Wyoming Rural Electric News October 2023

WYOMING

OCT 2023

RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS

14

WHERE THE EVS ROAM 38

EXPERIENCING YELLOWSTONE THROUGH TRANSPORTATION

22

HORSES CAN GROWL

BASIN ELECTRIC

A D A P TA B I L I T Y

POWERING THROUGH W H AT E V E R C O M E S Y O U R W AY Each day brings its own challenges, and Basin Electric will help you power through all of them.

We have the strength and versatility to adapt so you can keep your operation running, your business doors open, and your family safe and sound.

Reliable Energy for Our Way of Life.

2023 O C T O B E R

ON THE COVER

14 CENTERPIECE

Where the EVs Roam

YOUTH 06 CO-OP W YO M I N G A U T U M N

BY FAITH ANDERSON

SPOTLIGHT 26 CO-OP T E N AC I T Y A N D

STORY BY KARLA OCEANAK

Can you get to where you’re going (and back) in an Electric Vehicle in Wyoming? What’s on the horizon for EVs across the state? Take a look under the hood on page 14.

12

JUST FOR FUN CORNER 12 KIDS’ B A B Y B AT S

24 G H O S T LY TA L E S BOOK GIVEAWAY

OF CHEYENNE

BY MARY KAY CARSON

25 W H O’ S T H E R E ‽ PUZZLE

BY ALISON QUINN AND DAVID MERKLEY

20

FEATURES

38

LONGEVITY: THE TRADEMARKS O F A W YO M I N G COW B OY

BY ELISA SHERMAN

08

FROM OUR READERS

ESSAYS & ANECDOTES

STATE NEWS & EVENTS

COOKS 20 COUNTRY PA S TA

NOTES 04 WREA I T’S T I M E TO A N T E

08 TOWN TALES 10 THE CURRENT 34 WHAT’S HAPPENING

30 W Y O M I N G

PEN TO PAPER SUBMITTED BY WESLEY WALKER

PICTURE IT 31 JUST H A RV E S T

UP AND KICK IN

BY SHAWN TAYLOR

ON THE RANGE 22 HOME H O R S E S CA N G ROW L

BY DR. MEGAN BEAVERS

US 38 ENLIGHTEN EXPERIENCING

YELLOWSTONE THROUGH TRANSPORTATION

BY GAYLE M. IRWIN

WREA NOTES

IT’S TIME TO ANTE UP AND KICK IN I’m fairly certain that over the past 18 years that I’ve been at WREA I’ve used this title in a column, and probably for the same reason every time – to ask you to please get involved with protecting your local electric cooperative and fight for reliable and affordable electric power. There are forces at play at the state and federal level that threaten both the reliability and affordability of electricity, as well as the financial viability of your cooperative.

Agency’s (EPA) proposed unworkable regulations for new and existing power plants, making it virtually impossible to build any new baseload power plants, to forcing the early closure or retirement of existing coal, oil and natural gas power plants, to a plethora of proposed regulations from the Bureau of Land Management, National Forest Service, the alphabet soup of bureaucracies and regulations goes on and on, and none of them help with keeping the lights on and affordable.

Voices for Cooperative Power (VCP) is the online grassroots database for rural electric cooperative memberowners (and those who might not be a member-owner but support what we do) to join and stay informed, and when asked, weigh-in on issues important to the cooperatives.

Speaking up on issues that impact electric co-ops sends a message to elected officials about the needs of our communities, and their constituencies.

VCP gives you a platform to talk about the many ways your electric co-op supports your community. Beyond delivering electricity, co-ops provide jobs, stability and economic growth, all while ensuring that energy affordability and reliability remain foundational advantages of electric co-op membership.

At the state level there are ideas and proposed legislation being talked about and drafted that would directly threaten the reliability and economic viability of co-ops. WREA and your local cooperative are able to use VCP to inform you of these threats and let you know when it’s time to take action.

As you all know, if you get your electricity from a rural electric cooperative, you have an ownership stake in that co-op. If there are threats to a company (cooperative) that you own, hopefully you’ll fight to protect it. So please go to voicesforcooperativepower.com and sign up, stay informed, and take action when asked. It’s time for all of us to ante up and kick in. Thank you!

All you need to do is visit voicesforcooperativepower.com, click “sign up,” enter your name, email and zip code, and that’s it.

It should come as no surprise that at the federal level there are any number of rules, regulations and proposed legislation that will impact the reliability and affordability of electricity, and not in a good way.

From the Environmental Protection

SH AWN TAY LO R

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

M

FROM THE ARCHIVE PHOTO BY MIKE GNATKNOWSKI

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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 69, number 9, October 2023 (ISSN 1098-2876) is published monthly except for January for $22 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 32,298 for 11 months ending September 2023. 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 Becky Freismuth — Design Team — Dixie Lira David Merkley Shawna Phillips

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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

SUBSCRIPTION RATES $22 per year, Single copies $2 each

ADVERTISING To purchase call (307) 996-6552.

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

ADDRESS CHANGES Please contact your local cooperative to update your address.

Paid subscribers contact publisher.

PUBLISHER 307-286-8140 wren@wyomingrea.org

POSTMASTER — Send address changes to — The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, c/o Linden Press, Inc., 121 E Mountain Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524, [970] 221-3232.

Include 3-digit co-op code.

PRINTED WITH VEGETABLE INK

YOUNG CREATIVES

CO-OP YOUTH

Wyoming Autumn FAITH ANDERSON

My poem is inspired by the short-lived autumns and beautiful nature we have here in Wyoming, and of who made it all, God.

16 YEARS OLD | YODER

Mint chilled wind streaks across my face, Clouds in the sky moving a leisurely pace, Mountain ridge blue, specked snowy white, Evergreens and flowers huddle up for the night, Garden harvest, sunflowers dead, Birthdays near, after comes Christmas cheer, Strawberries in their strawberry beds, But after all this has been said, All I want to say is, God’s not dead.

YOUNG CREATIVES, WE NEED YOU! SUBMIT YO U R WO R K

wren@wyomingrea.org | 307-286-8140 214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001 wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions

This year, WREN will feature creative work by our Wyoming youth, ages 10+.

Entries may range from photos to paintings, illustrations and digital artwork to poetry, prose and short stories. Featured work may include a blog or a website url if you have one, so WREN readers can view more of your art.

Please include your name, age, address and phone number along with your entry title and description. You are welcome to mail us a physical copy of your work, or send in a high-resolution digital file (this method is preferred).

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n the blockbuster film, when a strapping Australian crocodile hunter and a lovely American journalist were getting robbed at knife point by a couple of young thugs in New York, the tough Aussie pulls out his dagger and says “That’s not a knife, THIS is a knife!” Of course, the thugs scattered and he continued on to win the reporter’s heart.

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This fusion of substance and style can garner a high price tag out in the marketplace. In fact, we found full tang, stainless steel blades with bone handles in excess of $2,000. Well, that won’t cut it around here. We have mastered the hunt for the best deal, and in turn pass the spoils on to our customers.

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TOWN TALES

Town Tales ALWAYS MORE THAN A TRADING POST

A SHORT HISTORY OF FORT BRIDGER, WYOMING

FROM WYOMING HISTORICAL SOCIETY WYSHS.ORG

SUBMITTED BY DUDLEY GARDNER

“The Fort,”

along the Blacks Fork River, was built by Louis Vasquez and Jim Bridger in 1843. Built to serve those westward bound, the trading post served emigrants bound for Oregon, the Salt Lake Valley and California. It was primarily run by the Shoshone or Ute wives of the traders.

Travelers often commented in their diaries on these women who made fur blankets, hide clothing and, most importantly, shoes for trade. This business, along with horses and cows the men traded to wagon trains, made Fort Bridger a successful trading post. So successful that the Latter-day Saints purchased the operation in 1855.

100 X 100 FEET STONE WALL

15 FEET HIGH

For a brief but critical stint, Fort Bridger was run by Lewis Robinson, who eventually became a general in the Utah Militia or Nauvoo Legion and had oversight of Green River County Utah Territory. Utah Territory came into existence on September 9, 1850, and Fort Bridger was part of Utah Territory until Wyoming Territory was created on July 25, 1868. In 1857, Robinson built a magnificent stone fort out of cobbles. The living plaza included some of Bridger’s old buildings, including the Trading Post.

Around these original buildings, he constructed a wall 100 by 100 feet and 15 feet high. To the north, he added a stone corral that adjoined the fort that was 100 by 80 feet. This magnificent fort was completed in August 1857 and burned to the ground in October of 1857. Why? Conflict. The “Utah War” or “Mormon War” was fought entirely in Utah Territory. It was not an entirely bloodless war. Fort Bridger was one of the first places the U.S. Army reached. The Army had been ordered west by President James Buchanan, to install Alexander Cummings as the new Territorial Governor of Utah to replace Brigham Young. Anti-Latter-day forces convinced Buchanan this could not be done peacefully, and a 2,500-man army marched west to install the governor. Brigham Young ordered a scorched earth tactic be employed to starve out the Army. When the 2nd Dragoons reached Fort Bridger in November of 1857, it was a stone shell with no food or animals. The snow and cold prevented the army from going further west. The military set about converting the shell into a modern military fort by adding extensive lunettes for cannons and defense.

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OCT 2023

Commissary Road on Lincoln Highway heading north.

Beginning in 1857, Fort Bridger became a U.S. Army base. The differences that led to the Utah War were negotiated during the winter of 1857 and 1858, and Cummings began his term as territorial governor in Salt Lake City in the spring of 1858.

Fort Bridger would remain a military post to 1890. A stage station was built at the fort to serve passengers and, briefly, the Pony Express.

The first Transcontinental Telegraph went through the fort in 1861 and the first Transcontinental Railway arrived north of Fort Bridger in 1868; the completion of the transcontinental railway in 1869 meant men and material could be quickly moved to and from the fort. Over time, the fort’s detachments expanded and contracted but the post consistently witnessed old buildings being torn down and new ones being built. One of the last buildings constructed was a large stone barracks set atop the old Latter-day fortifications in 1888. “The Fort” was abandoned two years later.

From 1890 to 1908, Fort Bridger served multiple purposes but was primarily used for agriculture, and most wooden buildings were sold to local ranchers. The wooden Commanding Officers Quarters were moved south to serve as a boarding house and hotel for the emerging tourist trade.

In 1908, the New York to Paris “Great Race” brought automobiles directly through Fort Bridger. Automobiles soon passed through the fort. When on July 1, 1913, automobile enthusiasts and industry officials created the Lincoln Highway Association (LHA), Fort Bridger was on the nation-wide route. The fort’s commissary was turned into a gas station and restaurant. The commissary warehouse was converted into a motel, and eventually the Black and Orange Motor Lodge was built on the old fort grounds to serve tourists and visitors traveling through the area.

So much interest was paid to Fort Bridger that in 1929, it became state property and today is part of the Wyoming State Parks and Historic Sites. Fort Bridger is one of the longest continuously occupied spots in Wyoming. When the all-important Fort Bridger Treaty between the Bannock, Shoshone and United States was made in 1868, it was recognized that the land on the banks of the Blacks Fork had long been the home of people whose lives were tied to this place - land that was not only a stop on a road long traveled over but also a place to stay and live.

Because of Fort Bridger’s long history, dignitaries from multiple generations passed through or made “The Fort” their home. Chief Washakie, Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, Brigham Young, Mark Twain, Horace Greeley, Calamity Jane, General William Sherman, President Chester Arthur and Dwight Eisenhower are but a few who stopped at or lived at Fort Bridger.

Lincoln highway with team.

NUMEROUS PURPOSES

PONY EXPRESS, AGRICULTURE, BOARDING, TOURISM, GAS STATION AND RESTAURANT PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE FORT BRIDGER WYOMING STATE HISTORIC SITE AND FORT BRIDGER HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

OCTT 2023 OC

9

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHAWN TAYLOR

THE CURRENT

WREA Hosts 1 Fall Conference ST

The event included great speakers including a representative from the Idaho National Laboratory, which is leading the nation’s research on nuclear power. The representative spoke specifically about small modular and micro nuclear reactors and how the co-ops might be able to take advantage of this technology to help with our territorial concerns.

The NRECA talked about the importance of political advocacy both in terms of supporting the Political Action Committee, now known as America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC, and grassroots engagement.

Former WREA board member and current Wyrulec board director Dewey Hageman (right) was recognized for his 18 years serving on the WREA board.

YOU CAN’T BAG BIG BUCKS & BULLS FROM BEHIND BARS

THE WYOMING RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION HOSTED THEIR FIRST FALL CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER IN CHEYENNE, WHICH REPLACES THE ANNUAL MEETING.

Wheatland REA board director Sandra Hranchak getting a signed book from author C.J. Box.

Wyoming native and #1 New York Times bestselling author C.J. Box joined the group for dinner and talked about his Joe Pickett series, the two TV shows “Big Sky” and “Joe Pickett” based on his books, and his journey to becoming a #1 best selling author.

WREA also raised $2,075 from their silent auction for the Lineman Scholarship Fund.

Attendees took a break to play cornhole by Sloan’s Lake outside of the Kiwanis Community House.

10

OCT 2023

ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR BETTER BUILDINGS Whether your home or business, the buildings you enter daily consist of several layers that create one building envelope, or shell.

The envelope begins with the foundation in the ground and ends with the roof, and includes everything in between such as walls, windows and doors. To save energy and maintain comfort, an envelope should limit the transfer of heat in or out of the building. Improve your building envelope by applying weatherization best practices.

+ AIR SEAL CRACKS AND HOLES Caulking and weatherstripping are cost-efficient air-sealing techniques that help maintain a comfortable temperature in your space. Air-seal gaps around windows, doors, electrical outlets, and other wall or ceiling penetrations to reduce drafts. Weatherstripping around the interior of door frames and window sashes will also limit drafts in these areas and improve the energy efficiency of your home.

+ ENSURE ADEQUATE INSULATION One of the best ways to reduce your energy bills and increase the comfort of your home is by ensuring adequate and effective insulation in your home. The Department of Energy recommends that a home have 12 to 16 inches of attic insulation. However, not all insulation has the same effectiveness for energy efficiency, and as insulation ages that effectiveness declines. There are also several methods for insulation depending on where you live and the part of your home you are insulating (walls, crawlspace, attic, etc.) so it’s best to contact a local certified contractor. Check your local building codes for requirements.

+ RESEARCH INCOME-QUALIFED PROGRAMS Some income-qualified programs provide air sealing and insulation, along with making sure your home is safe, if you have combustion appliances like a gas furnace or water heater. Certain programs even cover up to 80% of the median area income and provide these improvements at no cost to the homeowner and in many cases renters as well.

To learn more about rebates and incentives for electrification programs, contact your local co-op or public power district.

Visit us at www.tristate.coop/electrify-and-save

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

ILLUSTRATION BY NICK WILLIAMS

KIDS’ CORNER

www.wyobiodiversity.org

LITTLE WYOMING

BABY BATS

Bats are ecological superheroes that provide vital insect control, seed dispersal and pollination services that benefit the world. Although bats may not look a lot like us, humans and other primates are actually thought to be their closest living relatives! Just like humans, these small flying mammals provide nurturing care to their young to ensure their baby superheroes survive and thrive into adulthood.

STRONG MOM When bats are first born, they need to be with Mom at all times so she can nurse them and keep them safe. But Mom still has to eat! When mother bats leave the roost at night to feed, they bring baby with them for the first few days. The baby bat clings to their mother as they zip through the sky. This is no easy feat, since baby bats are born welldeveloped and quite large— when they’re born, they can weigh up to a third of their mother’s weight!

MOTHERS ALWAYS KNOW Female bats typically roost together in maternity colonies, which in Wyoming can range in size from dozens to thousands of bats in a single colony, depending on the species. Once the baby bat is a little bit older and too heavy for Mom to carry around the night skies, it will stay behind in the roost while Mom forages. She’ll return to the roost several times throughout the night to nurse her baby. Even though there may be lots of other bats in the roost, Mom is able to find her baby by its smell and sound.

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OCT 2023

BATTY ABCs Bats are social animals and communicate with each other through vocalizations. Just like humans, baby bats have to learn this language—they aren’t just born knowing how to talk. Recent research shows that baby bats babble to learn language, just like baby humans! Bats will repeat syllables and rhythms in their babbling and are the only non-primate mammal known to do so.

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“The economic viability of the stations in the first 10 to 20 years is a concern,” said Jordan Young, WYDOT Public Affairs Officer. “We’re taking a very cautious approach.”

“

It’s more costly at first, but in the longterm, it’s cheaper.

There are upsides and downsides, but overall, it’s a good thing.

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OCT 2023

OWDER

RIVER EN

ERGY CO

RPORAT

ION

“Our goal is to drive increased visibility and attendance at our museums without the need for adding more staff,” Goetz said.

“Getting people to come here and stay results in more tourism revenue.

I consistently see people using the stations. We’re seeing increased admissions and gift shop sales.”

SY OF P

The IIJA incentives to construct more charging stations nationwide include almost $24 million for additional Wyoming EV fast-charging infrastructure. In response, the Wyoming Department of Transportation has prioritized stations in seven cities along I-80, I-25 and I-90: Laramie, Pine Bluffs, Douglas, Sundance, Wheatland, Buffalo and Sheridan.

After those are constructed, WYDOT hopes to access remaining IIJA National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grants to add stations near popular tourist destinations, such as Yellowstone. While WYDOT has put its plan on hold at the moment pending further feasibility analysis, eventually the idea is to pass the funds along to interested private companies (like Wild West and OtterSpace but also gas -station chains, restaurants and others) for EV station build-out. All stations will be privately owned, and no state taxpayer dollars will be used to install, operate or maintain them.

COURTE

OtterSpace VP of Strategy and Partnership Kristen Gunther said that as EV use continues to grow, the company wants to ensure that Wyoming is positioned to benefit. “The EV driver market is growing exponentially,” she said. “We want to provide services to keep these customers and provide the infrastructure they need. We don’t want to fall behind our neighbor states on this.”

As Director of Fremont County Museums, Scott Goetz saw the need for charging stations to be located near the organization’s three museums. At first the board and staff looked into installing their own chargers, but they soon realized that working with a company that specialized in charging infrastructure would be the way to go. They contracted with OtterSpace to have charging stations installed in the parking areas outside their Dubois and Lander locations this past summer. Next year, a charging station will come online at their Riverton museum.

A GOOD THING

PHOTO

“We’ve seen a 40% increase in the number of charging sessions at our stations year after year,” Lawson said.

Early EV adopters tend to be evangelists for the technology.

Lawson bought his first plug-in hybrid—a Chevy Volt—in 2011.

He got a Tesla in 2014. Now Lawson, his wife, Danette, and their 16-year-old son, Colt, all drive EVs around their hometown of Riverton.

The PRECorp EV’s entry into the Parade of Lights in Sundance.

“Once people learn about all the advantages of having a full tank when you wake up every morning, not having to get gas and oil changes, how fast EVs are … it’s hard to go back,” Lawson said.

“Cars and light trucks with 400-plus mile ranges are here and available,” said Yin, who’s driven a Tesla since 2018. “You don’t need access

Left to right: Sawyer, River, Colton, Patrick, Danette and family dog Ziggy.

Patrick Lawson with his sons and wife Danette, who is holding a J1772 connector and cable used for EV charging, sitting in the trunk of a 2023 Ford F-150 Lighting LR.

WSON SY OF PA TRICK LA COURTE PHOTO

Charging a 2020 Tesla Model X Performance Ludacris at the Tesla Store in Salt Lake City, Utah.

to a fast charger for most activities, and especially in two-car households, an EV can be a quick daily driver that you can charge at home every night.”

As for Colt, he’s never even driven a gas-powered vehicle. His 2011 Nissan Leaf can only manage short trips, but his dad is in search of a replacement battery so it can get him a bit further.

He said his friends don’t like EVs because they’re obsessed with working on car engines, which EVs don’t have.

“Like it or not, EVs will be the future,” Colt said. He’s finishing his associate degree at Central Wyoming College this year and next year plans to study 3D art at a university in New Zealand, where he predicts he’ll buy another EV. “It’s more costly at first, but in the long-term, it’s cheaper. There are upsides and downsides, but overall, it’s a good thing.” W

A University of Wyoming alum, Karla Oceanak lives, writes and drives a Nissan Leaf in Fort Collins.

SAME HICCUP, DIFFERENT ERA Come to think of it, gas-powered automobiles and gas stations were also a chicken-and-egg problem a century ago.

PHOTO

COURTE

SY OF PA TRICK LA

WSON

In 1908, Henry Ford’s mass-produced Model T took the country by storm.

Its tank held 10 gallons of gasoline, which wasn’t widely available.

According to the National Museum of American History, the first Americans brave enough to drive the newfangled gas-powered vehicles had to search out the rare grocery or hardware store that stored the fuel in barrels. Drivers also carried their own fuel in cans.

The Model T got about 15 miles per gallon. How far would you have been able to venture on Wyoming’s rustic roads before running out of gas? And if you had made it to your destination, would you have been able to buy more fuel once you arrived? There being no telephones or internet, it would have been nigh impossible to foretell.

Fast forward to 1920, when nine million gas-powered vehicles rolled along America’s roads, and gas stations were springing up everywhere to serve them. By 1935, 200,000 gas stations dotted the U.S. landscape.

Still, between 1908 and 1935, finding a gas station to fill up your car would have been a crapshoot. That’s the same frontier we find ourselves in now with EVs, especially in Wyoming—but we’re already quite a poke down the road. “Wyoming is ready,” Lawson said. “Things will happen much faster than people expect.”

COUNTRY COOKS

PASTA

PASTA PRIMAVERA

TUSCAN BUTTER SHRIMP WITH BOW TIE PASTA

10 OZ PENNE, UNCOOKED

2 CUPS CHERRY TOMATOES, HALVED

8 OZ PACKAGE BOW TIE PASTA

3 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED

2 TBS OLIVE OIL

4 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED

2 TBS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 1/2 CUP CHERRY TOMATOES, HALVED

1 LARGE ONION, CHOPPED

1 TBS ITALIAN SEASONING

2 CUPS BABY SPINACH

1 LB FRESH ASPARAGUS, CUT INTO 2-INCH PIECES

1/2 TSP SALT

1 LB SHRIMP (ANY SIZE), PEELED, DEVEINED AND TAILS REMOVED

1/2 CUP HEAVY CREAM

1/4 TSP PEPPER

SALT

1/4 CUP PARMESAN, FRESHLY GRATED

2 CUPS MUSHROOMS, SLICED

1/4 TSP RED PEPPER FLAKES

BLACK PEPPER

1/4 CUP BASIL, THINLY SLICED

1 SMALL ZUCCHINI, HALVED LENGTHWISE AND SLICED

1 CUP PARMESAN CHEESE, FRESHLY GRATED

3 TBS BUTTER

LEMON WEDGES, FOR SERVING (OPTIONAL)

1 MEDIUM CARROT, SHREDDED

1 LEMON, CUT IN WEDGES

Cook the penne according to package instructions.

Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the asparagus, mushrooms and zucchini to the skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded carrot, tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for another minute until the tomatoes begin to soften. Stir in the cooked penne, 1/2 cup of the cheese and some pasta water as needed. Serve and top with remaining Parmesan cheese and lemon wedges.

NANCY DENK

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Cook the Bow Tie pasta for 11 minutes (until pasta is al dente). When pasta is cooked, drain but don’t rinse.

While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil.

Season shrimp all over with salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering but not smoking, add shrimp and sear until underside is golden, about two minutes, then flip until opaque. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add butter. When butter has melted, stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are beginning to burst, then add spinach and cook until spinach is beginning to wilt. Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan and basil and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Return shrimp to skillet and stir to combine. Cook until shrimp is heated through.

Serve the shrimp and sauce over pasta, garnish with more basil and squeeze lemon on top. Makes 2 large servings.

DEBRA DOWELL

RIVERTON

GUERNSEY

Send Sendcomplete completerecipe recipebybyMarch November 10! 15!

DECEMBER:

SAUSAGE 20

OCT 2023

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21

HOME ON THE RANGE

r g r g g g G

BY DR. MEGAN BEAVERS

Horses Can Growl

I

was called to a farm to inspect a skinny gelding the new owners had just purchased from a ranch in Colorado. They didn’t have much history on him, other than a death in the family required him to seek a new home.

He had already been ridden by their young girl several times and was proving himself a kind mount for the family. However, his weight and hair coat were becoming an issue. No matter what he was fed, he just couldn’t gain the weight like they would hope.

I estimated the long-legged sorrel, now named Prancer, to be about 20 years old.

He’d been around the block a few times and that would explain his behavior 22

OCT 2023

with kids. When I felt his teeth from the outside of his cheeks, he showed signs of pain and irritation by throwing his head up and chewing abnormally, while a wad of half chewed hay fell out of his mouth.

His hair coat was dry and curly and not shedding like it should for a summer exam. Step one with any old horse showing signs of weight loss, dropping hay, poor hair and especially pain when I palpate his cheeks would be a dental float.

Floating is a term for the procedure in which a rasp is used to smooth the sharp points on a horse’s tooth. Horses are born with very long teeth that are gradually worn down as they chew over a lifetime.

Because a horse’s upper jaws are wider than the lower jaws and the teeth are naturally angled for efficient grinding,

worn teeth will eventually result in sharp enamel points on the sides of the teeth that prevent motion in any direction.

The problems found for this old guy were consistent with a lack of recent dental exams and care. He had very sharp points on the upper teeth against the cheek and the biggest problem was his very last molar … it was so long that even with his mouth opened by the speculum I couldn’t find the bottom of the tooth. That meant when his mouth was closed, that tooth was several inches down into his lower jaw, causing immense discomfort as well as substantially limiting his ability to chew and, therefore, gain weight. Since I didn’t expect this finding, we decided another visit was in order so I could have the right equipment to cut that tooth off.

A few weeks later we came back for a visit to see old Prancer. We sedated him with the same drugs as before and placed the mouth speculum. I was going to try to place a wire saw around the back of the tooth and have an assistant saw the tooth until it was cut off at a more manageable level. I put my arm and a metal speculum all the way in the back of his mouth to guide this wire. Prancer was not impressed. He continued to have a large amount of tongue movement, wasn’t standing still, and for this short veterinarian, when Prancer raised his head so far, I couldn’t do anything I wanted to do.

gave him more medication. Sedated and quiet again, we started sawing. Soon enough the growls started. I was far from impressed with his ability to metabolize drugs. We topped him off again and as fast as we could move our arms, sawed until the tooth was removed. Everyone’s shoulders were on fire. I floated the tooth a little shorter and smoothed the rough edges. Prancer was growling still and talking to his buddy again at this point. We removed the gag and put my sweater over his eyes to let him recover.

didn’t slam his face so much. I fully expected to have him break a leg at this point, and it was too dangerous to get in close to give him even more sedation.

All I could do was watch and wait.

We were cleaning up things and all passing the tooth around, when an accidental drop of a bucket startled Prancer to awake. Usually, after this amount of drug, I like and expect that my castrations would lay for a while then sit up calmly. Eventually rising to stand in one attempt and stay standing. Just with everything else the old guy had thrown at us, he wasn’t about to do anything I expected. He stood up so fast his legs couldn’t keep up and he faceplanted right back down. That scared him so up he went again. I had a hold of his lead rope and spent the next 12 minutes running circles in front of him to keep some tension on his head so he

Several months later I drove by, and there in the corral stood a beautiful, shiny, copper penny-colored horse, covered in fat and muscle. The tooth out of the way, he was able to chew well and get all the nutrition he could out of his hay. Thankfully I don’t need to sedate Prancer for several more months, but next time we will give him a different cocktail right out of the gate.

Horses can growl and I don’t want to hear that from him again. W

Eventually he found his unsteady legs and was able to stay up … ears, eyes and nose now full of sand. Even though traumatic and ugly, he recovered well after that and was ready for dinner in the evening. He was a little more friendly the next morning, his owner reported. I’d imagine that was because he saw God the day before.

r rrrr r r r r r r rrrrrr! ! ! r r rrr r r r r rr So, we added additional sedation and tried again. He continued his dismay and kept trying to fight the procedure. As soon as I would get the wire where I needed it, he would toss his head or turn his head. Also, because of the shape of his tooth, the wire saw would slide off easily.

We decided it would be best to give Prancer drugs for general anesthesia and lay him down on the ground, hoping to use an upward-directed wire and the weight of his head to get that wire saw in the right place. I gave a wellsedated Prancer those drugs and down he went into the soft sand. We placed the speculum again and behind the tooth I placed the wire. We were only a few moments and a few millimeters into the tooth when he literally growled.

Then he started moving his legs. I’d given him plenty of drugs, similar to how I would when castrating a horse his size, but he felt that wasn’t enough and tried to get up.

Dr. Megan Beavers is a veterinarian in Farson and Green River.

My helpers along with the owner jumped into action and tried to restrain the big gelding on the ground to prevent him from getting up while I OCT 2023

23

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

GHOSTLY TALES OF CHEYENNE Adapted from “Haunted Cheyenne” by Jill Pope

BY MARY KAY CARSON Welcome to the spooky streets of Cheyenne, Wyoming!

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner.

Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

They call the Plains Hotel the “Grand Ole Lady,” but ghost hunters from around the world check in to see one of its many ghosts. A stroll through downtown Cheyenne will bring you to the Atlas Theatre, where murder and mystery still linger after the curtain goes down.

And a trip to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church brings you to the site of Cheyenne’s most notorious ghost story.

Pulled right from history, these ghostly tales will change the way you see Cheyenne, and have you sleeping with the light on!

ORDERING INFORMATION:

WIN A

FREE COPY AUGUST ISSUE EIGHT BEARS: MYTHIC PAST AND IMPERILED FUTURE BOOK WINNERS:

Name: Phone:

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Available to purchase on Amazon.

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BY NOVEMBER 15 One entry per household, please.

24

OCT 2023

GHOSTLY TALES

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

wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions

PUZZLE

Who’s There‽ Unveil 13 ominous characters lurking here by finding their names or characters. For a little clarity on their identities, check your crystal ball for the authors who created them.

BY ALISON QUINN AND DAVID MERKLEY

Stephen King Mary Shelley Bram Stoker Robert Bloch Edgar Allan Poe Thomas Harris J.K. Rowling

NEED AN ESCAPE ROUTE? TURN TO PAGE 36 FOR THE ANSWERS.

Anne Rice George Orwell Robert Louis Stevenson J.R.R. Tolkein Roald Dahl Ken Kesey

OCT 2023

25

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DIANNE BORGIALLI

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

WYOMING COWBOY HALL OF FAME

Bob at 16, riding bulls in the rodeo.

TENACITY AND LONGEVITY:

The Trademarks of a Wyoming Cowboy Picture a 9-year-old boy hurrying home from school. He jumps on a new horse to help his dad bring in the cows. The horse takes off running and runs through two gates before throwing the boy into a patch of prickly pear cactus.

His hip bone is broken. The boy is wrapped in blankets and driven in his dad’s truck from their home in Newcastle, Wyoming to Hot Springs, South Dakota. He’s stabilized and put in a cast from his feet to his chest. A rod is placed between his legs to separate them.

26

OCT 2023

T

he year was 1942, and that boy was Robert Borgialli. Bob, as everyone calls him, stayed in that cast for three months.

When it was finally removed, his hip hadn’t healed correctly so the doctors had to set it again and put him in a new cast for another three months. But by 1949, when Bob was 16 years old, he was riding bulls and broncs in the rodeo. That’s the kind of tenacity Bob learned growing up on his parents’ ranch with his three brothers and two sisters.

BY ELISA SHERMAN

Bob’s parents, Charlie and Ruth Borgialli, ran their ranch through the Great Depression, and raised a family of ranchers. Charlie was inducted into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2018, and Bob’s brothers, Harry and Tom, were both inducted in 2019. Bob’s induction followed in 2022. The success of the family was rooted in their husbandry of Hereford cattle and ranch horses.

Bob worked on the family ranch until he was 27 years old. Married,

and with a four young kids, Bob purchased the Anton Zahradnicek Ranch on Rock Creek near Buffalo, Wyoming, renaming it Quarter Circle 47 Ranch.

He continued to raise registered and commercial Herefords like his father, but in the early 1980s, he made the decision to switch to Angus. This astute business decision led to continued improvement in the quality of his cow herd.

Long hours in the saddle tending to the herd and learning to do whatever the cattle needed were keys to Bob’s success.

Besides branding and vaccinating cattle, delivering calves and administering care, Bob learned to pregnancy test cows and

tested his own cows until the age of 83. Now, he is teaching his grandson to do the same.

His one request—he wants the horses to be ridden. He believes strongly that horses are not meant to remain idle in

Bob grew up working with his family.

His kids and their spouses, grandkids and greatgrandkids work with him now. Although he has slowed down, Bob does his share. This Bob’s pet palomino, year, at 90 years Princess, old, he harrowed in 2007. and swathed 600 acres of hay, and he gets out on his horse, Buck, whenever he can.

Buck is the first horse Bob purchased that was already broken.

Bob spent his life breaking horses for the ranch, and for his family.

the pasture. And he spent his life riding his horses and racing any neighbor who was up for the challenge, usually winning the contests. His favorite horse was a wild palomino named Princess he broke when he was 75 years old. Bob loved Princess for her wild horse brand and said she was a great cow horse. She was his pet. But when Princess began to founder, he had to sell her. He had to do what was best for the ranch and ultimately for Princess.

Bob may not break horses like he used to but he’s still caring for the cows. In a March blizzard in 2017, that meant bringing in a cow that was calving. He steered her toward the barn where a chute and tub were waiting.

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CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

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“I tried to haul her in, but she hauled me in,” Bob said. Just as Bob got her to the barn she got behind him and in no time he was covered in hoof prints. His wife Dianne heard the commotion and came running, finding Bob sitting on the ground with a hoof print on his hood.

After that incident, Bob’s family wanted him to sell the cow but he wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t sell her because she was such a good cow. When asked if the cow had a name, Dianne Bob getting said, “She had a his picture name, but you taken at his grandson’s couldn’t print it!”

Bob’s parents lived until they were 93 and 96 years old, so at 90 years, Bob looks

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OCT 2023

request in 1990.

WYOMING COWBOY HALL OF FAME

I tried to haul her in, but she hauled me in forward to a lot more life, sharing what he knows with his grandkids and greatgrands and enjoying his family. Buffalo is still home, and he’s still the kid who got knocked into a cactus, the kid who was still pulling cactus needles out a year after his accident.

He’s still the bull rider and the horse breaker.

He’s the man who picks his grandson up from kindergarten on picture day and, at his grandson’s request, gets his picture taken too. He’s the man who keeps the ornery cow who kicked him in the head, and the man who knew when it was time to let Princess, his pet horse, go.

Buck and Bob will be out in the morning.

If you’re in the area and up for a race, drop by and let him know. W Elisa Sherman is a writer based in Fort Collins, Colorado, with close ties to people and places in Wyoming.

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29

PEN TO PAPER

Wyoming Autumn MARIETTA LARSON

CHEYENNE

When cotton floats down from cottonwood trees, When mornings awaken with bit cooler breeze, When squirrels scamper to fill winter stores, When kids meet school buses and leave banging doors, When rifles are loaded and ready for deer, Swimsuits and picnics in closets for the year, When Canadian geese return for the fall, Tumbleweeds gathered ready to haul…

It’s autumn in Wyoming!

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.

30

OCT 2023

Put Your Pen to Paper!

Please include your name, address, and phone number.

SUBMIT A PIECE

wren@wyomingrea.org | [307] 286-8140 214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001 wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions

01

02

03

01

The Golden Harvest Jerry Thompson, Powell

02

Harvest Fun Heather Mclaughlin, Upton

03

Harvesting Grass for Winter Carrie Miller, Laramie

04

Another Field Done Tia Cranston, Moorcroft

05

Getting Ready for Harvest at Sunrise Martha Rasmussen, Burlington

06

Sharing the Harvest Kitty Telland, Pine Haven

05

04

06

JUST PICTURE IT

THIS MONTH:

DEC (DUE NOV 15):

HARVEST

WOODS

07

08

09

10

11 12

13

07

Rainbow Harvest Cindi Olson, Newcastle

08

Potato Diggers Susan Neves, Otto

09

Potato Harvester Susan Neves, Otto

10

The Good Lord Provides Mary Ann Ulik, Crawford, Nebraska

11

Happy Pickles Lacy Boyles, Lyman

12

Canned Harvest Brittany Anderson, Lonetree

13

Hay Harvest Heather Mclaughlin, Upton

15

14 16

18

14

Combine Duo Martha Rasmussen, Burlington

15

Bales Galore Tia Cranston, Moorcroft

16

Harvesting Wild Raspberries Lauree Scott, Gillette

17

Bringing in the Big Ones Piper Whitney-Brown, Wheatland

18

Welcome to Our Front Porch Rob McIntosh, Torrington

19

Corn Husker Susan Neves, Otto

20

Potato Debra Dowell, Guernsey

19

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.

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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.

OCT 2023

33

WHAT’S HAPPENING

WHAT’S HAPPENING REGIONAL MAP

02

03

NOVEMBER

01 | SOUTHEAST CENTENNIAL ONGOING Nici Self Historical Museum: Museum grounds and exhibits open Thu-Mon 12-4p. Free. Info niciselfmuseum.com.

YODER NOVEMBER 4-5 Pheasant Season Dinner: Fundraiser for Yoder Women’s Club.

Coffee and homemade pie 8a, lunch served 11a. Menu Saturday includes cheeseburgers and chili; Sunday chicken and noodles, real mashed potatoes. Yoder Community Building.

Info 307-534-5673.

C H U G WAT E R

04

01

PHOTO COURTESY OF VETERANS DAY PARADE COMMITTEE

FEATURED EVENT

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

ONGOING Live Music: Stampede Saloon & Eatery music venue open for Thursday night jam session and weekend performances. Info 307-422-3200, stampedefun@aol.com.

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

20TH ANNUAL VETERANS DAY PARADE GILLETTE NOVEMBER 11 You are invited to honor and pay tribute to all American veterans. Our Grand Marshalls are all World War II and Korean War Veterans.

Location: Begins on 2nd Street and 4J Ave. Ends at Osborne Ave. Time: 1:00p • Cost: Free FOR MORE INFORMATION Linda: 307-680-8341 Lisa: 970-590-5177 Marie: 307-660-1315 Helen: 307-660-8729

NORTHEAST 34

OCT 2023

02 | NORTHEAST B U F FA L O THURSDAYS Bluegrass Jam Session: 6:30p. Occidental Saloon. Free.

Info 307-684-0451.

GILLETTE ONGOING (THROUGH 2023) No Time For Tears: The Life & Art of Dixie Lynne Reece Exhibit: Campbell County Rockpile Museum.

Features nearly 70 works of art from Campbell County artist Dixie Reece (1936-2018). Info 307-682-5723, rockpilemuseum.com.

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

LA GRANGE NOVEMBER 3-4 Holiday Bells are Ringing Craft Fair: Nov. 3, 12-7p; Nov. 4, 9a-4p. La Grange Elementary School. Silent auction, concessions and local groups and school performances daily. There will be a kids’ table for ages 10 and under where they can place items for sale even if the parents are not involved in the fair. Info Lillian Green 307-715-0510, Lynette Bye 307-575-9317.

Contact Wanda Kessler for a vendor table 307-575-5562.

MEDICINE BOW ONGOING Museum and Gift Shop: Open daily 8:30a-4:30p. 405 Lincoln Highway.

Info 307-379-2383.

HULETT MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS (SEPTEMBER-APRIL) Adult 5-mile Walking Exercise Class: 4:45p. GHCC Gym. Info 307-467-5676.

THURSDAYS Storytime: 3p. Hulett Library.

First group ages 0-7, second group ages 8-12. Info 307-467-5676.

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

WHAT’S HAPPENING

WEDNESDAYS Storytime: 10:30a. Crook County Public Library. Info Tonia 307-283-1008.

NEWCASTLE THIRD SATURDAYS Weston County Democrats: 4p. Weston County Library.

Info 307-941-1822.

FRIDAYS Bingo: 7:30p. VFW Hall. Free.

SECOND AND FOURTH WEDNESDAYS Gigi’s Closet: 9a-1:30p. First United Methodist Church. Gently loved clothing available for babies to adults. Info 307-746-4119.

S H E R I DA N SATURDAYS Landon’s Farmers Market: 9a-12p.

Landon’s Greenhouse, 505 College Meadows Dr. Info 307-672-8340, info@landonsgreenhouse.com, landonsgreenhouse.com.

Please send events occurring in the month of January by November 15, and February

by December 15 for inclusion in the WREN.

UPTON FIRST AND THIRD WEDNESDAYS Bingo at Senior Center: 6:30p, $10 for 10 cards. Info 307-468-9262.

ONGOING Senior Center Activities: 1113 2nd St. Lunch is served at noon Mon-Fri for $4. Call for reservation before 9a at 307-468-2422 or 712-400-9056.

Coffee and treats at 9a on Tues.

Exercise program at 9a every Tue and Fri. Card elimination and potluck every third Mon at 5:30p.

Ask about medical equipment loans.

Info 307-468-9262.

Also, be sure to include the date, title, description, time, cost, location, address and contact information for each event.

Photos are always welcome.

Look for more events at wyomingrea.org/news.

QUESTIONS & SUBMISSIONS:

wren@

03 | NORTHWEST CODY ONGOING Cody Country Art League Gallery: 9a-5p Mon-Sat. 836 Sheridan Ave. Info 307-587-3597.

is M

ot SUBMIT AN EVENT

NOVEMBER 15!

ONGOING West Texas Trail Museum: Now open year-round 9a-5p Mon-Fri. Info 307-756-9300.

y of D u b o

u

DUBOIS

Send complete information by

THIRD THURSDAY OF MONTH Adult Book Club: 1p. Moorcroft Branch Library. New book each month. Stop by the library for your copy. Info 307-756-3232.

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

o

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NOVEMBER 17 The U.S.S. Wyoming Program: 7p. Crook County Public Library meeting room. Free. The American battleship U.S.S. Wyoming played an important role in the early 1900s and the development of the modern US Navy. Hear an overview of its achievements, legends, claims to fame and other interesting stories about America’s most trigger-happy warship named after our home state of Wyoming. Local amateur historian Tim Velder will present this story through photos and general information about the ship from a civilian’s perspective.

Info 307-283-1008.

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um

MOORCROFT WEDNESDAYS Moorcroft Branch Library Activities: Storytime 10a.

Afterschool Craft 4p. AA meetings 7p. Please use downstairs entrance.

Info 307-756-3232.

S U N DA N C E

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ONGOING Senior Center Events: 145 Main Street. Carry-in dinner 12:30p third Sun. Rolls and coffee 9a Thu. Info 307-467-5743.

NOVEMBER

wyomingrea.org

[307] 286-8140 214 W. Lincolnway

Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001

wyomingrea.org/

wren-submissions

NOVEMBER 18 Kids Gingerbread House: 10a. Dubois Museum. Part of the Bailey Tire and Pit Stop Children’s Exploration Series.

Advance registration is required for materials. $3 per person. Get into the spirit of the holidays by making your own gingerbread house and learning why we make them. Info 307-455-2284.

THIRD WEDNESDAYS Wyoming Health Fairs Monthly Wellness Screen/Blood Draw: 7-10a. 7-10a. Dubois Medical Clinic.

Appointments encouraged. Info 307-455-2516, whf.as.me/dubois.

FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAYS (THROUGH DECEMBER) Farmer’s Market: 2:30-4:30p.

Headwaters Arts & Conference Center. Featuring local produce, baked goods and bread, dairy products, jams and jellies, herbs and salves. Info 307-455-2027.

FRIDAYS Story Time: 11:30a. Dubois Branch Library, 202 N First St. Free. Stretches, story, songs, crafts and fun! Ages birth-5 years.

Info 307-455-2992.

GREYBULL SECOND SATURDAYS Greybull Ladies Coffee: Greybull Library. Info 307-765-2100.

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

ONGOING 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.

OCT 2023

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WHAT’S HAPPENING

R I V E RTO N

ONGOING

WEDNESDAYS Acoustic Music Jam: 6:30-8:30p.

Holiday Inn Convention Center. Free.

Join in or listen as musicians and dancers perform. Info 307-856-8100.

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.

PreK Tales & Tunes: 10:30a. Riverton Branch Library. Ages 3-5. Free. Info 307-856-3556.

Starlight Storytime: 5:30p. Riverton Branch Library. Ages birth-5. Free. Info 307-856-3556.

MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS Meeteetse Recreation District: 10:30a yoga. Info 307-899-2698, meetrec.org.

POWELL

Toddler Move & Groove: 10:30a.

Riverton Branch Library. Ages birth-2.

Free. Info 307-856-3556.

04 | SOUTHWEST LY M A N THURSDAYS Storytime: 11a. Lyman Branch Library. All ages welcome. Free.

Info 307-787-6556, uintalibrary.org.

METEETSEE

MONDAYS Toddler Storytime: Mondays after school. Meeteetse Library. All kids grades 1+ not in school. Legos, board games, crafts, stories, songs and more.

Info 307-868-2248.

THURSDAYS

SNEOPVTEEMMBBEERR

NOVEMBER 16 Sample the Seasons: 5-8p. Homesteader Museum. Stroll in to look through the gift shop, sign up for a door prize and sample the Bean Soup from the O.E. Bever Bean Mill Ball.

Info 307-754-9481.

M O U N TA I N V I E W THERMOPOLIS SECOND SATURDAYS Great Until 8!: 4-8p. This event showcases the usinesses who are staying open until 8p or later in town. Shop after 5p and enter in for a chance to win $100 gift certificates. The $100 gift certificate will be valid at the business with the winning receipt. Info 917-589-7852, mainstreetthermopolis@gmail.com.

MONDAYS Cub Scout Pack 7798 Meeting: 3:45p. Presbyterian Church on 3rd Street. We are always accepting new boys who are in 1st to 5th grades.

Info MarNae 307-677-2566.

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

Who’s There‽ Stephen King | Jack Torrence Mary Shelley | Dr. Frankenstein Bram Stoker | Count Dracula Robert Bloch | Norman Bates Edgar Allan Poe | The Raven Thomas Harris | Hannibal Lecter J.K. Rowling | Lord Voldemort Anne Rice | Louis de Ponte du Lac George Orwell | Big Brother Robert Louis Stevenson | Mr. Hyde J.R.R. Tolkein | Sauron Roald Dahl | Grand High Witch Ken Kesey | Nurse Ratched

PUZZLE ON PAGE 25 36

OCT 2023

CLASSIFIEDS

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

FOR SALE

WANTED

Aermotor Windmills and parts, cylinders, pipe, rod, submersible pumps, motors, control boxes, Hastings 12 ga. bottomless stock tanks, Shaver Outdoor Wood Boiler Furnaces and more. In business for more than 77 years.

Herren Bros., Box 187, Harrison NE. 1-308-668-2582.

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

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

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

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

Frontier Auto Museum Looking For Oil Company Gas Pumps, Globes And Signs. 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 neon motel or store signs, WY license plates and WY highway signs and State Park signs. Please call Jeff Wandler 307-680-8647 wandlerfrontier@gmail.com or daughter Briana Brewer 307-660-2402 relics@frontierauto.net.

WANTED CJ or Wrangler reasonably priced.

Any condition but rusted. 512-797-1664.

OCT 2023

37

ENLIGHTEN US

Experiencing Yellowstone Through Many Modes of Transportation

BY GAYLE M. IRWIN

For nearly 150 years, people visiting the world’s first national park in northwestern Wyoming traveled by many modes of transportation, from foot and horseback to trains and motorized vehicles. Tents, cabins, grand hotels, massive RVs and cab-over campers have served, and continue to serve, as accommodations. Today, millions of tourists still travel to this incredible place, once dubbed “Wonderland.”

Decades prior, Yellowstone visitors arrived and traveled by other means, including stagecoaches, carriages, trains and buses.

NA ATIO OF N ESY PARK T R OU AL O, C TION PEAC ONE NA Y JIM ST TO B YELLOW O H P , VICE SER

After President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law on March 1, 1872, people began visiting the new national park. However, transportation to and through the remote region was difficult. Once railroad companies envisioned the money-making endeavor that became “tourism,” catering to upper-middle class and wealthy families, more and more individuals and families embarked upon the journey.

PHOTO BY GAYLE M. IRWIN

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OCT 2023

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y family and I began visiting Yellowstone National Park when I was a child in the 1960s. Our first method of transportation, like many families then, consisted of a station wagon large enough to carry parents, a child, fishing poles, camping equipment like a large tent, a propane cookstove, sleeping bags and pillows, as well as clothing and other gear. We later graduated to a pickup with an overthe-cab camper, which remained my father’s vacation transport of choice through my late teen years.

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Wom en o n Wes t Ye t r a i n i n llow ston e.

PHOTO BY R. ROBINSON, COURTESY OF NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

tourists to relish the park’s majesty in winter. Snowmobiles and snowcoaches transport visitors from December through March to feast their senses upon special sites like the western geyser basins.

Lodging is also available during winter months inside and outside the park.

Yellowstone Park Company bus in Sept. 1972.

The first railway connection occurred in 1883 to Livingston, Montana with a spur line to Cinnabar to the south a short time later. By 1902 Northern Pacific trains traveled to Gardiner, creating even more traffic through Yellowstone’s north entrance. Cody, Wyoming and West Yellowstone, Montana (known in earlier days as Riverside) also became homes for railroad lines in 1898 and 1907, respectively, servicing park visitors.

Stagecoaches took those early tourists into and through the park from the rail depots.

Other people traveled by horseback and carriage. Tents or sleeping under the stars served as accommodations until hotels began popping up. The grand Old

Lake Hotel and Yellow Bus in Aug. 2023.

Faithful Inn was completed in 1904; the original hotel at Mammoth Hot Springs was constructed in 1883 and underwent many renovations during the subsequent decades, including 2019. Lake Hotel, along the shoreline of Yellowstone Lake, was built in 1891; it, too, has undergone renovations, including adding the iconic white columns in 1903.

Although the railroads continued to serve Yellowstone entrances for several decades, automobiles began arriving in 1902, only to be evicted because a regulation didn’t allow for the entrance of these new conveyances. As cars gained popularity, the Secretary of the Interior relented.

In 1915, cars were allowed into the park. The use of wagons, carriages and stagecoaches began to wane, and buses took over to transport groups of visitors through Yellowstone.

During the past few years, some “yellow buses” have resurrected and once again transport park visitors to sight-seeing locales. People staying at the park’s hotels, including Lake and Old Faithful, can ride the buses and learn about the park from drivers and tour guides, allowing them to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the area without having to keep their eyes on the road as a driver.

Once closed to winter visitation, the invention of over-the-snow vehicles, starting with snowplanes, has enabled

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Last year marked the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Yellowstone National Park. Today, passenger trains no longer bring people to Yellowstone.

RVs, some as large as houses, and buses as big as a Greyhound transport, meander the often-curvy mountain roads alongside pickups, sports cars and hybrid and allelectric vehicles. Gas stations are found in and out of the park, and with help from the park’s nonprofit partner, Yellowstone Forever, and the concessionaire, Yellowstone Park Lodges, public charging stations for EVs are installed at several locations inside and outside of Yellowstone, including Gardiner and West Yellowstone, Montana, and at Mammoth, Old Faithful, and Canyon and Lake villages.

For nearly 40 years, I’ve driven my compact sedan to and through the park, most often staying in outlying communities close to the park’s boundary.

Now that I’m older and semi-retired, my desire is to stay inside the park. Old Faithful Inn and Lake Hotel are on my bucket list. I visited the beautiful setting of Lake recently and saw one of the yellow buses returning visitors to the hotel and picking up new passengers. I’d enjoy taking one of those excursions as well as a boat ride on Yellowstone Lake and a horseback ride inside the park.

Taking a few steps back in history in a magical location and relishing the grandeur of America’s first national park with former modes of transportation and historic lodging quarters is a pleasant goal I look forward to achieving. Perhaps I’ll even wear a bonnet or a fashionable ladies’ hat to heighten the experience!

(But I won’t jump into a bubbling geyser or bubble pot or try to pet a bison or bear!) W Gayle M. Irwin is a freelance writer based in Casper.

OCT 2023

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Y A L P S LET'

FRE

E C N A D E Z E

This is a great game that you can truly play anywhere – all you need is music!

Here are the rules:

Choose an adult or a big kid to be in charge of the music.

When the music begins, everybody starts dancing.

When the music stops and the music person shouts “freeze,” everyone stops dancing and stands as still as a statue.

Anyone who keeps dancing or moves is “out” for the next round.

They can help keep an eye on the statues to make sure no one moves, then dance again the following round.

Or just skip the part about being out!

Repeat until your kids get tired or everyone runs out of dance moves.

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

Communication

Sense of Self & Relationships

Curious Minds

Strong & Healthy Bodies

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.

Here ’ s why this game is so great: Listening for the musical cues to start and stop dancing practices listening skills and concentration.

Dancing is exercise! Your kids will use gross motor skills and practice their balance and coordination.

Dancing is a form of self-expression! Encourage your kids to dance however they want, and to pose as statues in a way that makes them feel strong.

Introducing your kids to different types of music will develop their music appreciation. They will probably want to pick a song or two!

Check “FALL TREE LUMINARIES” out This Find fun activities to do with your kids at month's wyqualitycounts.org/wren activity: