed to breaking the noise of those competing messages that have long undermined careers in the trades,” she said, noting that four-year degrees often get put at the top of the list of options presented to students.

She wants student advisors to hold up two-year degrees, training certifications, workforce training or military training as equally valuable options.

“Let’s look at all of those on the same level as one another and really glorify all of those different pathways,” she said. W

Elizabeth Sampson lives in Cheyenne with her husband and two young daughters.

Cheyenne Central High School senior Andrew Schlabach builds a robot during his design engineering class.

Sacred Stone of the Southwest is on the Brink of Extinction

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enturies ago, Persians, Tibetans and Mayans considered turquoise a gemstone of the heavens, believing the striking blue stones were sacred pieces of sky. Today, the rarest and most valuable turquoise is found in the American Southwest–– but the future of the blue beauty is unclear.

On a recent trip to Tucson, we spoke with fourth generation turquoise traders who explained that less than five percent of turquoise mined worldwide can be set into jewelry and only about twenty mines in the Southwest supply gem-quality turquoise.

Once a thriving industry, many Southwest mines have run dry and are now closed.

We found a limited supply of C. turquoise from Arizona and snatched it up for our Sedona Turquoise Collection. Inspired by the work of those ancient craftsmen and designed to showcase the exceptional blue stone, each stabilized vibrant cabochon features a unique, one-of-a-kind matrix surrounded in Bali metalwork. You could drop over $1,200 on a turquoise pendant, or you could secure 26 carats of genuine Arizona turquoise for just $99.

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KIDS’ CORNER

ILLUSTRATION BY INNA ANTONOVA

MEET THE

SPRINGTAILS LITTLE WYOMING

SOLUTIONS TO A TINY PROBLEM

BIOLOGY Springtails have a small advantage: they can “breathe” (absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide) through their body wall because gases can easily diffuse through the entire body. Springtails also absorb water through their bodies with the help of a specialized structure (called a collophore) on the underside of their abdomen.

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One of the most abundant animals is one you may have never noticed. Springtails are minute, six-legged creatures that live in moist, organic-rich habitats like mosses, rotting wood, leaf litter and soil. They are so small, it takes 30,000 to 40,000 of them to weigh as much as a penny! Yet they have inhabited Earth for at least 400,000 years, they can be found on every continent, including Antarctica, and it has been estimated that there are perhaps 100,000 springtails in a square yard of ground. How do they do it?

PROBLEM-SOLVING

ADAPTATIONS

Being so small means being unable to stay warm in the winter.

Springtails have solved this problem with proteins in their blood that function as antifreeze to prevent ice crystal formation within their cells, which enables them to survive and remain active in cold temperatures.

These springtail proteins are even being studied for possible use in human medicine!

UNIQUE TRAITS A disadvantage to being so tiny is that nearly every other animal is large enough to eat a springtail.

But many kinds of springtails are super-jumpers, able to leap 20 times their size in a fraction of a second! This is made possible by another specialized structure (this one called the furculum) on the underside of their abdomen, which is usually tucked under the body. When released, it snaps downward, propelling the springtail (now you know how it got its name!) into the air, evading hungry predators.

WHERE TO FIND A SPRINGTAIL If you’d like to see some of these exceptional creatures, go to the woods on a warm winter day and look for swarms of moving black spots on the snow surface.

These “snow fleas” are springtails who have moved up from the soil for reasons not understood—perhaps they are just enjoying the weather.

HOME ON THE RANGE

Sterile Technique

BY DR. BRUCE CONNALLY

I knew nothing about sterile technique when I entered vet school.

But it proved to be really important.

G

erm theory said that disease was caused by microscopic organisms. These little critters were everywhere and were hard to kill. Sterilizing instruments helped to prevent transfer of these infectious agents from one patient to another. Surgical preparation of the patient cleaned germs off the outside of the animal so they would not get inside during surgery. This prep for large animals began when they were brought into a clean surgical suite with disinfected concrete floors. The hair was removed with electric clippers, then a technician would scrub the surgical site. They would start in the center and work toward the edges, pushing the bacteria-laden surgical soap away from the center of the incision site. The soap was removed using alcohol-soaked sponges. This procedure was repeated three times. At the end a light spray of tamed iodine covered the area to kill any bacteria that survived the scrubbing.

In my Wyoming veterinary clinic, the technician and I could do a good job of prepping a site for surgery. But out on ranches or farms we had to improvise. Scissors removed

hair when there was no electricity for clippers. Betadine surgical scrub froze on the skin when the temperature fell below zero, so we carried the bottles inside our coats. And, of course, there were almost never scrubbed concrete floors.

Dust from dirt floors or stalls bedded with shavings attached to the freshly scrubbed surgical site every time an animal or human took a step. We made the best of each situation, but the amazing resilience of our animal patients was critical for a successful outcome.

In my Wyoming veterinary clinic, the technician and I could do a good job of prepping a site for surgery. But out on ranches or farms we had to improvise.

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HOME ON THE RANGE

“Chicken!”

I wasn’t thinking of any of those things as I drove up to Glen’s house outside of Casper. His good reining horse had not performed as well as usual last year.

We diagnosed mild arthritis and injected medications into the lower joint on each front leg. The horse had responded well and finished the season strong. Today I was back to repeat the treatment before the show season started this year.

“At least it is warm,” Glen yelled as I opened the door of the car with two hands against the forty-mile-perhour wind. Sand pelted my face while I rushed to gather my equipment from the Suburban.

“Let’s get into my barn out of this wind,” Glen shouted over his shoulder as he headed for the door.

“Yes sir!” I agreed as I struggled to close the rear door of the Suburban. “It is near impossible to do injections out here.”

“He is looking pretty good this year,” I said as I performed a quick exam of Glen’s horse inside the barn. “Maybe a little heavier than he was last year.”

“Yeah, we haven’t been working much this spring,“ Glen answered. “He’s pretty fresh and this wind has him a little jumpy,” he added. “You need to watch him when you are down there around those feet.”

“Thanks,” I replied. “I am going to sedate him so he doesn’t move around with a needle in his joint. That should keep me safe.”

The sedation soon had the horse standing quietly. I got down on one knee and began scrubbing each leg for the injections. The barn helped a lot but a gap

I am going to sedate him so he doesn’t move around with a needle in his joint.

That should keep me safe.

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under the west door let a fifteen-mile-per-hour breeze flow over the dirt floor, creating swirls of dust and hay.

Joint injections don’t require an incision with a scalpel but they should be really clean. Taking something from the skin into the joint could cause a terrible infection.

“This dust is a bit of a worry,” I told Glen. “I am going to scrub a little more than usual to be sure we have a clean site for the injection.”

I completed the first scrub on the right leg and bent down to start the second scrub. Suddenly, out of nowhere a half-grown white chicken appeared from the dust and sprinted between the horse and me.

“Chicken!” I yelled stupidly as I lurched backward in amazement. I landed on my backside as a Chesapeake Bay retriever thundered past in hot pursuit of the chicken.

“Dog!” I grunted, rolling away from the horse’s feet.

As quickly as they appeared, the chicken and dog were gone. The sedated horse continued to stand quietly.

A layer of dust from the chicken stampede settled peacefully on my clean surgical site.

“Dog!”

“I don’t have any chickens,” Glen shrugged in answer to my amazed look. “But the dog is mine.”

A quick check revealed no more chickens or dogs.

I repeated the second scrub and completed a third and a fourth on each leg. An alcohol-soaked gauze was used to wipe any dust off just before each injection.

The following Friday I called to check in with Glen.

“The horse is doing great,” he reported. “I have been working him three days a week and he is moving good. Thanks for checking.” He paused for a moment before adding, “Haven’t seen any more chickens either.” W Dr. Bruce Connally practices equine medicine in central Wyoming and northern Colorado from his home in Berthoud, Colorado.

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B OB O KO K G IR VE EV AI WE WA Y

Campbell County: PAST AND PRESENT

MARY KELLEY DESCRIPTION BY ARCADIA PUBLISHING:

Wyoming was one of the last states to be inhabited by non-native settlers. Campbell County, located in northeastern Wyoming, lacks a major body of water and so was not a primary destination for those who had headed west. The first settlements came after the early Homestead Acts, when the federal government gave out free land claims to encourage homesteaders. Another local rush occurred in the 1970s, when dozens of commercial coal mines opened and began hiring workers.

WIN A ORDERING INFORMATION: 2021 | 96p. | $22.99 paperback ISBN: 978-1-4671-0640-5 Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Available at bookstores and from the publisher: 843-853-2070 arcadiapublishing.com

FEB 2022

HOT SPRINGS BOOK WINNER:

Name: Phone:

RUTH MARTIN

Address:

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ENTRIES DUE BY MARCH 15 One entry per household, please.

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FREE COPY

 CAMPBELL COUNTY

c/o WREN Magazine 214 W. Lincolnway, Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001

 wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions

PUZZLE

Word

Scramble

This year, WREN's mission is to offer a lens into the people and organizations who dedicate their vision, time and resources to solving problems challenging our communities and beyond. From curbing environmental waste to finding ways to care for creatures big and small, we applaud these innovators who work day in and day out to make Wyoming and the world a better place to live.

A

BY DIXIE LIRA

L

B

 Up for a challenge of your own?

 Other 4 Letter words coming to mind?

Unscramble your brain on page 39.

3 LETTER WORDS

4 LETTER WORDS

R

(Proper nouns and places excluded.)

Z

T

Rearrange the letters in the cog to create as many 3-7 letter words as you can. The letters may be used more than once in a word and all words must include the letter "Z" in the center of the cog.

I 5 LETTER WORDS

E 6 LETTER WORDS

7 LETTER WORDS

BONUS:

Can you find the 11 letter word?

Hint: It's a word one might use to describe a great innvovator.

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WYOMING COWBOY HALL OF FAME

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WYOMING COWBOY HALL OF FAME

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

The Wyoming Cowboy A LIFETIME CAREER

BY NEVA BODIN

For the 2022 editorial year, Wyoming Rural Electric News magazine is featuring Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame recipients in the Co-op Spotlight section. These cowboys and cowgirls share a common history as individuals who broke the first trails and introduced the cowboy culture to this state. We know you’ll be surprised by some of the stories we collect as we travel around our member co-op territories, interviewing hall-of-famers.

For more information visit wyomingcowboyhalloffame.org.

A

ge ten! That’s when Jim Caines, inducted into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame (WCHF) in September 2021 at age 86, began breaking horses for neighboring ranchers, meeting one of the requirements for induction: to spend a minimum of 45 years in the saddle.

Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. I broke a lot of them that were really nice horses. That was about the only source of money I had when I was in college and high school. I would sell them.”

Emotion roughened his voice as he said he “felt surprised and very honored” when inducted, after being nominated by his son Philip. For Caines, the award recognizes “the western way of life—a life of hard work, some success, and respect for your contemporaries.”

Caines’ experience in the saddle started early.

“When I was pre-school [age],” he said, “we lived not too far from Hyattville, Wyoming; my mother would put me on a horse [with her] to go to Hyattville and get groceries.”

Caines said, “I started breaking horses at [age] 10 and quit when I was 65. I broke horses for probably everybody in our area for quite a long time. I tried to keep them from bucking, but I got to where I could ride them if they did buck. I had a lot of broken bones—ribs, collar bone, fingers, dislocated elbow, a lot of different things … I rode bareback. I never had a saddle until I was twelve or thirteen.” He bought a saddle and rifle from proceeds of selling a 4-H steer but also worked stacking hay for neighboring ranchers.

“When I was in high school and junior high, there were a lot of wild horses between Hyattville, Shell and Greybull,” Caines said.

“When you got a wild horse, you could keep them and use them. That was before the

in the 1960s, where he began raising registered Quarter Horses. In 1978, he quit teaching and purchased the nearby Jack Turner Hereford ranch.

His Quarter Horse herd contained some well-known bloodlines, and he earned a certificate from the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) for “registering more than five colts a year for 35 years,” Caines said. He is a lifetime member of the AQHA. He used Quarter Horses for branding and roping his Registered Hereford and later Registered Angus herds. He and neighbors gathered each year, moving from place to place to help each other with the branding process.

It’s a way of life that’s unequal to anything else; you have opportunities to better yourself and your family.

Caines graduated from Black Hills Teachers College (now called Black Hills State University). He taught school for 19 years. “I taught just about everything— history, math, science, agriculture,” he said.

He coached football, basketball, and track.

“I worked in the oil field, and I worked in the timber, anything to make ends meet,” he said. He married Deanna Doyle in 1957 and they purchased a farm near Manderson, WY

Caines’ wife graduated from Black Hills Teachers College and also taught school for many years while helping with haying, bookkeeping and other ranch work. They raised two sons and a daughter. All three are involved in ranching—the sons owning Caines Land and Livestock, LLP and the daughter owning Caines Cattle Company.

Caines said ranching is “a way of life that’s probably disappearing. It’s a way of life that’s unequal to anything else; you have opportunities to better yourself and your family. All my kids have better paying jobs than ranching, but they want to be involved in ranching.

It’s very tough for a small rancher to keep his head above water without an outside job. But with one, he can survive, work hard, and be happy.”

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CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

When asked what the family did for recreation and relaxation, the answer was, “We roped a lot. We always did.”

They built an arena for competitions at their ranch. The family and neighbors got together for roping fun.

They “team-roped and the kids calfroped,” said Caines. Some of the eight grandchildren rope competitively now.

The Caineses’ five great-grandchildren may follow the same path.

The Caineses also “like to fish a little bit once in a while,” Caines added. “My wife’s sister lives in Alaska, and we’d go there and do a little halibut fishing.”

Caines served 15 years on the Wyoming State Grazing Board, served on the National Forest Advisory Board for Big Horn County, the Big Horn District Grazing Board, and was elected to the Bureau of Land Management’s Worland District Grazing Board. He served to “advise and make recommendations,” he said, hoping to help improve the land and way of life he loves.

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WYOMING COWBOY HALL OF FAME

I’ve done really well. I’ve won lots of saddles, [belt] buckles and bridles.

Caines is an expert at roping cattle.

He participates in multiple roping competitions in Wickenburg, Arizona, where he now winters.

“I’ve done really well,” Caines said.

“I’ve won lots of saddles, [belt] buckles and bridles.”

He and Deanna continue to live on the ranch. “My wife raises a big garden,” Caines said. “She put up about 75 quarts of dill pickles last year. All the time the kids come to her for her pickles.”

Caines helps with haying and irrigation and rides his beloved horses. He keeps three horses on his ranch to ride, and said, “They are part of the family. I’ve been accused of being a horse collector instead of a horse breeder!”

True grit—courage and determination to achieve a goal—is evident in Caines’ story. He brings to life WCHF’s goal to honor Wyoming’s working cowboy. W Neva Bodin is a Casper-based freelance writer, author, artist and poet.

COUNTRY COOKS

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JUICE OF 1 LEMON Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

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Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes uncovered.

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&

PEN TO PAPER

Chocolate Ice Cream

"H

oney, do we have any more mint ice cream?” I groan through gritted teeth as I hop on one foot in the kitchen of our little apartment. The fact that I managed to say only that much was impressive given the words that were actually going through my head at the time. With one hand I tried to stem the tsunami of frozen food that threatened to spill from the miniature ice cave that had at one time been our freezer, while the other hand nursed my sore foot. Who knew a brick of frozen broccoli could do irreparable damage to your metatarsals?

“No, dear,” my wife Lily says, coming into the kitchen. “We ate the rest of it last night. There might be some chocolate left out in the deep freeze, though.”

Then, with her typical sense of concern for my well-being, she adds, “Oh, and would you pick up that broccoli and close the freezer? It’s cold in here.”

After a few more minutes of ice box whack-a-mole, I am trudging out to the garage to find the elusive frozen dessert.

Chocolate ice cream is not my first choice, but I suppose it is worth the trip.

I shiver a bit and shake some snow from my hands. Either the snow is very deep or my arms unusually long, because my knuckles have been dragging little trails in the frozen precipitation on either side of me as I walk. The slog out to the garage reminds me of another trip I used to make out to our family’s chicken coop.

The “coop” as we called it, was really a little shed that slouched against a

32

FEB 2022

Chicken Poop

pile of bricks behind my aunt’s house.

Originally, it may have been a cow shed, but at some point after my family moved back to the little town of Poverty Flats where my parents were raised, they decided we children needed something productive to keep us out of trouble and to teach us, as my mother put it, “some responsibility.”

Apparently responsibility was very important to the development of young minds, because it required a lot of effort from us kids. I would have been seven at the time, and taking care of the chickens required daily labor.

At first, having chickens was exciting.

We kids happily pitched in and helped string chicken wire and set posts to keep in the adorable, chirping little yellow cotton balls with their toothpick legs. To our great surprise, however, the little bits of yellow fluff that were so fun to cup in our little hands quickly expanded into fat, ornery birds of prey that not only pecked us when we tried to collect their eggs, but produced copious amounts of that odious substance—chicken poop. We were well-acquainted with animal excrement, having grown up around farm animals, but something about chicken poop was particularly disgusting. To save the reader from a particularly disagreeable bit of descriptive writing, I won’t elaborate on the particular properties of chicken poop, but just let me say it ranks pretty high on the list of unfavorable feces.

Each day after school, rain or shine, hail or snow, we kids would make the trek over to the coop so we could feed and water our posse of poultry. In the

CONNOR JONES

IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO

four months of the year when it stays above freezing in Wyoming, it was bad enough going to the coop on the daily.

For one thing, the coop was at least a quarter mile from our house because my aunt’s property lay between it and the trailer house where our family of nine lived. For another, the route we took to the coop required us to descend from the ridge where our house and the coop were built and then ascend it again to get back up to the coop after skirting around my aunt’s yard. This U-shaped path in essence created that fabled, but in this case, quite legitimate situation in which the trip to and from the coop was in reality uphill both ways.

This uphill trudge was somewhat bearable on warm days, but from early September to late April, things got worse. Anyone who has raised chickens knows that the ideal coop has both running water and means of heating said water, so naturally our coop had neither of those things.

As a result, we not only had to carry all the needed water to the pullets, but the chicken’s water trough froze over every night during eight months of the year. This meant we had the added responsibility of hauling four gallons of scalding water in repurposed milk jugs over to the coop each day during the winter months.

So it was that I found myself on a blustery February day trudging through the snow down the hill from our house so I could make the climb back up to the coop. The strain of four gallon jugs of water pulled on my arms, and I was sure I had to lift them higher than normal. In fact, it seemed I had been consistently lifting the jugs higher and higher each day.

Looking back, I am convinced that the weight of the water jugs contributed to the fact that to this day my knuckles drag when I walk, and I grunt constantly. My wife is convinced it has more to do with my heritage than with my childhood chores, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Anyway, on this particular day I was in a hurry because the Schwann’s truck had just dropped off a load of ice cream at our trailer house, and I had been promised a second little cup of chocolate ice cream when I returned from watering the chickens. At the age of seven, ice cream was among the great motivators in life, television and going to my cousins’ house being the other two. So, I hiked the jugs a little higher in an unsuccessful attempt to keep them from dragging in the snow and licked the last of the chocolate ice cream from my lips. The thought of ice cream propelled my short legs forward and dispelled the screaming of my poor fingers, which were hooked through the surprisingly sharp handles of the milk jugs. Finally, I heaved myself back up the hill to the coop and set down the bottles while I opened the big wooden door. It groaned on frozen hinges as I shouldered it open, and immediately the musty scent of chickens and the accompanying stench of chicken crap assaulted my olfactory senses. I coughed a little and kicked the door closed behind me. A solitary heat lamp lit up the chickens’ water trough, and I popped a lid off the first bottle. As water chugged out of the jug, steam rose, and the film of

ice that covered the trough began to melt. All the while, I was thinking about the warmth of the house and the dessert that awaited me. I’m pretty sure my love of ice cream is hereditary, because everyone in my family is crazy about the stuff. Once the jugs were empty, I seized the egg bucket and fought off a particularly belligerent White Cornish who was determined to remain seated on her clutch. Grunting as I removed her from the nesting box, I collected her eggs and moved on to the next hen.

It was about this time that I noticed, to my great delight, that I had some chocolate ice cream on my hand. I must have missed some!

Since ice cream occupied the majority of my seven-year-old thoughts, I gave little thought to what I did next.

Without a second thought, I gave the back of my hand a quick lick. The effect was immediate. Every muscle in my body tensed, and my eyes swelled.

My nostrils flared and my ears began smoking. I retched. I spluttered. I spit, and I howled. Nothing helped.

The chicken crap I had just licked from my hand was firmly plastered on my tongue and had no intention of leaving. In desperation, I looked around for something to cleanse my palate. The milk jugs lay empty on the carpet of straw and chicken residue that littered the coop. There remained only one form of relief.

Compared to the chicken crap, the chicken water was sweet ambrosia.

The only real downside to the situation was that the ice had cooled the hot water enough that it didn’t

We share a selection of WREN readers’ creative writing (poems, limericks, haiku, short verse, and prose) every issue as space and content allow. To be considered for publication, please include the author’s consent to be submitted, his or her mailing address, and confirmation that the work has not been published elsewhere. If you would like us to return your work, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

burn my taste buds off and completely eliminate my sense of taste. In the end, I stood hunched over the chicken trough, chest heaving. To my credit, I did not break a single egg, which my mother would point out later. One effect the experience had was significantly reducing my affinity for chocolate ice cream.

That being said, my native love for the frozen dessert was still strong enough that I was now, years after the event, trudging through the snow to get some ice cream.

Put Your Pen to Paper!

Please include your name, address, and phone number.

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FEB 2022

33

ENLIGHTEN US

Chuck Larsen Chuck Larsen, beloved writer, cowboy poet and friend, passed away on January 5, 2022 at Monument Health Hospital in Rapid City, South Dakota after a brief illness; his family was at his side.

Chuck retired in June of 2015 after 36 years with Carbon Power and Light in Saratoga, Wyoming, where he worked as a groundsman and became a lineman, engineering tech, head engineer and then the General Manager. After retirement Chuck and his wife Linda moved to Hulett, Wyoming where Chuck spent his final years living out his dream. He loved the area and the people, and he got to be on horseback almost every day. Chuck wrote all of his own material and loved entertaining people with his jokes, stories and poems.

We were always grateful to Chuck for his contributions to WREN over the last six years. His articles often made us laugh out loud or shed a tear, and we are even more grateful to have a collection of them now. While it was extremely difficult to pick just one, we wanted to share one of our favorite Chuck Larsen stories; he wrote this one for WREN back in 2017.

F i r s t

H o r s e s

BY CHUCK LARSEN

I’m not sure if it’s old age or what, but I’ve noticed here of late that I can be introduced to someone and five minutes later, for the life of me, I struggle to recall their name. My wife (whatever her name is) tells me that this shortterm memory loss is a husbandly trait, a highly developed skill associated with habitual years of simply not listening!

I find it interesting however that although I may not be able recall a name I heard a few moments ago, I can still remember the names of all the horses and mules I’ve owned or ridden in my lifetime. I remember the good ones and the bad ones and I’m sure like most who have been blessed with the opportunity to spend time with these animals… you will forever remember your “First Horse.”

For me it was a little bay pony, part Shetland and part Hackney, with the Hackney lineage thankfully overpowering the sometimes ornery temperament of the Shetland. My dad had little interest in horses after years of working with them on the farm so it was my mother who I have to thank for persistently urging my reluctant dad to buy the kids a horse.

The little bay came to us as a weanling and I remember riding in the back of the stock truck with him all the way home that night after the horse sale. It was my grandmother who started feeding him sugar cubes whenever she came to visit, so it was only natural that he was dubbed with the handle of “Sugar.” I can remember that it was a huge strain on my then-limited amount of youthful patience to wait for this weanling to finally grow into something I could

throw a leg over. When that day

It’s funny how in our youth we learned

finally came however… that first long-

things without even knowing it was

anticipated ride ended considerably

happening; like how having that pony

short of the eight-second whistle.

taught me responsibility… along with my

Planted like a yard dart, I lay listening

other chores, he was mine to care for, to

to the sounds of concern being emitted

ensure he had feed and water, to warm

by my parents and siblings… it may have sounded like laughter, but I’m

his bit before putting it in his mouth on a cold winter day and how each of us

sure it was “concerned” laughter.

needed to respect each other. We all

It was then that I heard my dad’s

subtle lessons that we carry forward

voice, “You know you have to get

and define who we become.

back on don’t you?”

Reluctantly I did, and things went a

have the opportunity to grasp these

I eventually grew out of Sugar and he was passed down to my brother and sister as

little better the next go-round. A few

I moved on to other horses. Several years

days later we had a heavy snow and dad

passed and at that time I found myself a

suggested that I lead the pony out into

long way from home, serving as a medic

a deep snowdrift behind the barn and

in a military hospital overseas. On my

get on him, saying that he wouldn’t be

way to work the evening shift, I’d stopped

able to buck as hard out there. It was in the depths of that snow drift that a

by to pick up my mail which contained a letter from my mom. Later that evening,

horse and rider got their beginnings.

over a cup of coffee at the nurses’ station,

In the years that followed, that little

had died. At that moment I was flooded

horse and I left behind plenty of

I opened that letter and read that Sugar with a million horseback memories and

hoof tracks. An old neighbor once

the knowledge that a significant part of

commented that he always got a kick

my life had been lost. I remember the look

out of seeing a little bay pony go by

on the nurse’s face when she saw my tears

with a “cocklebur stuck to its back”...

and asked what the matter was. Looking

I was that cocklebur.

I’ve always been blessed with a vivid imagination (a blessing and a curse) and from the back of that little horse

back I have to smile a little because, I’m not sure she really grasped the full meaning of my loss, when I told her… my horse had died…“my First Horse.” W

I became the many characters I read about in the books I checked out at the local library or saw on the screen of our black and white television… like, “Roy Rogers,” “The Lone Ranger,” “Genghis Khan” and “Geronimo.”

If I was moving cattle, it became my very own episode of “Rawhide!”

Chuck leaves behind his wife Linda, his son Chris and his wife Jessica and their children Maren, Kohin and Lachlan. His daughter Beth, her husband Dave and their children Maxwell, Miles and Aubrey Sue. His step-daughter Lisa and her partner Sandy. His step-son Scott and his wife Cindy and their children Elijah, Sage and Silas.

Chuck loved being a dad to all four kids and loved being grandpa to all of his grandchildren.

FEB 2022

35

THIS MONTH:

PROBLEM SOLVERS JUST PICTURE IT

APRIL (DUE MAR 15):

SNOW 01 03

02

01

Problem: The squirrels won’t quit chewing on my pumpkins. Solution: Give them a pumpkin of their own.

Rob McIntosh, Torrington

02

K9 Ike ready to lend a paw Heather McLaughlin, Upton

03

Teamwork!

Denette Price, Newcastle

04

Cooling off on a hot summer day Janet Lasco, Rawlins

05

Look before you leap Lauree Scott, Gillette

06

Mr. Fix It Heather McLaughlin, Upton

05

SUBMIT A P H OTO

 wren@wyomingrea.org  214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001  wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions Please include your name, hometown and a title.

36

FEB 2022

04 06

Please submit high-quality digital files* or an original we can scan, as well as details about the artwork, the artist’s name, and the co-op. *Use the highest quality setting on your camera, or save digital artwork as a .jpg or .tif file with at least 300 dpi resolution.

If you would like your work returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

WHAT’S HAPPENING REGIONAL MAP

02

03

PHOTO COURTESY OF STAMPEDE SALOON AND EATERY

04

01

FEATURED EVENT

MARCH

01 | SOUTHEAST C H U G WAT E R

Hulett Museum and Art Gallery: 8a-4p Mon-Fri, free. Info 307-467-5292.

THURSDAYS

ONGOING

Acoustic Jam Session: Stampede Saloon & Eatery music venue open for Thursday night jam session. Info 307-422-3200, stampedefun@aol.com.

MARCH 4

FRIDAY, MARCH 18



Senior Center Events: Coffee and rolls 9a Wed. Toenail clinic 9a fourth Thu, dinner 6p fourth Thu, info 307-756-9550.

Songwriter Contest: Stampede Saloon & Eatery. Info 307-422-3200, stampedefun@aol.com.

TORRINGTON MARCH 18

Torrington Rotary Club Annual Wine Tasting: Beginning at 6p at the Rendezvous Center at the Goshen County Fairgrounds. There will be food, and wine and beer tasting.

There will also be live and silent auctions. Funds raised will benefit local Rotary projects. Tickets may be purchased from a Rotary member, or at the door.

MARCH 31

Wyrulec Company’s 86th Annual Meeting: Goshen County Fairgrounds.

5p. Free admission. Info 877-WYRULEC.

FRIDAY, APRIL 1

Contestants will compete for a $20 certificate.

Finalists will compete on May 6.

Winners of the first three contests FebruaryApril will compete for a grand prize of $500.

Info 307-422-3200, thestampedesaloon.com, facebook.com/stampedesaloon

02 | NORTHEAST B U F FA L O THURSDAYS

ONGOING

NEWCASTLE FRIDAYS

Bingo: 7:30p, VFW Hall, free.

WEDNESDAYS

GiGi’s Closet: 2nd & 4th Wednesdays 9a-1p. Gently loved clothing available for babies to adults. First United Methodist Church. Info 307-746-4119. Office hours are Monday - Thursday 8a - noon.

UCROSS ONGOING

Art Program Applications: Ucross artist residency program is accepting applications for general studio residencies and dedicated Native American fellowships for fall 2022.

Selected Fellows will enjoy uninterrupted time and space on the nonprofit’s historic 20,000-acre ranch. Applications are due March 1, 2022. Info ucross.org.

UPTON ONGOING

Senior Center Activities: Lunch is served at noon Mon-Fri, $4, call for reservation before 9a. 307-468-9267. Stop by Tue mornings for coffee and treats, with an exercise program at 9a. Seniors welcome Thu and Fri from 1-4p. Potluck at 5:30p third Mon. Ask about medical equipment loans. 1113 2nd St. Info 307-468-9251.

Bluegrass Jam Session: 6:30p at Occidental Saloon. Free.

Info 307-684-0451.

MARCH 4, 11, 18, 25

GILLETTE

MARCH 9

ONGOING SOUTHEAST

ONGOING

MARCH 18

Grand Encampment Museum: Main Gallery and GEM store open Tue-Sat 10a-4p. Info 307-327-5308.

UPCOMING CONTEST DATES

MOORCROFT West Texas Trail Museum: Now open yearround 9a-5p, Mon-Fri. Info 307-756-9300.

ONGOING

STAMPEDE SONG WRITING CONTEST

Senior Center Events: 145 Main Street.

Carry-in dinner 12:30p third Sun. Rolls and coffee 9a Thu. Info 307-467-5743.

Karaoke Contest: Stampede Saloon & Eatery. Info 307-422-3200, stampedefun@aol.com.

ENCAMPMENT

Past contest winner John Voight sings at the Chugwater Music Festival last summer.

HULETT ONGOING

Ava Community Art Center: Info 307-682-9133 or avacenter.org

Bullseye Shoots: 7p, Upton Indoor Gun Club for $5. Info Rick Rothleutner at 307281-9980 or rrrothleutner@yahoo.com.

Veterans Breakfast: 8a, Upton Senior Center, Veterans free, guests small donation. Info Gary at 307-468-9262.

WHAT’S HAPPENING MARCH 12

Chamber Festival of Tables and Installation of Chamber Officers: 6p, Upton Community Center. $225 per table. Info Buffy Helwig at 307-391-0346 or 307-468-2372.

MARCH 23

Chicken and Noodles Carry In: 4:30p, Upton Senior Center. Info Gary at 307-468-9262.

03| NORTHWEST CODY

ONGOING

Cody Country Art League Gallery: 9a-5p Mon-Sat, 836 Sheridan Ave. Info 307-587-3597.

ONGOING

THIRD WEDNESDAYS

Wyoming Health Fairs Monthly Wellness Screen/Blood Draw: 7-10a, Dubois Medical Clinic, appointments encouraged. Info 307-455-2516, whf.as.me/dubois.

SATURDAYS

Acoustic Music Jam: 11a-1p, Lander Bake Shop. Info 307-332-3237.

38

FEB 2022

SECOND FRIDAYS

ArtStroll: Stroll on Broadway Street in Historic Downtown Thermopolis. Info 307-864-3002, gatherer@panix.com.

SATURDAYS

Riverton Saturday Farmers’ Market: Shop all winter on Saturdays from 9-11a, Little Wind Center at the Fremont County Fairgrounds. Info 307-851-7562.

SUBMIT AN EVENT

Meeteetse Recreation District: Yoga every Monday & Wednesday @ 10:30am. Info 307-899-2698, www.meetrec.org MONDAYS

Toddler Storytime: Meeteetse Library. Mondays after school - all kids grades 1 & up. Legos, board games, crafts and more. Any kid not in school. Stories songs, games, crafts and more.

Send complete information by

MARCH 15!

Please send events occurring in the month of May by March 15, and June by April 15 for inclusion in the WREN. Also, be sure to include the date, title, description, time, cost, location, address and contact information for each event.

Look for more events at wyomingrea.org/news.

 wren@

wyomingrea.org

 [307] 286-8140 MONDAY-FRIDAY

Antelope Butte Ski Area: Open Monday-Friday 9:30 - 4pm. 28 Forest Service Road 244, Shell, WY. Info 307-529-1052.

LY M A N Storytime: 11a, Lyman Branch Library, all ages are welcome, free.

Info 307-787-6556, uintalibrary.org.

M O U N TA I N V I E W MONDAYS

Cub Scout: Cub Scout Pack 7798 meets at 3:45p at the Presbyterian Church on 3rd Street. We are always accepting new boys who are in 1st to 5th grades. Info MarNae at 307-677-2566.

Photos are always welcome.

QUESTIONS & SUBMISSIONS:

SHELL

04 | SOUTHWEST THURSDAYS

ONGOING

ONGOING

LANDER

THERMOPOLIS

Acoustic Music Jam: Join in or listen as musicians and dancers perform. 6:30-8:30p, Holiday Inn Convention Center, free.

Info 307-856-8100.

H YAT T V I L L E

Ice Skating: Medicine Lodge Hyattville. The ice is ready! For times check facebook.com/ FriendsofMedicineLodge.

Meadowlark Ski Area: Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday 9:30 4pm. 426 Forest Service Road, Ten Sleep, WY. Info 307-366-2459.

WEDNESDAYS

MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS

Winter Farmer’s Market: Featuring local produce, baked goods and bread, dairy products, jams and jellies, herbs and salves.

First and third Thu 3-6p, Nostalgia Bistro. Info 307-455-2027.

FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS

R I V E RTO N

METEETSEE

ONGOING

TENSLEEP

First Friday: New artist and local musician each month. Art show reception 5p, music 6p. Middle Fork Restaurant. Info 307-335-5035, facebook.com/MiddleForkCafe.

Library Activities: PreK Tales & Tunes Wed 10:30a; Starlight Storytime for birth-5 Wed 5:30p; Toddler Move & Groove birth-2 Thu 10:30a; LEGO Club grade 2-5 Thu 4-5p. Info 307-856-3556, fclsonline.org.

DUBOIS

MARCH

 214 W. Lincolnway

Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001

 wyomingrea.org/

wren-submissions

WEDNESDAYS

Storytime: 11a, Uinta County Library, info 307-782-3161.

ONGOING

Community Classes: Fitness, computer, workforce and kids’ classes are available. Valley Learning Center, times and prices vary. Info 307-782-6401, valleylearningcenter.coursestorm. com.

PUZZLE ANSWERS

Word WHAT’S YOUR SCORE? 5-10 WORDS: Wordsmith 11-15 WORDS: Word Nerd 16+ WORDS: Vocabularian

Scramble 3 LETTER WORDS Biz Zit

4 LETTER WORDS

5 LETTER WORDS

bize

baiza

izar

baize

laze

bezel

tizz

blaze

raze

blitz

razz

braza

ritz

braze

tzar

zebra

zeal

zibet

zeta

lazar

zill

6 LETTER WORDS

7 LETTER WORDS

ablaze

bizarre

blazer

bazaar

zareba

brazier

lazier

lazaret BONUS:

TRAILBLAZER

PUZZLE ON PAGE 27

CLASSIFIEDS WREN CLASSIFIED ADS ARE $0.75 PER SIX CHARACTERS CONTACT:  SHAWNA@GOLINDEN.COM  970-221-3232 EXT 22

FOR SALE New & Used Coal Stokers, parts, service& advice. Available for most makes. Thanks. 307-754-3757.

Shaver Outdoor Wood Boiler Furnace.

Aermotor Windmills and parts, cylinders, pipe, rod, submersible pumps, motors, control boxes, Hastings 12 ga. bottomless stock tanks and more. In business for more than 76 years. Herren Bros., Box 187, Harrison NE. 1-308-668-2582.

WANTED Want to purchase minerals & other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201.

Antique Collector Looking For Oil Company Gas Pumps, Globes And Signs. Will pay fair market value!

Also looking for general antiques for our antique shop. Please go to our website FrontierAutoMuseum. com. Located in Gillette WY, our passion is to preserve Wyoming history and the nostalgia of the past, especially Parco, Sinclair, Frontier, Husky and any car dealership along with all brands. We are also always

looking for WY license plates and WY highway signs and State Park signs.

Please call Jeff Wandler 307-6808647 wandlerfrontier@gmail.com or daughter Briana Brewer 307-660-2402 bbrewer@frontierauto.net.

We Pay Cash For Mineral & Oil/ Gas Interests producing & nonproducing. 800-733-8122.

Wanted CJ or Wrangler reasonably priced. Any condition but rusted.

512-797-1664.

MISCELLANEOUS Soon Church/Government uniting, suppressing “Religious Liberty” enforcing “National Sunday Law.” Be Informed! Needing Mailing address.

TSBM, PO Box 374, Ellijay, GA 30540, thebiblesaystruth@yahoo.com, 1-888-211-1715.

FEB 2022

39

SPORTS, SCIENCE, AND CURIOUS MINDS! Can you combine sports and science?

Of course you can! Try turning ice hockey and ice skating into a simple science experiment.

1

ask questions Think about a hockey puck or an ice skater’s skate and talk about how they move across the ice (smoothly, quickly, etc.).

Then formulate some questions:

5

What will slide on ice? Why do things on ice slide so fast?

Why don’t other things slide on ice?

4

2

Try to Slide Make the Ice Rink Fill a baking sheet with water and put it in the freezer (or take it outside if it’s cold enough at your house) until the water freezes.

One by one, slide your objects across the ice rink. Talk about which ones slide and which do not.

what did you observe?

Smooth, light objects – like a marble – slide the best.

Rough, soft objects – like puff balls – don’t slide well.

Why? Because of friction! Rough items generate more friction, which slows them down. Smooth objects – like a hockey puck or an ice skate – generate less friction and can slide quickly across the ice.

3

Gather Materials Decide what small objects you want to test. You can try marbles, crayons, rocks, toy cars, beads, puff balls, milk jug caps, cereal Os, even marshmallows! Let your kids get creative and curious.

WANT



MORE?

Find fun activities to do with your kids at

wyqualitycounts.org/wren

All WY Quality Counts activities are supported by the Wyoming Early Learning Standards as well as the Domains of Development, which include: Communication

Curious Minds

Sense of Self & Relationships

Strong & Healthy Bodies

THIS MONTH’S ACTIVITY: WY Quality Counts, housed in the Department of Workforce Services, helps Wyoming parents and child care providers identify and create quality learning experiences for children, thanks to the funding of the Wyoming Legislature.

Constellation Creations!