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NEWS S OURCE FOR WYO M ING C O - O P M E M BE RS

W Y O M I N G

R U R A L

E L E C T R I C

S INC E 19 5 4

MARCH

N E W S

2019

CENTERPIECE

KINDNESS

RANCH [16]

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

We Make a Moment of Sunshine [26]

Brighter together We prepare for the future while you plan for theirs. Together, Tri-State and our family of electric cooperatives are working together to power your tomorrows. We are brighter, stronger and better together. www.tristate.coop/together

[36] [16] M

MARCH

THE WREN MAGAZINE WYOMING RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS The official publication of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association

2019

The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, volume 65, number 2, March 2019 (ISSN 1098-2876)

[ 21 ]

is published monthly except for January for $12 per year by Linden Press, Inc., 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C, Cheyenne, WY 82001. Periodicals postage paid at Cheyenne, WY (original entry office) and at additional mailing offices. 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. 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 40,912 for 11 months ending in September 2018. 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. • Editor: Maggie York

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tri-State G&T, Westminster, CO – Dick Clifton, President Garland Light & Power, Powell – Scott Smith, Vice President Deseret Power, South Jordan, UT – Gary Nix, 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 High Plains Power, Riverton – Hearley Dockham High West Energy, Pine Bluffs – Michael Lerwick Lower Valley Energy, Afton – Fred Brog Niobrara, Lusk – Andy Greer Powder River Energy, Sundance – Mike Lohse Wheatland REA, Wheatland – Sandra Hranchak Wyrulec, Torrington – Dewey Hageman

ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO WREN Magazine • 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001, [307] 772-1968

FEATURES 06 B R ID G E R VA L L E Y

ECONOMIC BENEFITS E L E CT R IC A S S OCIAT ION

07 B R ID G E R VA L L E Y ' S CO-OP YOUTH

BREANNA HOOD

16 K IN D N E S S RA N C H CENTERPIECE

BY GAYLE M. IRWIN

26 CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

L OV IN G QU ILT S BY NEVA BODIN

wren@wyomingrea.org

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

ADDRESS CHANGES To change, contact Jean Whitlock: [307] 286-8140 or jean@golinden.com. Please make sure to include your name, address and co-op.

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

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

OFFICE OF WREN PUBLISHER Linden Press, Inc., 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C, Cheyenne, WY 82001

PRINTED WITH VEGETABLE INK

STATE NEWS & EVENTS 08 THE CURRENT 12 COWBOY STATE BUZZ 30 WHAT'S HAPPENING

ESSAYS & ANECDOTES NOTES 04 WREA W H AT ' S U P AT W R E A ?

BY SHAWN TAYLOR

ON THE RANGE 22 HOME VET'S PETS BY MEGAN BEAVERS

36 M A K I N G S T O R I E S ENLIGHTEN US

I N W YO M I N G BY JULIETTE RULE

FROM OUR READERS COOKS 28 COUNTRY BRUNCH TO PAPER 29 PEN RANCH GALS PICTURE IT 32 JUST WINDOWS

JUST FOR FUN CORNER 21 KIDS' S AG EB RUSH

24 PUZZLE H I P TO

B E S QUARE

BY KENDRA SPANJER

REVIEW 25 BOOK M Y R ANCH , T O O BY MARY BUDD FLITNER

COVER PHOTO Wheatland! PHOTO BY NEIL SUNTYCH

Good morning

WREA NOTES

WHAT’S UP AT WREA?

ith the legislature wrapping up the current session I thought this would be a good opportunity to fill you all in on what we at the Wyoming Rural Electric Association have been up to both inside the capital (currently the Jonah Building) and outside.

SHAWN TAYLOR

EX E C U TI VE D I R E C T O R

During the legislature we were able to defeat several bills that would have been detrimental to the cooperatives and to you the members, including three that we have been pushing back on since last spring. One such bill is HB-112, Electricity-Certificated Service Area, which would have allowed anyone to establish the point of delivery of electricity, rather than the point of consumption that defines our certificated service areas now. In essence, this would allow a large user of electricity that currently consumes the electricity in one service territory (cooperative territory for example) to switch and become a customer in a different utility providers’ territory (an investor-owned utility for example). This would have resulted in a severe cost shift to the rest of the cooperatives’ members. Similarly, SF-124, Contracts for Self-Generated Electricity, would have allowed for a third-party, non-regulated, non-utility to come into Wyoming and build a generating facility at an existing large industrial customer’s facility, effectively removing this large load from the rest of the utilities mix, be it co-op or investor-owned. Again, this would have resulted in a large cost shift to the remaining members. We had a strong grassroots effort to push back on both of these bills, and I would like to thank those of you that took part in that effort.

MAR 2019

We supported SF-150, Health Care Innovation, and SF-156, Medical Digital Innovation Sandbox. Stay tuned for more information on these bills in future WREN editions, but suffice it to say that we hope these bills will not only have a positive impact on rural healthcare in Wyoming but on efforts to bring broadband to our rural communities as well. Outside of the capital, the WREA board of directors voted last year to help the University of Wyoming stand up a class on the cooperative business model. We’re all very excited about this effort to teach what many of us already know – that the cooperative business model, whether it’s an electric cooperative, a food co-op or an agricultural co-op, works. The saying “what’s old is new again” rings true with our business model, and we hope to teach college students the way of the cooperatives. We will be featuring this effort in future editions as well. Finally, on a personal note, Tom Delaney, a long-time WREA board member and former president, as well as long-time Big Horn REA director/president, announced earlier this month that he is retiring. I just want to take a moment and thank him for everything that he has done for the cooperatives across Wyoming, and for what he has meant to me personally. I can’t express to Tom and his wife Deany enough how much they mean to me and how much I’ll miss them. Thank you for everything.

Tough training. Safe & reliable power. Linemen play a critical role in our mission to provide reliable, affordable electricity. Tough training and a focus on safety is behind everything they do. Simulated field operations and emergency-response training are ways Basin Electric invests in their safety and in providing reliable power to you.

Your energy starts here. basinelectric.com

ECONOMIC BENEFITS

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BRIDGER VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC. COUNTIES

4.65

SUBLETTE, SWEETWATER, UINTA

6,701

METERS PER MILE

METERS SERVED

BVEA Day of Service: In July 2018, co-op employees and their families participated in a day of service. A large group of helpers worked outside the Lyman Adult Day Care Center, scraping and painting the building, and updating landscape work. Volunteers also sorted books and pulled weeds for the library in Lyman. Another group picked up trash along Route 410.

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28 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES

45 HOUSEHOLDS SUPPORTED

CREATED IN 57 JOBS THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

$13,446,004 SALES

$2,364,400

$3,774,631

PAYROLL

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IN THE COMMUNITY

$3, 5 $220,560 $24,500

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GAY WOODHOUSE TARA NETHERCOTT HOLLI WELCH JEFF VAN FLEET

Land Use

53 TOTAL DOLLAR 6 , SF 99

Wills, Trusts & Probate

CAPITAL CREDITS RETURNED TO MEMBERS PROPERTY TAXES PAID SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS AWARDED AWARDED FROM OPERATION ROUNDUP DONATIONS

AT THE CO-OP: The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) recently completed a study of the economic benefits of Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives. Looking at employment and tax revenue data from 2017, the WBC reported that BVEA is an economic driver in the local community. IN THE COMMUNITY: Between 2007 and 2017, BVEA gave $3.5 million back to the community. Numbers are rounded to the nearest dollar.

MAR 2019

CO-OP YOUTH

Tell us about your studies and interests.

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF BREANNA HOOD

CO-OP YOUTH

I am studying Pre-Nursing at the University of Utah with high hopes of getting accepted into their nursing program next year. In high school I was in FFA and I was very involved in sports. In college I have had the opportunity to join a sorority and I have been able to acquire an amazing job at Primary Children’s Hospital.

How have your hometown, family and/or friends influenced you?

In addition, our co-ops sponsor high school students on the D.C. Youth Tour in June and Youth Leadership Camp in July.

BREANNA HOOD

THIS MONTH: Bridger Valley Electric Association’s nominee Breanna Hood was a participant in Youth Leadership Camp and the 2018 D.C. Youth Tour.

HOMETOWN: Mountain View HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED: Mountain View High School YEAR OF GRADUATION: 2018

Interested in applying for a scholarship, D.C. Youth Tour and/or Leadership Camp? Contact your local rural electric cooperative! See the insert in the center of the magazine for contact information.

COLLEGE: University of Utah MAJOR STUDY INTEREST: Nursing

I believe that the people in my hometown shaped me into the person that I am today. In my short life I have been offered so many amazing opportunities. My electric cooperative Bridger Valley Electric showed me a lot of support in both of the trips that they provided for me. The Washington D.C. Youth Tour and Youth Leadership Camp allowed me to meet many outstanding people that have also helped shape my life. I am eternally grateful to the people from my hometown and the electric cooperatives.

What are your plans for the future? I am planning to complete the nursing program here at the University of Utah. I believe that nurses have the power to change the world one patient at a time and that is something that is truly awe inspiring to me. I am hoping to be a pediatric nurse one day to help leave my mark on the world.

MAR 2019

THE CURRENT

WREA ANNUAL MEETING The National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA) sent its CEO to the Wyoming Rural Electric Association (WREA) annual meeting on January 31.

EO Jim Matheson addressed the group of WREA managers and directors, sharing what's happening in Washington D.C. “We need to recognize the value of who we are,” Matheson said. “… it gives us tremendous capacity to serve our members.” New Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon also spoke at the meeting. He touted the importance of a solid budget and economic diversification for Wyoming. “It’s a good place where we are, and we have a bright future,” Gordon said. The WREA’s 2019 annual meeting came on the heels of the 2018 annual meeting, which took place in Saratoga in September. The board of directors decided to make the change to coincide with the WREA’s annual legislative reception, which members were traveling to already. The WREA is required by law to hold an annual meeting every year, and will have the next annual meeting as the legislature convenes in the winter of 2020.

Senators chat with members of Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives after a meeting with the Senate Minerals Committee in Cheyenne on January 30. Wyoming's rural electric cooperatives are committed to delivering safe, affordable electricity to rural communities, and sometimes that includes keeping track of bills in the legislature.

NRECA CEO Jim Matheson speaks during the WREA annual meeting in Cheyenne January 31.

ALSO DURING THE MEETING:

PHOTOS BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS

Big Horn Rural Electric Company’s Tom Delaney announced he was stepping down from the WREA board of directors after 22 years.

Tom Delaney, center, poses for a photo with directors at the annual meeting January 31 after announcing his retirement.

MAR 2019

WREA Executive Director Shawn Taylor was recognized for 15 years in that position. Board members presented Taylor with a gift for his years of work. PRECorp Board Member Reuben Ritthaler was re-elected as the NRECA representative for Wyoming by unanimous vote.

WHERE WHERE DREAMS DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT TAKE FLIGHT

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we’re here. We empower communities our customers, members soar. We’re not your typical electricour company. We and don’thelp have we have members. People aren’t just our number one priority, they’re the reason To learn more about the cooperative difference, visit TouchstoneEnergy.com we’re here. We empower our communities and help our members soar.

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THE CURRENT

1ST PLACE

COLUMN WRITING:

PAGE LAYOUT & DESIGN: “Movie Making in the Cowboy State”

MAGAZINE ARTICLES: “Wyoming Grit: Year's End”

DR. MEGAN BEAVERS

WREN Awards Wyoming Rural Electric News won a total of nine awards in the annual Wyoming Press Association Associate Contest in January. The judging was for issues published between November 1, 2017 and October 31, 2018. WREN magazine competed for the awards against magazines from the University of Wyoming, Wyoming Game and Fish, AARP, the Wyoming Business Council, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County and others. 10

MAR 2019

3RD PLACE CHUCK LARSEN

GAYLE M. IRWIN | DEC 2017

MAR 2018

HONORABLE MENTION 2ND PLACE

OP-ED WRITING

PUBLICATIONS: APRIL 2018

SHAWN TAYLOR

MAGAZINE ARTICLES: “Glamour Abounds in Wyoming Campgrounds” JULIETTE RULE | JULY 2018

PUBLICATIONS: MAY 2018

FEATURE PHOTO:

LEAH YETTER | OCT 2018

To see past issues of WREN magazine, visit the WREN Archive at wyomingrea.org/ wren-magazine/wren-archive/

CONTEST

The 2018 contest winner was Nathan Fish, son of Niobrara Electric Association Lineman Jason Fish.

CODY HOTLINE SCHOOL

T-SHIRT DRAWING CONTEST It’s time again for this year’s drawing contest for elementaryaged kids, sponsored by the Wyoming Rural Electric Association and the city of Cody. The first place winner will receive $200 and their drawing will be featured on Cody Hotline School T-shirts. The second place winner will be awarded $100 and the third and fourth place winners receive $50 each.

TO ENTER: Draw your idea of a person safely working on 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 April 5. You can mail them to Cody Hotline School LLC, PO Box 697 Lusk, WY 82225 or turn them in to your local electric cooperative.

MAR 2019

COWBOY STATE BUZZ

APP TO HELP PRESERVE LANGUAGE Eastern Shoshone tribal members have found a way to preserve, and share, their language through a new app for smart phones.

Rosie Harris, the eldest Eastern Shoshone tribal member, made the click to officially launch the app during a special event at Fort Washakie School on January 23. The app, called Newe Daygwap (the Indian People’s Language), is available in the Apple Store and Google Play Store for no charge. The app features more than 500 Eastern Shoshone words and phrases, three levels of games, culture notes and a searchable database. It was created with the help of the Fort Washakie School District and tribal members who contributed audio files, traditional songs, photos and research. Ula Tyler appears on the home screen of the Newe Daygwap app.

MAR 2019

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COWBOY STATE BUZZ

WYOMING TRIVIA

LINEWORKER APPRECIATION DAY

APRIL 8 IS LINEWORKER APPRECIATION DAY Lineworkers work at every one of Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives, maintaining the lines and keeping the power on. More than 150 linemen and apprentice linemen are employed by the Wyoming Rural Electric Association's 11 utility cooperatives.

MAR 2019

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CENTERPIECE

KINDNESS

RANCH NEW LIFE FOR RESEARCH ANIMALS

A MEADOWLARK TRILLS FROM A WOODEN FENCE POST. HORSES WHINNY, CATTLE BAWL AND DOGS BARK, ANNOUNCING FEEDING TIME AT THE RANCH. UNLIKE SIMILAR PROPERTIES, THE ANIMALS AT KINDNESS RANCH COME FROM RESEARCH FACILITIES, SOME TO LIVE OUT THEIR LIVES AT THE EASTERN WYOMING SANCTUARY, OTHERS TO FIND NEW HOMES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. AFTER YEARS OF BEING POKED AND PRODDED, THE DOGS, CATS, RABBITS, HORSES, AND OTHER LIVESTOCK FIND RESPITE, COMPASSION AND KINDNESS. 

BY GAYLE M. IRWIN A view of Kindness Ranch. PHOTO BY GAYLE M. IRWIN

MAR 2019

POTENTIAL ADOPTERS ARE INVITED TO VISIT THE RANCH, MEET THE ANIMALS, AND STAY IN ONE OF FOUR ON-SITE WOODEN GUEST YURTS.



THE KINDNESS RANCH STORY Most animals in research facilities are euthanized when studies conclude. Colorado psychologist Dr. David Groobman saw a need for change and opened this unique rescue near Guernsey in October 2007. Kindness Ranch animals come from laboratories, universities, and veterinary schools across the country. “Rescuing and working with former research animals makes our job different,” said Kindness Ranch executive director Beverly Benoit. “We are comparatively younger than most sanctuaries or humane societies, which have had decades to raise awareness and money to support their organizations.” The organization started with just two employees and has increased to eight. Benoit became executive director last year; her husband serves as ranch manager. Several cabin-style yurts constructed over the years house caregivers and animals. “All staff live on-site. We’re like a small community,” Benoit said. Mary Miles has been part of that community for eight years. The Douglas-area native started her career at Kindness Ranch as a part-time employee. A few years later, she began working at the ranch full time; last year, she was promoted to companion animal manager. “This job is so rewarding!” she said. “The animals have given so much – we need to give back to them.”

MAR 2019

Her workday includes spending time at the dog and cat yurts. She feeds, plays with, trains, and otherwise socializes her charges. Watching a shy, formerlycaged research animal blossom into a pet ready for adoption gives her deep joy. “Dogs who don’t know how to be dogs when they first arrive – it’s so fun to watch them become wonderful companions,” she said. “This is my passion.” Some of the caregivers live with the dogs and cats, helping they adjust to living in a home environment. Furniture in the two dog yurts and climbing towers in the cat building help these formerly confined creatures live a freestyle life. All are provided access to the outdoors through pet doors in the buildings; the buildings are surrounded by fenced enclosures. Different species and breeds travel through the ranch’s gates. However, the primary type of dog at the sanctuary is the beagle, the breed most widely used in research. There are reasons for that, Benoit said. “They are complacent and don’t lose their appetite, no matter how bad they feel,” she said. “They likely have been in cages all their lives.” Potential adopters are invited to visit the ranch, meet the animals, and stay in one of four on-site guest wooden yurts. Victor and Gracie’s adoptive families did just that.

Beverly Benoit, executive director of Kindness Ranch.

One of three guest yurts available for rent at Kindness Ranch. These cozy cabins are tucked up near the tree line, come fully equipped for overnight stays, and overlook the ranch.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEATHER VALDEZ

Gracie Noelle, a beagle rescued by Kindness Ranch, relaxes in the home she shares with her adopted family, Heather and Eric Valdez.

PHOTOS BY GAYLE IRWIN

“I felt I had a kindred spirit with them,” Heather said.

ADOPTION STORIES Eight-year-old Victor enjoyed his first Christmas inside a house last December. The beagle was adopted in August by Rob and Lisa Mazzola when the couple visited Kindness Ranch for the third time. During their second visit earlier in the summer, Victor captured their attention. “There were five or six beagles there at the time,” Lisa recalled. “A few in the group came up to us; Victor laid in front of me.” They took him to their Colorado home where he’s settled in well with two other dogs and one cat. “Victor is super-friendly,” Rob said. “He’s right by you all the time, and he follows you all around. He’ll even cuddle on your lap.”

Rocky, a pit mix, and one of the Kindness Ranch dog caregivers share time together outdoors.

Gracie’s adoptive family also came for a ranch visit. Heather and Eric Valdez of Casper met the beagle after learning about Kindness Ranch on Facebook nearly six years ago.

She and Eric visited the sanctuary about a year later, after losing one of their dogs to old age. Gracie, then about two years old, caught their attention. The dog was quite shy at first. In fact, six months after her adoption, Gracie took her first full walk in the neighborhood. “The biggest challenge was us, not her,” Heather said. “We just needed to have patience and recognize and understand her timidity.” There have been many joys for these adoptive families. “Seeing her discover the outside world and discovering what being a dog is all about – that has been so wonderful,” Heather said. “Having her become part of the family and greeting you at the front door – that’s been a great joy for me,” Eric said. “Victor didn’t know much about collars and leashes,” Rob said. “Now, he goes on three mile-hikes!” “Every surface was new to him – pavement, grass,” Lisa said. “His world grew with every new surface. It’s interesting to see the transformation in just a few months.” 

MAR 2019

WITHOUT THE WARMTH OF ELECTRIC HEAT, [THE PIGS] SIMPLY WOULDN'T SURVIVE. WITHOUT NIOBRARA,

PHOTO BY GAYLE IRWIN

WE WOULDN'T EXIST.”



THE STORY OF COMMUNITY

Positive relationships with various research facilities are also crucial. The animals come from different backgrounds. Some, like Gracie, are part of pet food trials; Sundance, a lemon-colored beagle, went through various surgeries and drug tests. Six horses were part of cancer research. Adopters aren’t told which facility their new friend came from; they may, however, be informed about the type of research in which the animal was involved. “We maintain confidentiality, and we sign a memorandum with the research facility,” said Benoit. “Before we receive animals from these labs, there’s a lot of work done beforehand – it’s all about relationship building.”

Kindness Ranch’s community is regional, local, and national. A pit-mix named Frieda found her new home with an Indiana resident, and a three-legged dog named Michael now lives in Michigan. Other adopters live in Fort Laramie and Wheatland.

The sanctuary depends on supporters, including foster families. The operation runs on small grants and individual contributions. Although USDA regulated, Kindness Ranch receives no government funding.

Volunteers also come from near and far. A National Guard member at Guernsey volunteers regularly at the ranch, as does a teacher from Rawlins. Additionally, staff maintain a positive relationship with a local veterinarian who provides health care for the animals.

Above: Two tabby cat brothers hang out together in the cat yurt.

Niobrara Electric Association provides the electricity vital to the sanctuary’s work. Lights shine in the office, yurts, and barn, well water is pumped at various ranch locations, and heat is provided to ranch buildings. “Pigs can't really regulate their body temperature very well and have to have heat sources installed even though they are inside an insulated barn,” Benoit said. “Some animals come to us very underweight and thin. Without the warmth of electric heat, they simply wouldn't survive. Without Niobrara, we wouldn't exist.” 20

MAR 2019

NEW YEAR, NEW STORIES Stepping into a new year, and her second as executive director, Benoit foresees a busy and special time. Last month, 40 cats arrived, and at the end of 2018, the ranch welcomed 22 dogs. A call-out to the sanctuary community commenced. On the vast Wyoming prairie surrounded by pine-laden forests, such outreach occurs almost daily. Benoit hopes to implement fresh fundraising ideas this year while also continuing to find space for new arrivals and permanent homes after the animals are assessed. Kindness Ranch offers these dogs and cats a second chance, which gives both pets and people a special gift. “Even though there can be challenges for these animals – like being afraid of a TV or other noises because they’ve not known these things – through adoption, we are providing joy,” Benoit said. W Gayle M. Irwin is a freelance writer based in Casper.

ANIMALS IN RESEARCH Various businesses conduct research on animals. Pharmaceutical companies use them to discover how medications affect the body. Veterinary schools practice surgeries. Other types of tests done on animals include petrochemicals, agrochemicals, cosmetics and household cleaners. Some research can be and is done without using animals. Many claim animal research is necessary; others disagree. According to Speaking of Research (speakingofresearch.com/facts/statistics/), the USDA reported more than 820,000 animals were used for research studies in fiscal year 2016; this represented a seven percent increase from the previous year. Creatures most widely tested on are guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits (nearly 400,000); almost 79,000 dogs and cats were used, and about 83,000 sheep, pigs, and other farm animals were tested on in 2016. Some businesses, especially those in the cosmetic and beauty arenas, have stepped away from animal testing. To learn about other such companies, visit this website: leapingbunny.org/guide/brands.

KIDS CORNER

SAGEBRUSH

If Wyoming had a state shrub (which it does not) it should be sagebrush. But which one? Probably Wyoming big sagebrush, because it already has the name, but there are 11 other kinds of sagebrush also living in Wyoming.

SAGEBRUSHES OF WYO Low sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula) Silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana) Fringed sage (Artemisia frigida) Black sage (Artemisia nova) Birdfoot sage (Artemisia pedatifida) Porter’s sage (Artemisia porter) Snowfield sagebrush (Artemisia spiciformis) Bud sagebrush (Artemisia spinescens)

They all belong to the scientific genus Artemisia, which also includes many non-shrubby species. Together, these sagebrush species dominate most of Wyoming’s landscapes. The sagebrush steppe is home to many of the state’s iconic wildlife species, and provides habitat for thousands more. And, of course, sagebrush steppes support cattle grazing, energy development and recreation.

Threetip sagebrush (Artemisia tripartita)

Sagebrushes are so successful in Wyoming because of several unique adaptations that enable them to live in a windy, cold, dry climate.

THE THREE VARIETIES OF BIG SAGEBRUSH (Artemisia tridentata)

1 They have two sets of roots—one that

Basin big sagebrush (var. tridentata)

is shallow, to collect moisture from rains and melting snows, and another set that harvests deep moisture late in the growing season.

Mountain big sagebrush (var. vaseyana) Wyoming big sagebrush (var. wyomingensis)

DID YOU KNOW? Big sagebrush is the most widespread and abundant shrub in the world! Artemisia is named for Queen Artemisia II of Caria, a botanist and Naval commander who died in 350 B.C.

An excellent guide to sagebrush species can be found at sagestep.org/pubs/pubs/sagebrush_pock_guide.pdf. For a hard copy, be one of the first ten people to call or email the Biodiversity Institute at 307-766-6279 or biodiversity@uwyo.edu. Be sure to include your mailing address.

They are evergreen, which makes it possible for the plant to photosynthesize whenever it has access to moisture and sunlight, even when other plants are dormant.

They produce prodigious amounts of strongly-scented chemicals—terpenes and camphors—that discourage insects and mammals from browsing them for much of the spring and summer, when they are flowering and setting seed.

Sagebrush flowers are miniscule, but there are many of them. Each tiny flower makes a single tiny seed, but each plant has the potential to make hundreds or thousands of seeds. Late in the summer, as the seeds mature, the plants become less bitter in taste. Then, they become favored browse for many animals who eat the flower stalks and spread the seeds. In return for seed-spreading services, the sagebrush provides valuable energy, nutrition and shelter to animals throughout the winter. MAR 2019

HOME ON THE RANGE

BY MEGAN BEAVERS

’

VETS PETS 22

MAR 2019

It’s a given that a veterinarian loves animals and will have plenty of their own. Often, for whatever reason, veterinarians are blessed to have pets with odd diseases, defects or problems that other people don’t want or can’t manage.

e started married life by adopting a stray

Mitch as a lecture subject

It seems like we have a lot of special-

cat at the vet clinic where I was working.

for many years on why FIV is

needs cats and I’m not sure how that

He had been in a fight while living on

not a death sentence. Mitch

has happened. I am the crazy cat lady

his own and the bite wounds progressed

lived a long happy life, he

vet, so maybe unconsciously I really

to a massive infection of his front leg.

was approximately 18 years

love cats and they know where to go for

The muscles, skin and tendons were all

old when he succumbed to

help. But we also have a goat that fits

kidney failure, like many

the weird misfit category. Ishmael was a

FIV-negative cats do with

goat that I met before even his mother

age. I don’t think his disease

met him. I delivered him by C-section

altered his life expectancy

because his mom couldn’t deliver him

and he’s been a great case to

and his three siblings. On his farm he

talk about with clients.

would be destined to be a meal, until I

so damaged by the time he was brought to the vet that nothing could be done; his limb was amputated. He was named Smokey by the staff because of his lovely color, but I soon nicknamed him Pod Pod, a play on tripod. He was a neat cat, who followed me around the clinic, everyday all day. When my husband and I

Bunny was an 8-week-

had to move away for school, it was no

old kitten when she

question that Pod Pod would be coming

was surrendered to

with us. Three legs didn’t hold him back

be euthanized. She

from enjoying life; he loved car rides and

wasn’t using her back

going out for ice cream!

legs, but she was a

Our second animal with special issues was Mitch. He was a local fighting-wild tomcat. Slowly over months we gained his trust, until one day we could finally touch him. He was a sweet scarred-up guy who decided he wanted to be do-

little spitfire. Once in my possession, I was so attached to her fluffy little face and

was called to look at baby Ishmael’s eye. Seemed he had poked it on

...and now we have a one-eyed goat who thinks he is a dog.

her baby hiss that I couldn’t

her. X-rays showed

pointment to be neutered at the practice

damage to her lumbar vertebrae, but I

I was working at. A routine part of up-

was unable to determine if it was a con-

dating him on medical care is testing for

genital malformation or some sort of

common feline viruses, and Mitch tested

trauma sustained as part of life as a barn

positive for feline immunodeficiency vi-

cat. I tried several conventional and un-

rus (FIV). This is a virus mainly passed

conventional methods to see if she could

by fighting. It can affect a cat’s ability

regain control of her hind legs. She will

to fend off normal infections and open

use them and hop along like a bunny,

them up to other diseases or cancers. I

but she really doesn’t have control of

was torn as to keep him because our oth-

where and when they are going. She is a

er cats were all negative and his future was uncertain. Reluctantly we kept him. He enjoyed watching TV nightly while I did home-

very avid and patient hunter. She catches more rodents than the other cats combined and loves to help me do outside chores perched on my back, because she

work, and became a very docile and

just can’t quite hop along fast enough to

friendly cat; leaving his tomcat ways

keep up. Our little handi-cat does raise

long behind. In vet school, we tested

some concerns from visitors when they

Mitch again. Still FIV positive. We tested

spy her unique way of walking across the

our other cats. Still FIV negative. The

yard. But once I explain her situation and

immunologist was surprised and used

they meet her … they understand.

pen and it was infected and painful. Despite medical

treatment,

his only options were to be culled or have it re-

euthanize

mesticated. We scheduled him an ap-

something in the

moved. As a castrated mixed-breed goat his future was bleak regardless. I was looking for a heathen with cloven hooves to add to our mix, so I offered to take him and remove his eye if he could become our goat. And so, he did, and now we have a one-eyed goat who thinks he is a dog. It’s an unwritten rule that veterinarians should have at least one special animal in the mix. These aren’t my first nor will they be my last, there’s always room for more misfits around here. W

Dr. Megan Beavers is a veterinarian in Farson. MAR 2019

PUZZLE

HIP TO BE SQUARE Traditional quilt block patterns are not only beautiful to behold and take skill to execute; they also symbolize important concepts that strengthened relationships, recorded history or were used as life-saving codes, according to Underground Railroad researchers. Motifs like triangles and lines represented movement, while depictions of natural or man-made objects reflected the quilter’s lifestyle, values or surroundings. Match each quilt square with a name/meaning from the box, then whip stitch over to page 35 to grade your performance.

BY KENDRA SPANJER 1

PATTERN NAMES & MEANINGS BASKET – nature’s bounty BEAR PAW – follow to food & water

Hole in Barn (wrench)

Wagon Wheel

Road to California

Bowtie

BOWTIE – dress in disguise CAT’S CRADLE – children’s game CHIMNEY SWEEP – friendship FLYING GEESE – point the way

Chimney Sweep

Shoofly

Basket

Cat’s Cradle

Chimney Sweep

Shoofly

Basket

Cat’s Cradle

MARTHA WASHINGTON HOLE IN BARN (A.K.A. WRENCH) – preparedness MORNING OHIO STAR – hope for better life PRAIRIE QUEEN – pioneer woman

Ohio Star

Morning

Martha Washington

Prairie Queen

ROAD TO CALIFORNIA – migration SHOOFLY – friendly helper nearby TURKEY TRACKS – wanderlust WAGON WHEEL – begin a journey WILD GOOSE CHASE

Flying Geese

MAR 2019

Wild Goose Chase

Turkey Tracks

ANSWERS ON PAGE 35

Bear Paw

BOOK REVIEW

MY RANCH, TOO A WYOMING MEMOIR DESCRIPTION BY TERESA JORDAN For many outsiders, the word "ranching" conjures romantic images of riding on horseback through rolling grasslands while living and working against a backdrop of breathtaking mountain vistas. In this absorbing memoir of life in the Wyoming high country, Mary Budd FIitner offers a more authentic glimpse into the daily realities of ranch life – and what it takes to survive in the ranching world.

BY MARY BUDD FLITNER

Some of FIitner's recollections are humorous and lighthearted. Others take a darker turn. A modern-day rancher with decades of experience, Mary has dealt with the hardships and challenges that come with this way of life. She's survived harsh conditions like the "winter of 50 below" and economic downturns that

ORDERING INFORMATION:

threatened her family’s livelihood. She’s also wrestled with her role as a woman in a profession that doesn’t always treat her as equal. But for all its challenges, Flitner has also savored ranching's joys, including the ties that bind multiple generations of families to the land.

2018 | 232p. | $24.95 ISBN: 978-0-8061-6058-0 Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press Available online or directly from the publisher at 1-800-627-7377 or oupress.com.

WIN A

FREE  RANCH

ENTER TO WIN

"Nurtured by a father who had confidence his 'little bitty girls' could do the cowboy work alongside seasoned hands, and tempered by decades ranching alongside her husband, Mary Budd Flitner shows how difficult it is to work the land – and to pass it on to the next generation. My Ranch, Too is a powerful story, authentically and eloquently told." - Candy Moulton

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

 wyomingrea.org/

wren-submissions

COPY OF MY RANCH, TOO!

Name: Phone:

DECEMBER’S BOOK WINNER:

MICHAEL TAYLOR BUFFALO

Address:

ENTRIES DUE BY APRIL 10 One entry per household, please. MAR 2019

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

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RUTH REES

We Make a Moment of Sunshine BY NEVA BODIN At first everything is strange. You’re no longer in your familiar room and bed surrounded by well-known toys and stuffed animals. Most everyone you meet wants to do something with you—stick you with a needle, poke you in the stomach, listen to your insides. They smile, and they’re kind, but you don’t know what’s coming next. The world has shrunk to hospital walls, weird machines, and strange faces. Then you are given a soft and colorful quilt. It has animals appliqued on it. You can trace the pictures on it with your finger. And it remains with you – warm comfort in this alien world of a hospital. Such is the picture for many children at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah – a 289-bed pediatric hospital – who receive a quilt from Ruth Rees and her ever-growing number of volunteers. Rees, board member for the Wyoming Rural Electric Association and board secretary/treasurer for Wyoming’s Bridger Valley Electric Association, started the Make a Child Smile program to give hand-made quilts to hospitalized children 19 years ago. In 2018 alone, 165 quilts were made and donated to pediatric patients at the hospital by Rees and her friends.

“It’s easy to help the people we know and love, but Ruth helps everyone.”

Rees, not a quilter when the idea was born, was a 4-H leader. She wanted to teach kids the joys of giving. PHOTO BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS

MAR 2019

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and the carefully thought-out themes really can make a difference to a child when they find themselves in the hospital and in need of the extra comfort a quilt can bring.”

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A year ago Rees was invited to be a member of this board. “That is a special honor,” she said.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF RUTH REES

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Ruth Rees poses with some of her favorite quilts.

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Rees has worked for a dentist, for the Farm Service Agency, and she and her husband have a small construction company. They also manage a local landfill. Rees “gives back” in multiple ways. She has volunteered for the Uinta County Fair Board, the local cemetery board and the American Legion Auxiliary. “My husband and I did the American Legion 4th of July Rodeo for probably 10 years,” Rees said. She also organizes auction fundraisers when “Somebody has had medical problems, or they need some help.”

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Friends and acquaintances become involved “because you can’t tell Ruth ‘No,’” said Jud Redden, Bridger Valley general manager, who nominated Rees for the WREN spotlight. “When there’s someone in need, she’s always organizing some kind of relief effort for them—rides to the doctors or paying someone’s power bill."

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Nicole Peterson, chairman of the Corporate and Community Development Board at Primary Children’s said, “I have seen some of the quilts they have made for the children at the hospital, and they are beautiful! The detail in them

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“I did have a little granddaughter, age five, who had kidney cancer and had a kidney removed … I saw the inside of a hospital and how life changes when you have a sick child,” said Rees.

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“I’m passionate about this,” said Rees. “The community has participated like it’s unbelievable. Anyone can donate. This has become a community event with community support. There’s so much cheer and joy when people look at the quilts. We make a moment of sunshine.”

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“I noticed the kids struggling to find community projects. I came up with the Make a Child Smile class.” Designed with 4-H kids in mind, Ruth decided it could also include anyone in the community. The project eventually saw its own category at the county fair.

Lori Jensen and Ruth Rees deliver quilts to the Primary Children's Hospital.

“I’ve had a lot of things happen in my life where people came to my rescue and didn’t expect anything in return. I felt I had to give back,” said Rees.

Rees and her husband are third generation owners of a ranch near Fort Bridger, raising cattle. As a rancher’s daughter learning a strong work ethic, she helped “with everything,” she said. “I loved to hay, and see the miracle of birth during calving season.”

Redden noted that she also helps with Operation RoundUp,

a charitable program offered by utility cooperatives, allowing members to "round up" their bill to help those in need. Friend and cohort, Lori Jensen, said “She’s an awesome person. I have known her for years. Ruth can inspire people to donate, whether it’s time, money, or quilts. She doesn’t take no for an answer. She tells you the best way to help yourself is to help others. Just not knowing how to do something doesn’t stop her. She’s always thinking outside the box. She works with her grandkids to teach them how to become volunteers. She sees somebody in need and helps them, and it doesn’t matter who they are. It’s easy to help the people we know and love, but Ruth helps everyone.” “The world is full of good people, willing to help, share, give and love,” Rees said. “They just want to be asked.” Rees enjoys yard work and flower gardening, but “If I have a gloomy day, I just go to my sewing room,” she said. She also has 10 grandchildren who keep her busy and who are involved in her quilting program. She has made arrangements to hand over the reins someday for Make a Child Smile. “I have a granddaughter who’s promised to take over when I’m too old,” Rees said. “You have to be busy. It makes you feel good,” said Rees. “I feel very blessed. I’ve gotten many blessings in making a blessing.” W

Neva Bodin is a Casper-based freelance writer, registered nurse, painter and poet. MAR 2019

COUNTRY COOKS

BRUNCH DECADENT SCALLOPED POTATOES LARGE IRON SKILLET OR DUTCH OVEN 2 TSP SALT 1 TBS CHOPPED GARLIC (2-4 CLOVES) 3 CUPS CREAM OR MIXED MILK AND CREAM 2 LBS BOILING POTATOES 2 TBS BUTTER (OPTIONAL) 1/2 CUP CUBED COOKED HAM (OPTIONAL) PEPPER TO TASTE Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set up the oven with a middle rack for the dish and a bottom rack with a cookie sheet to catch boil-overs. Combine the garlic and salt on a cutting board and mash them together with the blade of a knife. Pour half of the cream into the skillet and add the salt, garlic and pepper. Slice the potatoes very thin, ¼ inch or less. Spread them evenly in the dish with ham (if using). Pour the rest of the cream into the dish, the liquid should partially cover the top layer of potatoes – add more if needed. Set the skillet on a stovetop burner, bring to a slow boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has slightly thickened. Scrape the bottom gently to prevent scorching. Turn off the burner and dot the top of dish with butter if desired. Place the skillet in the oven and bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes, until the top is browned and the potatoes are tender.

ADAPTED FROM

JULIA AND JACQUES COOKING AT HOME

HOT BANANA NUT CEREAL 1/2 CUP WATER 1/2 CUP SKIM MILK 1 TBS QUINOA 1 SMALL BANANA, SLICED (OR FRUIT OF YOUR CHOICE) 3 TBS OATS 2 TBS OAT BRAN PINCH OF SALT PINCH OF GROUND CINNAMON 2 TBS WALNUTS 2 TSP BROWN SUGAR OR HONEY 1/2 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT Stir the water, milk, and quinoa together in a saucepan; bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, or until the quinoa begins to soften. Stir in the banana, rolled oats, oat bran, salt and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently over low heat for 2 to 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts, brown sugar and vanilla.

WREN STAFF

MAR 2019

8 EGGS 1-1/2 CUPS MILK 1/2 CUP PLUS 1 TBS BROWN SUGAR 2 TSP VANILLA 8 SLICES FRENCH OR ITALIAN BREAD CUT 3/4” THICK 1/4 CUP BUTTER 1/4 CUP MAPLE SYRUP 1/2 CUP CHOPPED PECANS Place bread slices in a 9x13 inch pan. Blend or beat eggs, milk, 1 TBS brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Carefully remove bread slices from pan and set aside. Place butter in the 9x13 inch pan and put in the oven until melted. Add remaining brown sugar, syrup, and pecans, stir until well blended. Return bread slices and any liquid that drained from them to the baking dish. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Invert the slices to serve.

HANNAH HEGE

CARPENTER

Send complete recipe by April 10!

MAY'S RECIPES:

MEALS FOR KIDS

PRALINE BRUNCH TOAST

Please include your name, address and phone number. SUBMIT A RECIPE

 wren@wyomingrea.org |  [307] 772-1968  214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001  wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions

PEN TO PAPER

JEFF THOMAS

BURNS

RANCH

GALS

Her hair was plastered to her head, her arms were scratched and bloody, Her pants were torn, her shirt was ripped, her boots were wet and muddy. They told her to fix some fence that day, she didn’t even whine. And when they asked her how it went she smiled and said “Just fine!” They put her on a horse they all knew was kinda snakey: But you could tell she wasn’t scared, her voice weren’t even shakey. She stuck her toe into the stirrup and climbed into the saddle; You could tell from the look upon her face she was ready to do battle. When the dust finally cleared she was lopin’ towards the gate: And hollered over her shoulder “Fork your saddle boys or we’ll all be late!” Haying time and all the guys were in their air-conditioned cabs, But they put her on an antique F-9 with the oldest rake they had. She was always the first one out and last one in, until they hayin’ was done, The boss just shook his head and said “I wish she was my son!” High heel shoes and a dark blue dress, it’s about quarter until eight, Her hair is all cleaned and pressed, she’s goin’ on a date. When the boss man calls and says the windmill’s down and the cattle are out of water, “I’d haul some to them myself but I’m in town visitin’ my daughter.” Her date wasn’t surprised that she showed up with a little grease on her upper lip, What got him is that she was haulin’ a water tank in the back of an antique six by six! . Dedicated to all those gals that help keep our outfits running.

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.

Put Your Pen to Paper!

Please include your name, address, and phone number. SUBMIT A PIECE

 wren@wyomingrea.org |  [307] 772-1968  214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001  wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions MAR 2019

WHAT'S HAPPENING

WHAT'S HAPPENING REGIONAL MAP

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROCKPILE MUSEUM

MAR 20 – APR 20

01 | SOUTHEAST CHEYENNE FIRST & THIRD SATURDAYS Winter Farmer’s Market: Local foods, crafts and more. 10a-2p, Cheyenne Train Depot Lobby, info 307-640-2665, cheyennewinterfarmersmarket@ gmail.com.

MARCH 22 Wine Tasting Gala and Silent Auction: 18th annual Rotary Club gala themed “Shamrock the World with Service Above Self.” 5:30-8p, Rendezvous Center at Goshen County Fairgrounds, $30, info 307-532-2111. APRIL 9 Business Round Table: John Marrin will speak about the New Millennial Community Business Club, meeting from 12-1p with lunch provided. 2042 Main Street, info 307-532-3879.

02 | NORTHEAST

FEATURED EVENT

DEAR FOLKS, LETTERS HOME FROM WWII

TORRINGTON

CLEARMONT

C H U G WAT E R APRIL 5 Karaoke Contest Finals: Finalists will compete for $500 grand prize. Stampede Saloon & Eatery, info 307422-3200.

ENCAMPMENT ONGOING Grand Encampment Museum: Main Gallery and GEM Store open Mon-Fri 10a–4p, info 307-327-5308.

ONGOING Historical Center: Center open Thursdays 2-4p, 1250 Front St, free. Historical Group meets 2p first Mondays of the month at Clearmont Library, 1p third Mondays of the month at Sheridan Library, info 307-758-4430.

GILLETTE APRIL 12-13 Spring Fling Dance: Levis & Lace Square Dance Club hosts its annual event at Boys and Girl Club, 410 Lakeside Dr. $40/weekend. Info 307660-6318.

LARAMIE Dear Folks: Letters Home From WWII

THROUGH MAY 25

The Rockpile Museum is opening an incredible new exhibit featuring letters sent home by Campbell County soldiers during World War II. Not only will guests have the chance to read a variety of letters from Campbell County soldiers, they will also have the unique opportunity to listen to a selection of letters being read by the descendants of these men. Read and hear their stories as they talk about life in the South Pacific, Europe, Asia, and much more.

GILLETTE

Join the Rockpile Museum for an exclusive Exhibit Opening on February 26, 2019, at 6 p.m. The evening will begin with a short documentary, Dear Folks: The Making of an Exhibit, followed by a roundtable discussion with the volunteers and family members who came together to create this powerful exhibit. Refreshments highlighting foods from the 1940s era will be available.

ROCKPILE MUSEUM

The exhibit will run from February 27th through May25, 2019.

Local families gathered letters sent by Campbell County soldiers as they served in the South Pacific, Europe and Asia during the second world war for this exhibit at the museum. INFO 307-682-5723 ROCKPILE@VCN.COM

NORTHEAST 30

MAR 2019

APRIL 11 Legacy Collegiate Chorale: 40 faculty, staff, students and community members will sing. 7:30-8:30p, Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts, $12, $8 senior, $6 student, info 307-766-5222, kirisk@ uwyo.edu.

S A R AT O G A APRIL 20 Treasure Egg Hunt: A day of family fun at historical sites in Saratoga during this Saratoga Museum fundraiser. 10a, Saratoga Museum, $30, light lunch included, advance registration required, 307-326-5511.

APRIL 27 Powder River Energy Lineman Scholarship Banquet: Fundraiser includes banquet, benefit auction, side-by-side raffle. 5 p. Gillette Cam-Plex Energy Hall. Info 307-680-4747, precorp. coop. THIRD SATURDAYS Winter Farmer’s Market: 9a-12p, Gillette College Tech Center Building.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

MAR 20 – APR 20

03 | NORTHWEST

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

HULETT ONGOING Hulett Museum and Art Gallery: 8a–4p Mon-Fri, free, info 307-4675292.

MARCH 23 Chamber Banquet: 98th annual event. 5:30p, Hot Springs County Fair building, info thermopolischamber.org.

SUBMIT AN EVENT

Send complete information for the May issue’s events by

APRIL 10!

Please remember that events from the 20th of May to the 20th of June are included in the May issue.

UPTON MARCH 23 Festival of Tables: Chamber event, 6p, Upton Community Center, info 307-468-2642. WEDNESDAYS All You Can Eat Buffet: Drinks and desserts included, 5-8p, Upton Golf Course, $10, $7 seniors, info 307468-2847. MONDAYS & THURSDAYS Zumba: 4p, Senior Center, $5, info 307-391-0223. ONGOING Upton Gun Club pistol shoots: 7p on Mar 29, Apr 12 at indoor range, 705 Ash Street, $5, info rrrothleutner@yahoo.com. ONGOING Indoor Archery: Mon-Sat 5-9p, also 9a-12p Sat, 2741 Hwy 116N, $10, info 307-468-2506.

APRIL 13 Paint a Bird House: Hands-on activity inspired by traditional Native American practices. 2p, Riverton Museum, $5, $4 child, registration required, limit 12 participants ages 8 and up. Info 307856-2665.

THERMOPOLIS

S U N DA N C E ONGOING Library Events: Story time for toddlers and preschoolers 10:30a Wednesdays; Lunch Bunch book discussion group 11a fourth Thursdays; Quilting @ the Library 6-8p last Mondays. Crook County Library, info 307-283-1006 or crookcountylib@rangeweb.net.

R I V E RT O N

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@

wyomingrea.org

 [307] 772-1968  214 W. Lincolnway

Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001

 wyomingrea.org/

wren-submissions

DUBOIS MARCH 21 Let’s Go Sheep Hunting: Tory Taylor shares slides and stories of a 1979 bighorn sheep hunt in the Wind River Mountains. 6:30-7:30p, National Bighorn Sheep Center, info 307-4553429, bighorn.org. ONGOING Library Activities: Lego Club for grades K-5, 3:30p Tuesdays; Story time for birth-5 years 10:30a Fridays; and Lego Duplo Club for toddlers and preschoolers 11a Fridays. Dubois Public Library, info 307-455-2992.

APRIL 6 Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Banquet: Doors open at 5p, dinner at 7p, Hot Springs Country Fair building, info thermopolischamber.org. APRIL 12 2nd Friday ArtStroll: 5-8p, downtown Thermopolis, info thermopolischamber. org.

04 | SOUTHWEST F O RT B R I D G E R TUESDAYS Bingo: 6:45p, American Legion Hall, info 780-5489.

LANDER APRIL 11 Lander in 1919: An illustrated talk on what life was like in Lander 100 years ago. 7p, Pioneer Museum, free, info 307-332-3339. APRIL 13 Noble Hotel Walking Tour: Learn the history of one of Lander's grand old buildings. Meet in front of the Noble Hotel at 10a. 25 people maximum, free but reservations required, 307-332-3339. ONGOING TO APRIL 16 For the Love of Water, Then and Now in Fremont County: Using historic photos and artifacts, the display looks at the importance of water for agriculture, recreation and industry in Fremont County. Pioneer Museum, info 307-332-3339. ONGOING Swing Dancing at the Coulter Loft: Sundays in March and April, 6-9p, 126 Main Street, free, info 307-332-8228.

J AC K S O N FRIDAYS TO MARCH 29 Feathered Fridays: View live birds such as owls, hawks and eagles. 12-2p, Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, free. School and nonprofit groups are encouraged to call 307-739-9322 for a private raptor lesson. ONGOING National Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides: Daily 10a-4p through early April. $25, $15 for ages 5-12, under 5 free. Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, info go.usa.gov/xPStJ, 307-7330277. MAR 2019

02 01

01 THIS MONTH:

WINDOWS

My dog Rebel looking through a window at an old Copper Mine on Sheep Mountain, Carrie Miller, Laramie

03 06

day at Fremont County 02 Beautiful Courthouse, Flower Norris, Lander reflection in the window, with large 03 Cold icicles hanging down, Carol Dewey, Carlile

04 Cloud reflections, Pat Nelson, Cody 04

JUST PICTURE IT

MAR 2019

MAY (DUE APR 10):

JUNE (DUE MAY 10):

DEER

LEARNING

05 06

Granddaughters looking through an old window at Fort LaClede, Carrie Miller, Laramie

view of history through the window of 06 Atime, Sheila Muhlenkamp, Fort Laramie out the airplane window, Brad 07 Looking Lapp, Gillette

08 The beauty remains, Charles Dirks, Buffalo 07 08

 wren@wyomingrea.org SUBMIT A PHOTO

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

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. Don’t use Kodak Easy Share®. If you would like your work returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

10 09

11 farm in northern Iceland, 09 Rural Vicki Olson, Powell yard view from living 10 Wintery room window, Linda Torczon, Cody

ruin on the Hook Peninsula 11 Church of Ireland, Vicki Olson, Powell window on the Moulton 12 Ahomestead cabin in the Tetons, Vicki Olson, Powell

MAR 2019

PUZZLE ANSWERS

HIP TO BE SQUARE 1

FROM PAGE 24

Hole in Barn (wrench)

Wagon Wheel

Road to California

Bowtie

Chimney Sweep

Shoofly

Basket

Cat’s Cradle

Basket

Hole in Barn (wrench)

Wagon Wheel

Road to California

Bowtie

Hole in Barn (wrench)

Wagon Wheel

Road to California

Bowtie

Chimney Sweep

Shoofly

Cat’s Cradle

Chimney Sweep

Shoofly

Basket

Cat’s Cradle

Ohio Star

Morning

Martha Washington

Prairie Queen

Flying Geese

Wild Goose Chase

Turkey Tracks

Bear Paw

Ohio Star

Morning

Martha Washington

Prairie Queen

Flying Geese

Wild Goose Chase

Turkey Tracks

Bear Paw

16 correct: Blue Ribbon Quilter | 12-15 correct: Sew close! | 6-11 correct: Just warming up | 0-5 correct: All thumbs

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MAR 2019

ENLIGHTEN US

BY JULIETTE RULE

Making Stories in

W YOMING ALWAYS

HAD BEEN A PART OF MY CHILDHOOD.

IT WAS MY MOTHER’S LEGACY, REALLY, BUT WE NEVER VISITED.

Two generations before mine had called Montana home, and most of us adventured through Yellowstone National Park regularly on foot and in cars, sometimes even on horseback. Here’s an inventory of what I knew about my homesteading great-grandfather. Albert Fiedler immigrated from Budapest, Hungary to Chicago as a cabinet maker and then to run his ranch in northeast Wyoming. (Or was it a dryland farming operation? Either way, we could only make assumptions about how he acquired the land.) 36

MAR 2019

Wyoming

lbert had two children: A daughter, Lydia, my maternal grandmother. Then a son, Walter. His wife died in childbirth, and how bittersweet that must have been. A son to help with the ranching. But the loss of a wife who had seen him through the many tribulations of running the operation near Arvada in the 1920s and 30s and maybe into the 1940s. My great-grandfather’s sisters stepped in to help raise Lydia, which I hope was a welcome relief for her as my great-grandfather never was accused of being an overly indulgent father. In retirement, he would move to Butte, Montana, to be closer to his daughter and her family. My parents would meet in college there, and the rest, as they say, is family history. We always said my grandmother was raised on a Wyoming ranch. This is the seed that planted in me an early fondness for pastoral and wide but not empty spaces. It was there long before I knew Willa Cather, Annie Proulx and Gretel Ehrlich.

That was nearly 20 years ago, and I still haven’t gotten to Arvada. The lack of information available online about the place does more to intrigue me than to inspire a road trip. I can’t drive Casper to Shoshone – as I often do on my way home to Montana – without stopping at Hell’s Half Acre. I found an old highway marker of the Oregon Trail on the road to Laramie Peak’s trailhead. I saw a two-headed calf encased in glass in the basement of the Lusk museum. (Why keep that kind of wonder in the basement, I asked my guide who ignored my question.) I’ve eaten a meal at every state penitentiary facility in the state – very short visits owed to my career as a reporter. I’ve been to the Smithsonian of the West, as I believe Al Simpson christened it, dozens of times. I’ve been awed by big horn sheep rambling the highway west of Cody. My mom helped me move to Cody, and she was somewhat begrudging about it. As we drove the Belfry Highway, I marveled at the landscape. The hoodoos. Those wind-molded features of dirt, dust and little water. I imagined cowboys running sheep and cows. Cattle dogs and sheep dogs nipping at heels. Native Americans standing stoically – aren’t they always stoic in my whitewashed imagination? – on the dissected plateaus that rise from the basin that holds Highway 120. The mystery and the history.

My grandmother would

say “On the ranch,” and “Powder River Let ‘er

Buck,” and when we’d

see a Wyoming license plate, she’d proudly

declare “There goes Big, Beautiful Wyoming!"

It was part of every family road trip we took, which as a reminder, never was “back to the ranch.” My grandmother would say “On the ranch,” and “Powder River Let ‘er Buck,” and when we’d see a Wyoming license plate, she’d proudly declare “There goes Big, Beautiful Wyoming!” That was all she said. Really. And we didn’t probe for more. I, of all the Fiedler offspring, am the only one who called Wyoming home as an adult. Evidently, I was the only one who felt its primordial pull. I moved to Cody in 2000 for a job at the Cody Enterprise. Excited to start my career in journalism, the location was perfect: Three hours from my hometown, Bozeman, and it bordered the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. From Cody I moved to Laramie, and from Laramie I moved to Cheyenne – each migration for a newspaper job.

My mother, unimpressed with yet another of my choices, said “Really? This is what you want?” I was unemployed and living in her house, so you wouldn’t think she’d complain. She just couldn’t conceive of the appeal. Just couldn’t see its raw beauty. She couldn’t see how moved I was by the landscape. How pleased I was to be so close to Yellowstone and with a job, too! The East Gate became a nice change from my well tread journeys through the North Gate at Gardiner, Montana, and West Gate at West Yellowstone, Montana.

It took me more than a decade of living in Wyoming to finally concede that though most entrances to the park are in Montana and though it is federal land, Wyoming could rightly claim Yellowstone as its own in its tourism promotions. And even though Montana lays claim as “Big Sky Country,” it’s got nothing on Wyoming’s skies. Thirty years after those road trips with Lydia, I still know next to nothing about her family’s history in Wyoming, but I’ve made my own stories. Powder River, let ‘er Buck. W Juliette Rule is a writer who misses Wyoming and Montana from the home she shares with her cowdog, Maszlo, in Colorado. MAR 2019

CLASSIFIEDS WREN CLASSIFIED ADS ARE $0.75 PER SIX CHARACTERS  CONTACT SHAWNA@GOLINDEN.COM

 970-221-3232 EXT 22

CATEGORIES 01.

EQUIPMENT

02. FOR SALE 03. HORSES 04. LIVESTOCK 05. POULTRY 06. REAL ESTATE 07. WANTED 08. CRAFTS 09. OPPORTUNITIES 10.

MISCELLANEOUS

11.

BUSINESS CONSULTING

12.

FOR RENT

13.

HELP WANTED

14.

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15.

EMPLOYMENT SOUGHT

16.

BUILDING SUPPLIES

17.

TRAVEL & RECREATION

18.

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19.

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20. FREE

MAR 2019

02 | FOR SALE

07 | WANTED

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

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 307-680-8647 jwandler@LNH. net or daughter Briana Brewer 307-660-2402 bbrewer@ frontierauto.net.

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. Herren Bros., Box 187, Harrison NE. 1-308-668-2582. Surplus Equipment New and Used: Generators, air heaters, engine driven pumps, (all sizes), solar pumps, 3” and 4” polypipe, etc. A variety of types and sizes available. Call for pricing and details: Premier PowerPlants & Pumps, Farson, WY 307-273-9591.

Want to purchase minerals & other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201. We Pay Cash For Mineral & Oil/Gas Interests producing & non-producing. 800-733- 8122.

20 | FREE Soon Church/Government uniting, suppressing "Religious Liberty" enforcing "National Sunday Law." Be Informed! Needing Mailing address. TSBM Box 99, Lenoir City, TN 37771, thebiblesaystruth@yahoo.com, 1-888-211-1715.

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