WY WOMEN & FAMILY: Big Horn Basin Folk Festival Family Entertainment August 4&5, Thermopolis

 

KIDS ACTIVITIES AND GHOST STORIES AT THE BIG HORN BASIN FOLK FESTIVAL, THERMOPOLIS AUGUST 4&5

For more information:  bighornbasinfolkfestival@gmail.com

The Fourth Annual Big Horn Basin Folk Festival is coming up soon. The festival is part of the Gift of the Waters Pageant Days week-end, Saturday and Sunday, August 4 and 5, 2018, in Hot Springs State Park, Thermopolis, Wyoming. The festival program includes a robust line-up of activities for the whole family, along with Wyoming’s own artists, craftsmen, musicians, storytellers, artisan and guild members’ demonstrations.

“There will be a variety of art and music activities for kids and the whole family to choose from on both days”, according to Festival Committee head Toddi Darlington. “You can pick up a schedule at the festival and find exact times and locations”. Activities on Saturday include Sun Fabric art and owl rock painting in the Kids Being Creative Activity Tent plus the Color Thermopolis Mural,  roping, and a singalong with V, the Gypsy Cowbelle with handmade instruments on The Green. The Buffalo Steel Drum band will be playing too. Ghost Stories at The Pavilion start around 7:30pm, after the Pageant.

On Sunday, there will be additional activities in the Kids Being Creative Activity Tent, including Sallie Wesaw and Friends with hands-on iris basket making — plus there will be demonstrations and storytelling on both days around the festival that will be for the whole family to enjoy. Food will be available both days.

Miss V, Gypsy Cowbelle photo courtesy Big Horn Basin Folk Festival committee

The festival is part of the Gift of the Waters Pageant Days weekend. The Pageant tells how the hot springs were transferred to the state by the Native Americans on the Wind River Reservation. It will be performed starting at 6 pm in the area around the Big Spring Saturday and Sunday evening, and is free and open to the public. T-Shirts for both the Folk Festival and the Pageant are available to buy in advance at Thermopolis Print Zone/Discover Thermopolis, 521 Broadway.

The Big Horn Basin Folk Festival is open to the public without charge. It is sponsored by Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation, Kiwanis International and Hot Springs State Park with support from National Endowment of the Arts, Wyoming Arts Council, IMtour, Wyoming Independent Music Initiative and Hot Springs Travel & Tourism. Additional support is from Hot Springs County Education Endowment, Las Fuentes, Thrivent Financial and Pinnacle Bank.

Contact  bighornbasinfolkfestival@gmail.com  for more details.

Roping is one of the fun family activities available at the Big Horn Basin Folk Festival August 4&5 in Thermopolis. Photo courtesy BHBFF committee

Pioneer Museum’s Sheep Shearing Day in Lander

Pioneer Museum Sheep Shearing Day — A Wonderful Woolly Day!

text & images courtesy Pioneer Museum, Lander

On the prettiest day of the spring so far, over 300 people came out to Lander’s Pioneer Museum to celebrate the history and heritage of the sheep industry in Fremont County and have fun.

It was the third annual Sheep Shearing Day, which has been a popular spring event at the museum. Designed to recognize the long history of the sheep industry in the area, there were shearing demonstrations, crafts for kids, a petting zoo, horseback rides and talks on the history of sheep. Sponsored by the Lander and Riverton McDonalds, it was the first Kids Exploration program of the summer.

A new addition this year were lamb burgers grilled up by the Fremont County Pioneer Association. The lamb was provided by the Wyoming Wool Growers Association (WWGA), and was a huge hit with people.

Amy Hendricks of the WWGA said one of their missions was to get people more aware of how important the sheep industry still is to Wyoming’s economy. The fresh lamb is just one product produced in the state by the industry.

John Farr of Encampment did several talks on the history of the sheep business from the time of Christ to the present. “What a wonderful event,” he said. “It’s a great way to get young people involved in our history.”

According to Museum Curator Randy Wise, Sheep Shearing Day will be back. “We are always adding new things and making it a bigger, better event.” Wise said that there are many events throughout the summer at the museum, from Treks and Speakers to kids exploration programs. Two upcoming events for kids are Kids Gold Panning Day May 11, and Pioneer Arts and Crafts June 10.

Call the museum to sign up (space in the two kid’s program is limited) or check the museum website www.fremontcountymuseums.com for more information.

Downtown Sheridan Wraps Up Summer!

3rd Thursday Sheridan Logo July 2016

From the Downtown Sheridan Association…

The days are getting shorter, and I for one look forward to a little slower pace…but, honestly there is still so much going on and so many reasons to visit downtown, I never do seem to get much time to unwind!

This week, our final 3rd Thursday will feature the Craft Brothers and the Sheridan High School varsity teams pep rally. Be sure to stop by the main stage for the first ever “flash mob” to be held on Main Street at 7pm!

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The following Thursday at the weekly farmers’ market on Grinnell Plaza, CATO Ranch and the Cottonwood Shop are sponsoring the first “Sheridan Amateur Chopped” contest! A lively crew of local foodies will be cooking up some delicious meals comprised mostly of locally raised meats and produce. The last Thursday of September, the 29th, the Sheridan Farmers’ Market sponsored by Landon’s Greenhouse, will close out the downtown market season here on Grinnell Plaza. However, Saturday, October 8, the DSA will again cosponsor the Sheridan Local Food Expo/Fall Harvest Market. This year’s event will take place October 5th through October 8th, kicking off with a premier screening of the PBS/Farm to Fork Episode of, “Compost” at the Sheridan Public Library on Wednesday the 5th at 5:30pm.

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Friday, October 7th is the Farm to Plate Gala Dinner at the Barn in Big Horn. A four course seasonally inspired dinner prepared by Chef Antonia Armenta Miller, of CATO Ranch, will be paired with wines from Jackson Hole Winery. The tickets are $75 each. This fee helps raise funds to benefit the Local Foods Expo group with a portion of the proceeds also benefiting the local youth programs that promote our commitment to support, promote and educate the community on the importance of buying and eating locally. For more information, please contact Bonnie Gregory at 307-752-5712.

The weekend will wrap up on Saturday with the Farmers’ Market Fall Festival at the Whitney Academic Center on the Sheridan College Campus. Sponsored by Wyoming Roofing, this market combines the Sheridan & Landon’s Farmers Markets from 9am till 11am with live music by Crooked Mountain and featuring other seasonal events. The morning market will be followed by a discussion panel entitled, “Eating, Growing & Selling” at noon. For more information, please contact Donald Legerski at 307-683-7849 or email sheridanlocalfoods@gmail.com.

 

Finally, the Historic District Promotions Committee continues to focus on year-round shop local campaigns that help to increase awareness of what our downtown has to offer as well as create incentives and enthusiasm for local shoppers during the off-holiday season. The October Hunting for Bucks shop local campaign incorporates the ever popular hunting season as well as rewarding locals for shopping downtown by offering “chamber bucks” as a weekly prize for shoppers throughout the month of October. The City of Sheridan has generously agreed to sponsor the campaign again this year. Last year, the first Hunting For Bucks campaign was a huge success with $800 in chamber bucks distributed to 21 lucky shoppers.

For more information, please call 307-672-8881 or email

 

WYO AG: National Ag Day Shout Out to Sims Sheep Company, Evanston

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Sims Sheep Company — Evanston & Lyman

Leather-n-Lace Photography, Evanston

Lacee & Shaun Sims are good, kind people that are part of the family owned & operated Sims Sheep Company of Evanston & Lyman — Lacee is also a photographer who owns Leather-n-Lace Photography in Evanston. For a National Ag Day shout out (which we just barely missed on March 15!), we wanted to share a few glimpses into their everyday life ….

About the Sims Sheep Company … Within this company, you’ll find the most prolific and hardy range sheep in North America.  Among the breeds found on the ranch are Purebred Targhee and Targhee-Fin Cross Rams. Sims Sheep Company raises Feeder Lambs, Ewe Lambs, and Range Sheep.  The Ranch embodies a conservationist spirit, using sustainable farming and grazing methods.  The land hosts a variety of animal species which provides excellent Elk, Deer, Antelope, and Game Fowl hunting.  The ranch is family owned and operated and boasts a heritage of over 100 years of family ranching.

Lacee Sims cute sheep March Lacee Sims herd highway March Lacee Sims Leap Ewes February Lacee Sims March Ag Day 1 Lacee Sims March Ag Day 2 Lacee Sims March Ag Day 3 Lacee Sims March Ag Day 4

 

Bill Sniffin: My Wyoming

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MY WYOMING — by Bill Sniffin

Smoky times remind of state’s worst fires

 

As I write this, the beautiful view of the Wind River Mountains out of my window is obscured.  It is so smoky we are leaving our windows shut because it smells like a brush fire a short distance away.

In this case, that brush fire is 1,000 miles away.  Northern California and parts of Oregon and Washington are burning up.

This smoke is covering up towns all over Wyoming especially in the Big Horn Basin and Wind River Basin.

It is hard to find a city or town from Cheyenne to Evanston or Powell to Gillette in which smoke has not dominated the view. At least the sunsets and sunrises have been magnificent!

Here in Lander, we enjoyed one clear day between all the smoke from the northwest to local smoke from the Little Bob fire on the Wind River Indian Reservation.  They are letting it burn and it is over 1,500 acres and growing.

These ash clouds also remind of a time 27 years ago when Yellowstone National Park literally burned up. Here is what I recall of that event:

Is this hell?  Or is it Yellowstone? That was my exact thought as I piloted a small, single engine airplane over the vast expanse of Yellowstone National Park the first week of September, 1988, during the horrible fires that year.

Flying with me on that day was Larry Hastings, one of the best pilots and instructors in Wyoming history.  Also along and helping take photos was Mike McClure, a legend in his own right, as a premier photographer.

Both men lived in Lander. We had been talking about making this flight for some time.

It was my bright idea.  We had seen TV coverage of the fire but no one seemed to have a good aerial view.  I always want to figure out a way to take a big picture in the easiest way possible and flying over the park seemed the best plan.

Hastings was aware of the altitude restrictions, which caused us to be quite high as we flew over the world’s oldest national park while it was literally burning up.

The view was both impressive and unimpressive.  It was impressive because as far as the eye could see was smoke.  It was unimpressive because it was impossible to make out landmarks.  Not even the mountains were very visible.

What was visible were a large number of hotspots where fire would shoot 200 feet in the air.  It was hot down there.  The park I loved was going to be changed forever.

That event two and half decades ago was unprecedented in the history of the National Park Service.  There were contrasting programs of fire suppression and “controlled burns” in place, which caused the people responsible for the park’s existence to be incapable of dealing with the conflagration.

Cities and towns in a wide circle around the park enjoyed the most colorful sunsets in history.  Lander, which is a two-hour drive southeast from YNP, the evening views were unprecedented.  It was an awful time for folks with respiratory problems.  No wind and no rain could relieve these conditions.

Fighting the fires in 1988 cost $120 million which is $230 million in today’s dollars – almost a quarter of a billion dollars. It covered some 800,000 acres or over one third of the park.

Biggest fire was the North Fork fire, which was started July 22 by a cigarette dropped by a man cutting timber in the neighboring Targhee National Forest.

One of the most amazing scenes of this fire was when embers from it were sent airborne across the massive Lewis Lake by 80 mph winds setting new fires on the other side of the lake.

This complex of fires burned 140,000 acres and was finally extinguished when some welcome rains fell later that fall.

Stories about other parts of the park and the valiant effort of more than 13,000 firefighters, 120 helicopters and other aerial devices, plus National Guard and civilians detail bravery but were to no avail.  Important structures like Old Faithful Inn and the Lake Hotel were saved but efforts to stop the fires proved to be impossible.

Mother Nature wanted that fire to burn and it did until she was ready to put it out.

And that memorable day 27 years ago we were flying above a scene right out of Dante’s Inferno. I experienced a memory that I would both like to forget and yet, always recall.

 

Check out Bill Sniffin’s columns at www.billsniffin.com.  He is a longtime Wyoming journalist from Lander who has written six books. His newest is Wyoming at 125, which is coming out in September. His books are available at www.wyomingwonders.com.

 

WYOMING MADE: Lazy KT Designs, Gillette

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TO CONTACT:  785.200.0487 kaitlynmartin@outlook.com www.lazyktdesigns.com

We were excited to profile Lazy KT Designs and owner Kaitlyn’s friend The Rusty Bucket (also of Gillette) in our Sprinter 2015 issue of WLM. These two ladies excel in producing fun & unique products right here in Wyoming! Lazy KT Designs just released a really cool series of antique ceiling tile artwork, and we asked for a chance to share it with our readers … See below for Lazy KT Designs’ contact info, and be sure to visit the Wyoming

First Program’s cabin at the Wyoming State Fair through August 15 for a chance to check out LOTS of Wyoming-made products! (And October 2&3, Wyoming stores can visit our Wyoming Made Expo to see products they can carry in their stores, too!)

Lazy KT Designs website

Lazy KT Designs Facebook page

Wyoming First Program Facebook page

Wyoming Made Expo event Facebook page (October 2&3, 2015 in Douglas!)

 

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From the Parks: Two Temp Exhibits Celebrate Wyoming at Natl Elk Refuge

 CLICK HERE & READ OUR NEW ISSUE ONLINE!

 

WY Beef Summer WLM 2015

A reproduction of Rock Springs' Andrew Kneeland's Duck Stamp award-winning acrylic painting.
A reproduction of Rock Springs’ Andrew Kneeland’s Duck Stamp award-winning acrylic painting.

Two temporary exhibits will be on display next month at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, located at 532 N. Cache Street in Jackson. The public is invited to view the colorful exhibits, which celebrate Wyoming successes.

From the National Elk Refuge … The first exhibit commemorates the 125th anniversary of Wyoming statehood. Wyoming became the 44th state admitted to the Union on July 10, 1890. An interactive display will give visitors an opportunity to learn more about the state’s history and fun facts. Both a Wyoming and National Elk Refuge time line will be featured, along with coloring sheets, state logos, and a Wyoming quiz. Small Wyoming flags will be given to the first 200 families that visit the exhibit, which will be in the upstairs theater from July 2 through July 12.

Later in the month, visitor center staff will add a second exhibit to the upper level of the visitor center. The Wyoming Junior Duck Stamp 2015 Artwork Tour for the Top 100 entries and National Best in Show will move from its current location at the Campbell County Public Library in Gillette to the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center from July 9 through August 2.The exhibit features an acrylic painting of two wood ducks by Andrew Kneeland, age 17, of Rock Springs. Not only was Kneeland awarded top honors in the state competition, but his artwork was judged the winner among best–of–show entries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. His design will appear on next year’s Federal Junior Duck Stamp, scheduled to be released in June 2016.

The Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is a dynamic educational program that uses both conservation and design principles to teach wetland habitat and waterfowl biology to students from kindergarten through high school. The program incorporates both scientific and wildlife management principles into an engaging visual arts curriculum. At the completion of their studies, participants complete a Junior Duck Stamp design, which is submitted to a state or territory contest. Top entries move on to the national competition.

 

Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center hours are from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm.

 

The Living Wyoming SE WY Hardcover Book now taking orders

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The Living Wyoming: A Photographic Tribute, Exploring the Southeast Quadrant

Read about Rich, Bo and their books in our upcoming Wyoming Lifestyle Magazine Spring & Early Summer 2015 issue – almost complete!

The first hardcover “The Living Wyoming: A Photographic Tribute” book, by Rich Rosenfeld and Robert (Bo) Edgerton, will be released and available for shipping on June 10th. Pre-order your copy between March 25th and April 19th, all of which will be hand numbered and signed by both contributors. ONLY pre-ordered books will be hand numbered and signed. Pricing on pre-orders will be $38.95 each and will include postage within the lower 48 states. As an added bonuses, for ALL pre-orders, Bo will be giving out a “PDC” Promotion Discount Code for 10% off any image from the book that you would like to have printed. Any Size! AND we will also offer those that pre-order the first book, a 10% discount when they pre-order our second book, covering the Southwest Quadrant, when it becomes available.

To order you can either go to “The Living Wyoming” Facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Living-Wyoming/197620580418258. Use the link on the left side of the page or type the link into your browser: http://peachtree287.wix.com/the-living-wyoming or go to the Mystic Light Images page athttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Mystic-Light-Images/526794460733940where Bo will have the information and links pinned to the top.
Please contact Rich & Bo by e-mail at: peachtree287@gmail.com – if you have any problems ordering or have any questions.

Art & Events – December 11, 2014

Visit our website & read the Fall 2014 issue – Winter 2014-15 issue is in production!

Check out Dead Drift Fly Fishing Company's new mini store at 107 E. Grand Ave in Downtown Laramie Wyoming!
Check out Dead Drift Fly Fishing Company’s new mini store at 107 E. Grand Ave in Downtown Laramie Wyoming!

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New Art Exhibit Showcases Creative Lives of Our Librarians
Jackson, WY- When Teton County Library staffers are not busy helping community members answer research questions, navigate new technology or find books, they’re making sculptures, music, paintings, poetry, hand-bound books and other art. Come see their creativity, now being showcased in the Library Staff Art Show, which opened Wednesday and will be on display in the Library Gallery through January.

“There’s a surprising quality to it,” said Library Director Deb Adams. “People think librarians are serious. What you see is we’re fun; we’re creative.”

The show features art created by 23 library staffers when they’re not at work. Library IT Systems Manager Kent Fiske made a vase and paperweight now on display. Before he started working at the library, Fiske worked as a professional glass blower and artist. Cut facets on the iridescent, oval-shaped paperweight invites the eye to peer inside where Fiske has created a miniature “universe” that appears to mimic mountains swirling in clouds.

Displayed next to Fiske’s glass are two hand-bound books made by Library Volunteer Program Coordinator Lokey Lytjen. “I love it, it’s very relaxing,” Lytjen says of the art of binding her own books. One of her pieces, a simple bound book that’s a tribute to her parents, holds together hand-made mulberry paper embellished with calligraphy and family pictures.

Library Education and Program Manager Oona Doherty oversees exhibits in the library. She said she got a surprise when helping arrange this exhibit. When she accidentally knocked over an origami sculpture created by Library Assistant Eva Dahlgren, out fell butterflies and a small piece of paper referencing Newton’s Third Law, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

Likewise, Library Page Robin Allison references another famous mind, Vincent Van Gogh, by recreating, in painstaking detail with a needle and thread, Van Gogh’s 1888 painting, “Bedroom in Arles.”

The Library Staff Art Show also holds other clues to the creative lives of library workers with title cards highlighting one biographical element about each artist, revealing their favorite literary character; what they’re reading now; or their hometown library.

You can find Teton County Library online at www.tclib.org, call us at 307.733.2164 or visit us at 125 Virginian Lane in Jackson.

Nutcracker 2014

Holiday Open House at the Laramie Plains Museum

Visit the Laramie Plains Museum’s website for more details

 

Laramie — This weekend, December 13 & 14, the Laramie Plains Museum is hosting its annual holiday open house at historic Ivinson Mansion. Rooms of the mansion will be decorated with a “western” Nutcracker theme with local florists contributing live arrangements. Holiday music will be performed by the Melodees, St. Mathew’s carolers and Wind and Roses harp duets. Complementary tours will be offered for the community on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 3 to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 14from 1 to 4 p.m.

During the event the Laramie Women’s Club will host their annual Christmas trinket and goodie sale in the Alice Hardie Stevens Center (behind the mansion).

University of Wyoming Women’s Club Hosts Holiday Home Tour 2014

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Sage Dec 2014 event

“Retrospective Invitational Show” at Sagebrush Art Center

Dec.2, 2014- Jan. 9th, 2015, Reception Dec 11, 4:30-7pm

Sagebrush Art Center’s latest “Retrospective Invitational Show” features work by three well-known Sheridan area artists: Carol Berry, Elaine Henry, and Margie Newman.  The show encompasses the entire first floor of the art center, located in the Historic Train Depot at 201 E. 5th Street, in Sheridan.

This annual exhibition runs through January 9, 2015. This project is supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council, through funding from the Wyoming State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Also Showing:

The Sheridan County Artists’ Guild’s “Member’s Only Annual Holiday Show,” hangs through December 20th in the mezzanine at the Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library.

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ON THE CALENDAR: June 28, 2014 & Beyond

LJD-2014-block (4) Pinedale Fine Arts June 28 2014

Pinedale’s Soundcheck Mini-Music Fest Returns Saturday, June 28

The Pinedale Fine Arts Council is proud to present the seventh annual Sound Check Mini-Music Festival on Saturday, June 28 at 5 p.m. at American Legion Park in Pinedale, WY. The event is free to attend so dust off that cooler, grab your camp chair and head to Pinedale for an evening of amazing music!

Headlining this year’s Soundcheck will be Portland, OR singer/songwriter Laura Gibson. Gibson currently records for the independent U.S. label Hush Records. In 2008, she toured the United States as the opening act for Colin Meloy of the Decemberists. Since the release of 2009’s Beasts of Season, which NPR called “nothing short of a masterpiece” and Mojo called “both quietly devastating and life-affirming”, Gibson has seen her career swell to include everything from modeling in a Japanese fashion magazine, to receiving a standing ovation from an auditorium full of prison inmates.

Playing the Soundcheck middle slot this year is Olympia, WA/Minneapolis, MN duo The Lowest Pair. The Lowest Pair is a quirky, old-time roots influenced duet, featuring the high lonesome harmonies of banjo pickin’ songsters Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee. They perform both traditional and original music, often nestling-in somewhere between. With their city folk front and back porch sentiment, this new, sweet, and powerful duo are turning heads across the country.

Opening the 7th annual Soundcheck will be Austin, TX duo Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay. Leigh and McKay craft story songs with equal measures heart and humor. “Before the World Was Made,” the Austin-based songwriters debut collaboration spotlights the celebrated troubadours in peak form via modern day country duets a la George Jones and Melba Montgomery but with very sophisticated songwriting.

Following this year’s Soundcheck will be an official after party at Rock Rabbit featuring Austin, TX trio Loves It! Born in Austin, Texas in 2010, Loves It is the duo comprised of songwriters of Vaughn Walters and Jenny Parrott that has already played hundreds of shows in the US, Europe and Asia in that short time. The harmony driven pair often switches between guitars, fiddle, and banjo, adding special guests to create a bigger sound, and playing with a veneration for tradition, and a determination to bring a modern voice to their favorite folk, country, gospel and punk sounds.

The annual Soundcheck Fest was first conceived 7 years ago by the Pinedale Fine Arts Council as a means of testing a new sound system they purchased with grant money from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund. The Town of Pinedale and the Sublette County Recreation Board helped support this event.

For more information please visit www.pinedalefinearts.com or call 307.367.7322. And be sure to find PFAC on facebook!

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Catch the Fast Rodeo Action During the World’s Oldest Paid Rodeo in Lander, WY. — by Wind River Country

The 120th Pioneer Days Rodeo, The World’s Oldest Paid Rodeo is July 3rd and 4th in Lander, Wyoming at the Lander Rodeo Grounds. It has western action and excitement for everyone!

The rodeo events (6:30 p.m.) include saddle bronc, Jr. bull riding, bareback riding, barrels, steer wrestling, ultimate miniature bull riding, team roping, and much more!

 

On both evenings, the Indian relay is a fast and entertaining race. Native American riders ride bareback around the track exchanging horses after each lap.

Pre-sale tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for kids (6-12). At the gate tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids. Call the Lander Chamber of Commerce – 307-332-3892 for tickets. On July 4th stay for the festive fireworks after the rodeo at dusk.

 

Start July 4th at the Lander Senior Center for the Pancake Breakfast 7-9 a.m. $5, 205 South 10th Street. The July 4th Pioneer Days Parade is a favorite and starts at 10 a.m. on Main Street, Lander. This is the World’s Oldest Historical Pageant Parade. The parade starts with the Annual Lander Half Marathon, walkers 6 a.m., runners 6:30 a.m.  After the parade, head on down to Lander City Park for the annual buffalo BBQ 11 a.m.-2 p.m.  Tickets ($7) are usually sold during the parade or purchase tickets at the Lander Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are $8 at the door.

Casper’s Nicolaysen Art Museum Celebrates Nic Fest June 27-29

Nic Fest June 2014

 

 

Beauty & the Beast Rodeo in Ten Sleep + Special Beauty & Beast Gear from Outlaw Rodeo Wear!

visit our website & read the current issue

Click the Food & Photo Festival image to be connected with our festival schedule & ticket sales!

UPDATES ON THE BEAUTY & THE BEAST RODEO!!  Check out the update from the Beauty & the Beast Rodeo held in Ten Sleep over Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday, May 24, 2014! Call 307.366.2311 for more info – and visit their website at www.tensleeprodeo.com

Bulls and bareback are full! Barrel racing still open: prizes to 6th place and $1000 added money! Kids events: barrel racing and mutton bustin’. WILD HORSE RACE!!

AND!!! Outlaw Rodeo Wear is offering a limited edition Beauty & the Beast hoodie for $35. Know anyone that might like to have one? Check out this special & lots more cute western wear for the whole family at www.outlawrodeowear.com!

Visit our shopping listing to learn more about Outlaw Rodeo Wear & to see more samples of their work!

 

MADE IN WYOMING: Last Loop Rope Art

 

We are thrilled to team with the Wyoming Business Council to feature a Wyoming First business every week on our blog! Wyoming First is a program that promotes Wyoming member businesses. Visit their website (click here) to learn more about this service — and if you are a Wyoming business who’s not a member, be sure to inquire about membership! There are many benefits!

This week we are featuring Chele Needens Last Loop Rope Art

209 Klondike Road Buffalo, WY 82834

307-684-7843   twoeyedbaker@hotmail.com   lastloopropeart.com   On Facebook — Last Loop Rope Art

 

Last Loop Rope Art was started in 2000, when a very dear friend of Chele’s that made rope items passed away. His wife asked her if she would like to give it a try, and handed over all her husband’s supplies. Chele began, as many do, making pieces for her friends and family – and has turned that small beginning into a business.

Last Loop Rope Art has come a long way from that first Rope Basket. Chele is the creator and sole owner, and does everything from start to finish. That includes actually roping with the ropes that are later turned into a piece of art! Chele is a rancher and loves to barrel race and pole bend. While at rodeos she likes to see if any of the cowboys are willing to part with their ropes. Her rope activities and the ropes the cowboys use give each of the pieces a unique story and are a piece of Wyoming’s way of life. In 2010 Country Women Magazine came out and did a story on Last Loop Rope Art. They spent two days with Chele learning how to rope and how to make a rope bowl. The story came out in the spring of 2011, the April/May magazine.

Chele’s rope art is a little different from others. There is no glue; the work is burned together and then power washed. Although these rustic, one-of-a-kind pieces are sturdy, they are still a piece of art and can break.

Chele enjoys taking a customer’s idea and creating a beautiful piece of art, so custom orders are welcomed. Pieces include: baskets, bowls, candle holders, bathroom soap bottle holders, wastebaskets, lamp bases, business card holders, bird houses, welcome signs, wreaths, crosses and ribbons, mirror frames, clocks, footstools…..the possibilities are endless. Depending on the product, rope used and embellishment, prices start at about $17.50.

Chele also produces WildRags. WildRags are usually as 36” x 36” piece of cloth in various colors, patterns and fabric type that cowboys have worn for decades. They were traditionally used to keep the cowboy’s neck and face warm, cool by wetting in cold water, or to keep the dust out of their face, and other practical uses. Chele makes Wyo-Skies Wildrags, which are made from 100% silk, in a variety of sizes and dimensions. She dyes them herself and no two scarves are the same. These are great for anyone, in any type of weather (silk allows your skin to breath). Wyo-Skies Wildrags can be used as headbands, belts, wraps…and just about any way a person could image. Pricing starts at about $15 (8” x 54”) to $45 for a 44” x 44”. Most of Last Loop Rope Art pieces are feature on their Facebook page, Last Loop Rope Art & Wyo. Skies Wildrags, and the website, lastloopropeart.com. Pieces can be found at the Flying Eagle Gallery in Thermopolis, as well as the Jim Gatchell Museum and Frontier Toppings in Buffalo.

Sara Pinson, RD, LD: Can Do Weekly Resolutions

 

We’re thrilled to add another guest blogger – Sara Pinson, RD, LD, who will provide us with tips on eating & staying healthy. Certainly something that is applicable to everyone!

 

Sara Pinson is a Registered Dietitian, Wellness Coach and Type I Diabetic.  As the owner of Sustainable Wellness, she works with individuals and organizations to help people make health changes simple, not hard.  Sara Pinson, RD, LD  foodladytalks@gmail.com

How do you want your 2014 to “taste”?

Build Your Base by Practicing “You Can Do” Weekly Resolutions

Compliments of Sara Pinson, RD, LD

Sustainable Wellness:  One Bite @ a Time!

 

“The little train went roaring on, so fast, it seemed to fly
Until it reached a mountain rising almost to the sky
The little engine moaned and groaned and huffed and puffed away
But halfway to the top it just gave up and seemed to say

I can’t go on, I can’t go on, I’m weary as can be
I can’t go on, I can’t go on, this job is not for me…

I think I can, I think I can, I think I have a plan
And I can do ‘most anything if I only think I can”

The 1930’s child’s book titled The Little Engine That Could originally authored by Platt & Munk CO., Inc. told a sweet and simple, yet meaningful story.  A story that can easily be applicable to so many aspects of our life.  Change, such a hard thing to do.  Takes willpower.  If only it could be as easy as the characters tell us in The Little Engine That Could.  News alert…it CAN.  Take a step back and consider what it would look like if your New Year’s resolutions could actually turn into habits that don’t fly away in the Wyoming wind?  What if you woke up and made the following promise to yourself… “Each day of the week, I will do just one thing to make a better me.”  Up for it? Below you will find a suggested daily “to-do” list.  Read on…and THINK you can…because you “can do most anything” if “only” you think you can.
Monday- Identify your motivation level.  Your motivation drives your commitment, your sustainability and ultimately your success.  Choose your number TODAY.  Are you a 1 and not really into this change for the better type of thing?  Are you a 5 and somewhere in the middle and not really sure which direction you want to head in or are you a 10 and just can’t wait to begin your journey towards a healthier YOU, no matter how challenging it may be?  Stay true to your number and recognize what increases, decreases, or holds you motivation steady.

Tuesday-Try a new and unfamiliar fruit.  Variety is so important when trying to sustain your wellness.  Often we get tired of the same types of foods.  Keep it new, fresh and exciting by putting yourself out there and trying an unfamiliar fruit. Have you ever heard of blood oranges or dragon fruits? Take a few minutes today and read up on a fruit you have never tried before. You may surprise yourself and like it!

Wednesday- Try a new and unfamiliar vegetable.  We tend to turn to the usual, carrots, broccoli and greens beans. But what about eggplant, radish, kale, brussel sprouts or spaghetti squash?  The list goes on when it comes to veggies you may have never heard of before.  Spearhead a family challenge, try to find vegetables that begin with the letter A, then B, then C and so forth.  What an innovative way to get your kids to try a new food and add some spunk to your usual choices!

Thursday-Take 5 minutes out of your day, increase the volume on your I-Phone and bust a move.  Getting your heart huffing and puffing gives you an energy burst that is priceless.  Taking just a few minutes out of your day and allowing yourself to be a little “silly” goes a long way in the day’s productivity and sets the stage for a happy mood and decreases stress level. Grab a friend, a co-worker or a family member and combine fun with fitness!

Thursday: Look at a food label of a food or drink that you have in your house.   You may just surprise yourself and recognize what REALLY is in some of your household staples.  If you find that it’s loaded with sugar and fat, this doesn’t mean you CAN’T have it.  Raise your awareness.  Saving those indulgences as a “sometime” food grants you the permission to enjoy it but with portion and frequency control in mind.

Friday: Use measuring utensils to measure out your cereal, rice or pasta.  Get ready for a wakeup call!  It accumulates quickly.  Adding perspective to what and how much you are eating goes a long way in promoting appropriate serving sizes. You won’t know until you do it, so grab that utensil, measure up and resonate on where improvement may be necessary.

Saturday:  Take 15 minutes to eat your meal.  We call this “mindful eating”.  Take home message, the slower you eat, the less you will eat and the faster you will get full.  Mealtime should be a relaxing family centered activity, so take your time, engage in conversation (without food in your mouth) and enjoy each other’s company. The hustle and bustle of the day deserves a dinner meal that is free from distraction and simply…peaceful. 

Sunday: Share with 1 person, 1 change you have made this week.  Two huge aspects of sustaining wellness is holding yourself accountable and being proud of YOU.  If you made a goal and stuck with it…celebrate!  Change is hard and should be recognized.  Even if it was as simple as going to the gym once in the last 5 days, great work and spread the word.  Remember living a healthy life is contagious so you are it and pass it on!

 

MADE IN WYOMING: High Country Horse

We are thrilled to team with the Wyoming Business Council to feature a Wyoming First business every week on our blog! Wyoming First is a program that promotes Wyoming member businesses. Visit their website (click here) to learn more about this service — and if you are a Wyoming business who’s not a member, be sure to inquire about membership! There are many benefits!

This week we are featuring High Country Horse of Laramie, WY

Oliver “Ollie” Hill, High Country Horse Laramie, WY 307-745-4553  Ollie_wy@hotmail.com  www.highcountryhorse.net

Ollie Hill got started because of his love for horses and hunting and fishing trips in the back country of Colorado and Wyoming.  His first high country experience was during a high school graduation fishing trip with his brother.  Ollie’s will to take a horse on this trip out weighed his knowledge on how to do so.

Ollie participated in Al Richardson’s noted Packing and Outfitting course during graduate school.  He became inspired to teach others how to enjoy riding, packing, cooking and learning survival skills for high country adventures.  This is when he became interested in sharing this experience and information with others to help them learn.  Packing schools and demonstrations are very much hands-on, with a custom arrangement with tack and saddle shops and with universities and colleges.

Ollie began authoring books and teaching credit courses, as well as teaching one day packing courses and demonstrations.  There are now five “how to” books that are on the market in over 40 states and over 20 countries.   These “how to” books provide information on animal packing and outfitting:

  • Packing and Outfitting Field Manual
  • Dot It Yourself Plans for Rawhide Panniers
  • Do It Yourself Plans for Mini-Pack Horse
  • A Do-It-Yourself Guild to Improvements, Repairs and Complete Rigging of Crossbuck and Decker Pack Saddles
  • Do It Yourself Plans for Deluxe Portable Camp Table

The newest product is an educational game for kids and their horses–”Kid’s Arena Horse Play Game.”  This game was created to provide a fun learning experience for kids and their horses.  Kids complete the arena course by successfully answering horsemanship questions and performing riding skills required to move on to each station.  The questions address both Western and English riding and cover a wide range of horse health, anatomy, tack and equine knowledge.  The game is for three age groups.

To order any of High Country House books or the game, visit their web site: www.highcountryhorse.net.   Customers can also order by phone or mail.

 

WY FOODIE: Yummy Recipes from WY Beef Council

visit our website & read the current issue

A new series of great holiday recipes from our friends at the Wyoming Beef Council! We greatly appreciate all the hard work they do promoting the advantages of beef – a Wyoming agricultural staple and the income for many of our friends & neighbors!

As we begin to think about having guests over for the holidays, we can’t help but imagine all the wonderful possibilities. When it comes time for friends and family to gather ‘round your table, our holiday recipes will delight their senses—from the smell of a roast in the oven and the taste of cranberries to the sight of a hearty breakfast after a brisk morning walk in the snow.

APPETIZERS

Appetizers like Bite-Sized Sweet & Spicy Beef Ribs and Mini Meatballs with Apricot Dipping Sauce will wow your guests and start the event off right! They’ll be the perfect pairing with fruity holiday wines.

Mini Meatballs with Apricot Dipping Sauce: are made with lean Ground Beef and can be kept warm in a slow cooker. http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=4005

Bite-Sized Sweet & Spicy Beef Ribs: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=4532

Beef and Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms: These perfectly bite-sized mushrooms are stuffed with a savory blend of Ground Beef, blue cheese and chives. http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=4900

Beef and Couscous Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers: Tiny peppers are packed with Ground Beef, spinach and couscous for a colorful appetizer that’s easy on the waistline at only 35 calories each. http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=4921

 

MAIN COURSES

Main courses like an awe-inspiring Classic Tenderloin with Cranberry Drizzle or a comforting North Woods Hearty Pot Roast will fill the bellies around the dinner table.

Classic Tenderloin with Cranberry Drizzle: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=4409

North Woods Hearty Pot Roast: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=405

Crumb-Crusted Top Sirloin and Roasted Garlic Potatoes with Bourbon Sauce: Is just as glorious as a more expensive roast, but is easy to prepare and a breeze to carve. http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=197

Walnut-Crusted Roast with Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes only looks like it took you half a day to prepare. The simple walnut crust comes together quickly and the roast is placed in the oven for about two hours—the perfect amount of time to set the table. http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=1908

BREAKFAST

And finally if breakfast or brunch are more your style, serve a twist on a classic breakfast pastry with Beef Sticky Buns. For those busy mornings, a quick and easy Beef and cream cheese bagelwich will cross one more thing off your growing to-do list. Not to mention, adding protein to your morning meal will keep you satisfied longer.

Beef Sticky Buns: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=391

Beef and cream cheese bagelwich: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/recipe.aspx?id=3906

 

You can view the entire collection of holiday recipes, perfect for any dining occasion on BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com. While you’re there, don’t miss the newsroom for more story ideas.