A Day at the Ranch

We spent a beautiful fall day with Grandad Cool at the ranch in Wyoming!

Lincoln helped feed his first bag of cattle cake to help move some heifers.

He also got to ride in the back of the truck with dad.

He went for a ride on the same merry-go-round I played on in elementary school.

He went on a walk down to the creek to throw rocks.

He explored a little with Grandad.

And then he slept while we fed some more cows and calves.  Quite a day!

Christmas Countdown: Days 14, 15, 16, 17

Whoops. Life happened. Honored mom. Bathed boys. Said good-bye to a faithful horse. Finished wrapping gifts. Back to Christmas fun tomorrow.

12/12 in 2012: Let's Go Pokes!

A little late on my October shawl--I may have briefly quit really knitting on this and tried to give the game, er, shawl away. Ah, but I pulled it out in the end and now have my own fabulous hitchhiker!

Fall Travels, Stop Six: First Snow at the Ranch

On our way back, we stopped at Grandad Cool's ranch, where the weather treated Lincoln to something that he had really been looking forward to: throwing snowballs, building a snowman, and drinking hot cocoa.

Cutie Pie Thursday: Random Cuteness June 2012

 Lincoln started coloring on his face, and then dad and I took it to the next level.  We will be comparing this to reality before we know it.

 An apple balloon shaped like an apple--fun for everyone!

 Riding a real "big" horse with Grandad--a bit hesitant, but ready to try again soon!

 Hanging out in a stagecoach in Wyoming--we had to ride in it for quite some time, pretending to ride across the countryside.  I am learning, as my parents no doubt did, that a child with an imagination is a double-edged sword.

Reading stories with great-grandma--he loves to read, with anyone who will read to him.

Three Days at Grammie's Home: Things We Loved

Lincoln making and drinking "cherry" "coffee."

Lincoln coloring with Grandad's highlighters.

Lincoln climbing up high on the stools by the kitchen to play and color while we cleaned/baked/cooked.

Playmobil knights tackling each other on a quilting mat (protecting Grammie's table from scratches.)
Hugging our beautiful Grammie and making her laugh.

Eating Grammie's heart scones and drinking tea.

Two-fisting PBJ sandwiches while making a growly ogre face.

Coloring even more with crayons together.

Yellow.
Knitting my first Jaywalker sock in a fabulous spring-y yarn on antique knitting needles (gifted to me by my Grandma, probably used by my great-grandma.)

Lincoln and I were totally blessed to stay at Grammie's home for three whole days, four nights, and a very windy time. We introduced Grammie to Cars 2, played in her school, and had an amazing time together.

Cutie Pie Thursday: Horses!

Lincoln just loves horses. Up close and personal was the best!

He seems to be making a point to Grandad Cool here: now this horse looks like a good piece of horseflesh--neigh!

Cutie Pie Friday: My Internet is Back, Or Family Meeting

We had a family ranch meeting/reunion in Laramie, WY in June. Lincoln discovered the wonderful world of hotel room mini-fridges. Especially when mommy stocks them with juice.

Sista Cool, a UW alum and her husband, brotha-in-law Cool, posed with a bucking bronc.

The whole extended clan (minus me and another photog) in Prexy's Pasture.

Lincoln got up close and personal with some art.

Papa Cool highlighted many aspects of family history and ranch business, including a very cool map of the ranch.

Lincoln discovered a giant dinosaur!

My Aunt Susan took pics outside her college at UW--and in front of one of the most redundant signs on the face of the earth.

More hotel room fun: Lincoln discovers riding the cart with the luggage--and your cowboy hat.

A frequent scene of the 3-day meeting: Lincoln playing while we listened and took notes.

Everyone walking by a UW building--so green and beautiful!

Cutie Pie Thursday: Let's Go Pokes!

He may live in Colorado, but the lad has a rich background in Wyoming, so his grandparents made sure he is off to a good start! He was glad they won their bowl game, even if he didn't get to see it! We've been singing Cowboy Joe as well.

The Bottom of the Ticket

I heard an interesting discussion this morning on NPR about the boost that John McCain is getting from adding Sarah Palin to the ticket. They discussed how people rarely vote based on the bottom of the ticket, but that Sarah Palin may be an exception. I've already written about the vice-presidential choice, and how little we know about vice-presidents, so that's undoubtedly true. People were voting for Ike, not Adlai Stevenson, and for FDR, not Harry Truman. I imagine there might be a change this year, with a few people voting for Sarah Palin, not John McCain, this time around.

To be honest, I've voted the bottom of the ticket twice in my limited presidential voting career--I was more excited about having a VP from Wyoming (Dick Cheney) than I was about George W. Bush. When you're the smallest state (population-wise), it's pretty cool to have the VP hail from your state. I imagine some Alaskans will understand where I 'm coming from at this point. Thinking about this led me to an interesting observation--Republicans, in the last few elections, have chosen VP candidates from states with very few electoral votes to offer, states that typically don't figure in D.C. political power polls.

So, I'm offering a few Alaska/Wyoming parallels this morning:
Population: WY 515,004 (#50)
AK 670,053 (#47)
Size: WY 97,809 square miles (#10)
AK 591,004 square miles (#1)
Electoral Votes: WY 3
AK 3
Citizens w/College Degrees: WY 22%
AK 25%
Registered Democrats: WY 59,000
AK 53,000 These are rough numbers, data difficult to find.
Top Google News Story: WY Fallen Wyoming serviceman honored in Iraq
AK Palin and Gibson re-enact 'High Noon' in Alaska

I could have added a lot more, but I think we begin to see a pattern--small states in population, large in size, with similar numbers across the board--and I have to admit, I think it's pretty cool that the Republicans will choose candidates from our "not nationally important" states.

Ketchup

A while ago I asked for some positive knitting vibes, and if you sent any, they worked! (If you didn't, that's cool.) I managed to knit a prayer shawl for Sista Cool, to help her with her IV Chapter Camp. Amazingly, i finished it in a week, and I think she likes it. (You can never tell.)
Also, I had to share a great branding tradition picture--we always cook a giant roast for the main dish in the branding feast, and here we see Mama Cool demonstrating how short people get it done! (Yes, she's kneeling on the counter to have correct roast carving leverage.)

Son of a Gun from Ol' Wyoming

I love being from Wyoming, and hope someday to return. I would not trade my childhood there for anything in the world. I am proud to be a Chugwater High School graduate--proud to have graduated from the same school my dad did. I posted about Greeley last week, but I felt a bit convicted for neglecting my true home.

TEN THINGS THAT ARE WONDERFUL ABOUT WYOMING

10. University of Wyoming: While I didn't attend, other than a six-week summer program, I root for their sports teams in every sport, because UW is our professional sports team. I love the campus, having been there many times, and if I could, I'd get my masters here.

9. Yellowstone National Park: We may be a small state population-wise, but we have the best National Park. And the first. And it contains a giant volcano that will someday blow us all to bits. Yes, even those of us in Colorado.

8. Frontier Days: My first scary experience with clowns was during a Frontier Days parade, and I have many other firsts connected to Frontier Days: mass pancake eating, watching the Thunderbirds, seeing a big-time concert, and watching a rodeo. Part of my early childhood in Cheyenne--the Grandaddy of Them All!

7. I-25: Now that I usually drive in Colorado, I look forward with pleasure to driving north. Once I shake off the last dregs of traffic in Ft. Collins, I can put the ol' car on cruise control and enjoy the drive.

6. Wind: Soon to be making new energy barons in the west, the constant wind of Wyoming is becoming a positive, rather than a negative.

5. Laramie: My favorite college town of all time, with superior restaurants (Altitude, Grand Avenue Pizza, and much more!), cool campus atmosphere, and fun shops. I haven't been in a while, as my sister has matriculated, but I love it.

4. Ragtime Cowboy Joe: Simply the best school song ever. Sure, "On Wisconsin" is fairly good, and the academies have catchy ditties, but you can't beat UW's school song:

Oh, how he sings raggy music to his cattle

As he swings back and forward in his saddle

On his horse (a pretty good horse)

With a syncopated gaiter

And with such a funny meter

To the roar of his repeater

How they run (yes run!)

When they hear him come

'Cuz the western folks all know:

He's a hifalootin' , rootin'-tootin'

Son-of-a-gun from old Wyoming,

Ragtime cowboy (talk about your cowboy)

Ragtime cowboy Joe.

3. The Open A X Ranch: My family's ranch, in SE Wyoming, is one of the most beautiful spots on earth to me. We have an incredible cliff/creek vista, lovely old barns and houses, and history. As a lover of history, having a family with deep roots is a blessing.

2. Chugwater: My "hometown." Small, but sweet. I worked at most places in town you could get a job at, I've walked all its streets--things are different every time I return, but I will always love telling people where I'm from.

1. Alphabetical Order: Wyoming is always the last state in any alphabetical listing, which makes it incredibly easy to find. Checking for yarn shops in a knitting magazine? Just go to the back. Wyoming may be last in any list, in population, in national importance, but it will always be first in my heart.

Just what exactly is rural?

I'm taking a chance here--dad, please don't think this post means I'm supporting Obama. I'm just questioning semantics.

While still a registered Republican (see, dad?), I've been fascinated by this year's democratic primary. Finally, someone other than a white male is running for president. I love learning about presidents, and I can guarantee you that they were all white males. (Several also had white hair.) At last we have a choice!

Anyway, I'm not so sure about the Clintons, and I've been secretly rooting for Obama. (I guess that secret is out.) Recently, my native state of Wyoming had a good bit of attention focused on it by the Democratic party, and Obama won. Obama also won in the caucuses of my adopted state, Colorado. I grew up in a rural area of Wyoming, and I now teach in a rural area of Colorado. So, I guess I just don't understand this quote from Bill Clinton: "If you can unite the energy and the new people that he's brought in and the people in these vast swaths of small-town and rural America that she's carried overwhelmingly, if you had those two things together she thinks it'd be hard to beat," Clinton told ABC News in Pass Christian, Miss.

See, I felt like Colorado and Wyoming were rural areas with small towns, like Chugwater. I've never been president though, so maybe I'm wrong.