For those living in populated areas it can be hard to fathom how a relatively large object, such as a missing airplane, can be so difficult to find in places like Wyoming. For the second time in two months a search is going on for a missing private aircraft in Wyoming. Today marks the fourth…
Tag: linkedin
Headway Against Cheatgrass in Our Future?
I sure hope so. I’ve always wondered about that fungus I’ve seen on cheatgrass. Wonder if it’s the Black Finger of Death? Great Basin scientists unleash new weapons to fight invasive cheatgrass I would like to comment, however on an enlightening chat I had with my great uncle. He lived through the severe drought years…
Gaillardia aristata
Sometimes I’m guilty of not wanting to grow what’s “already been done” as far as native plants are concerned, but I would do well to remember that folks who grow, propagate, and select native plants for use in the arid west usually have a pragmatic bent, and there’s a reason it’s “been done.” We had…
My Visit to the Crazy Woman
The North Fork of Crazy Woman Creek tumbles down the dramatic Crazy Woman Canyon southwest of Buffalo, Wyoming. Two legends exist as an explanation for how the drainage got its name: One involves a native American woman who was left alone after a rival tribe attacked and killed everyone in her village. She supposedly stayed…
Water Travels Uphill in the Wind River Canyon
Many locals know a trip up the Wind River Canyon has a surprising twist. While the scenery itself is spectacular, a mixture of optical and sensory illusion often causes the traveler to think that water is traveling uphill.
New Forest Fire on Casper Mountain
We were so close to getting through this fire season without a wildfire on Casper Mountain. This afternoon a large plume of smoke rose steadily from the mountain. It seems to have erupted very quickly, probably the result of steady winds. Right now, as the sun sets, the wind is dying down and we are…
Wyoming Wolf Plan Approved by USFWS
“Under Wyoming’s management plan, the state is required to keep a minimum of 10 breeding pairs and 100 wolves outside of Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Reservation. A minimum of five breeding pairs and 50 wolves are required inside Yellowstone.” Read the rest of this article from the Casper Star Tribune And the…
Early Harvest
My neighbor shared some of her harvest with me. Her little orchard is irrigated, so the high temps and drought conditions didn’t affect her apple and plum trees. If you are interested in the history of small orchards on the high plains, I recommend a book entitled High Plains Horticulture: A History In the early 1900’s…
Natives Can Take the Heat
I’m sure you’ve heard the US has experienced the hottest July on record, and over half of the country is in drought. Corn farmers are plowing their crops under as they shrivel in the dry soil and intense sun. Food prices are expected to rise. I was not comforted as I hiked through our horse…
The Original Western Ranch Decor
I like to look at the old log cabins, barns, and outbuildings built by early pioneers and ranchers. Wyoming has a lot of them, and our arid climate means they can be in pretty good shape half a century or so after they were last inhabited. The use of local materials is noteworthy to me….
Wild Fires Across Wyoming
As of today, July 5, according to the Fire Incident Information System website, there are four major, active fires in Wyoming. Here in Casper, we were greeted this morning with a nice little rain. Apparently the firefighters down in Fox Park and Sheep Mountain west of Laramie also experienced some light rain and cooler temperatures…
Colorado Wildfire Smoke Finds Us
Today was the first day of breathing smoke from the Colorado fires. My guess -the source is the High Park fire about 220 miles from here (Casper, Wyoming), now estimated at over 87,000 acres. The smoke gives the sky an eerie yellow cast. I remember 1988, my first year in Wyoming, standing on a high-ish…
Wyoming Life 