Karbon Kounty Moos

Two taken from the passenger’s window on the way to Lovell, Wyoming - yesterday afternoon.

Farewell forsythia. . .

Poor plum. . .

Post Cards Published 1949 by L.H. “Dude” Larsen.
Illustrated by “Hoke” Denetsosie

The corn chopper is down for the second time today. I just returned from Powell, Wyoming on a parts run. I don’t take any photos when it’s a rush job. Come to think of it - it’s always a rush job. The card above shows the type of driving I had to do. I couldn’t believe all the tankers and tourists on the gravel road. The card below? Well, just because. . .

The Sugar Beet Baron tries to take off a few hours once every summer. Yes, once. We’ll take a drive to Cooke City. Usually we’ll take the Chief Joseph Highway and return through Red Lodge on the Beartooth Highway. I was able to take my Mom when she was here last summer, but the Baron wasn’t able to stop at that time. Even just for a couple of hours. This year he was determined to go.

This is what we did on Sunday:

The Baron took Highway 308 south to Wyoming 120 then west to the Chief Joseph Highway 296. We found a dog friendly place for lunch.

Sugar was able to sit out on the deck with us.

What a lucky dog! She was well behaved in the car. She was frustrated with her first leash experience. I suppose we’ll have to practice. After we ate I drove to Highway 212 and then through Cooke City to Silvergate.

I turned around and we came back the same way, since the Beartooth Highway out of Red Lodge is under repair. Since I was driving I did stop a couple of times to take photos. All were taken from the side of the road.

You can see more at my flick’r site.

We were home in time to change water again.

Actually, it was a trip to Powell, Wyoming.
As close to a commute as I’ll get.
You can view these photos (larger) and more on
my Flick’r site.
Here are some of the views -
which will open in a larger window when clicked on:

Guest posting from the Cowboy State is my friend, Bonnie.
We originally met while commenting on Ed Kemmick’s City Lights Blog.
We decided to meet in real life - which is another long story.
I suppose that one of us will have to blog on that one!

Wyoming Rednecks

On June 11, a little boy had his 10th birthday. Among the presents was a rocket set with launcher and fuel cells picked out for him by his grandfather, aka “the boss.” Although anxious to try this wonderful gift, the boy waited for a day when there would be proper supervision. All through the little league baseball season, the first cutting of hay, he waited. Finally it was July 4, the day that his whole family and many of the neighbors gathered at his grandparents home for the annual irrigators’ picnic.

When the water was all set and his dad finally had time, the boy read the directions and he and Dad and a cousin and even a great uncle put the rocket together. They took it into the hayfield just south of the yard where the picnic was set up. The boy counted down…..5,4, 3,2,1 BLAST OFF. The rocket soared high above the hay field. Oh no! A breeze picked it up and carried it back over the picnic yard and into a huge old cottonwood tree. It was stuck high above where it could not be reached even with the loader. The boy was crushed but everyone at the picnic was trying to think of ways to bring the rocket back.

The hamburgers and hot dogs were grilled and everyone had a big picnic lunch. The boy didn’t eat much. He was so sad about his rocket. The grownups would walk around the house to look at the rocket stuck in the tree and shake their heads.

Finally the grandpa aka “the boss” said, “You know, Blake, I think we could shoot the branch off the tree and when it comes down you can get the rocket back.” The great uncle and the rest of the crowd were very skeptical but no one had a better idea.

Dad went to the shop and found a box of double ought shells. Grandpa went to the house and unlocked the gun cabinet and brought out the old 12 gauge double barreled shot gun that had belonged to his grandfather. The gun was probably even older than the tree but they were both over 100 years old! They decided where to shoot so as not to harm the rocket. Dad and a neighbor shot 22 blasts into the tree branch before it broke and the branch and the unharmed rocket hit the ground!! The old gun was hot and there were only three shells left!

Do you suppose Jeff Foxworthy would think you might be a redneck if you trim your trees with a shotgun?

The Pass