Wyoming weather

Wow, no joke, temps in the 30s last night and 86 today--wonderful.

The Old Stomping Grounds

Took two weeks to travel through parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and at last back home again in Wyoming and cool weather. My wife grew up in Texas and Oklahoma so we saw a bunch of her old stomping grounds. (Not sure the next generation will say stomping grounds but I still like the way it sounds. Great time but it is always great to be back home no matter where your stomping grounds are.
-N-

And I Didn't Have to Make This Up!

Strange things are about. We left our back sliding door open a few inches to let air circulate through the house last night. It’s finally warm here. Our back yard is fenced and gated and we thought impenetrable to intruders and large puppies, but we found out differently. We were awakened in the middle of the night, okay it was five AM but it was Saturday and we like to sleep in on Saturday. A large black dog (we do not own one or know anyone with one) was drinking noisily from the toilet. (YUM) He was scared and only too happy to be led outside. I opened the back gate and he was off. Within a minute he was around to our back yard again trying to jump through the opening in our fence where our garbage cans set. I moved the cans a little closer together and he could not or would not jump in again. He made some rather deep tracks through my raised bed garden but no other damage. Looked like a very young, maybe only a few months, Newfoundland Retriever. Sure was a good looking pup, someone must have paid a bunch for him.

Snow in May?

Snow yesterday - I think I am going to have to move down off this mountain. Living at 7200 feet is great in the summer,not so much now. We built a huge snowman, snowfort and a small replica of the North Pole in our back yard -- not really but it did snow. I love snow but not in May.

Mothers Day

Thank God for Mom’s – I had a great one. And my wife, (I might be a little prejudice here, is the greatest mom anywhere) just ask our four great kids. Me I just wander around through life and she keeps me on some sort of a course. To mothers everywhere this old cowboy salutes you—good job.

Me and the NFL Draft

Well the NFL Draft is over for another year. Another year of me setting by the phone waiting for the call so that I can get my NFL career going, but once again, no call.
My last year of playing college football was--now let me think about it for a few minutes--was -- 42 years ago. Do you think they are not going to call?

Spring and Root Beer

The tall stranger bellied up to the counter and watched as the patrons lowered their heads and shuffled away. A wry smile turned the corners of his mouth into his drooping mustache. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a weathered dollar bill, unfolded it and placed it on the counter. He didn’t have to say a word—they all knew and they all watched.

The bar-keep reached slowly, after first making eye contact he couldn’t hold, under the counter and pulled out a clean mug, filled it, and carefully sat the still foaming mug in front of the tall stranger with the big thirst. Then he turned again reaching low, a glint of metal showed in his right hand. His hand came up quickly, but not too fast and placed a large scoop of vanilla ice cream into the glass.

The stranger nodded, pulled the paper end from his straw and shot the barkeep with the paper in the center of his chest. The patrons fell silent and moved farther from the action as the tall stranger took a long cool drink. Man-oh-man how the stranger loved the first Monday of spring—Root Beer floats, only a buck every Monday until June 1st.

Five minutes later it was all over, as fast as it had started. The glass was empty, the stranger smiled and wiped the dripping root beer flavored ice cream from his mustache with the back of his straw paper shooting hand. He stepped back as the other patrons held their breath—what would happen next.

He turned walked three steps, pushed open the glass door and walked once again into the stifling mid-day heat. Inside the patrons let out a collective sigh and ordered floats all around.