Wednesday in Wyoming -- September 19, 2018

A teepee in the middle of Cheyenne? Although it's not a permanent part of the State Museum's front yard, this one was erected for Frontier Days to give visitors something interesting to see when they drove by and to encourage them to visit the museum.

I know I probably sound as if I work for the tourism bureau. I don't, but the State Museum is on the "must see" list for my out-of-town guests. From dinosaurs to sheep wagons to intriguing rotating exhibits, it's well worth a visit. And, if you come at the right time, you might even be able to go inside the teepee.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- September 12, 2018

Blame it on my eighth grade Earth Science class, but I've always been fascinated by rock formations.

I found these particularly interesting because you can see the different layers, some of which are at oblique angles. How were they formed, and why wasn't the rock next to those areas also angled? I wish I could say that I knew the answer, but I don't.

Do you?

Wednesday in Wyoming -- September 5, 2018

The last roses of summer? Perhaps, but that doesn't stop them from being beautiful or from perfuming the air with their sweet fragrance.

I've always enjoyed the rose garden at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, and it's even more impressive now that the Grand Conservatory forms the background.

Did you notice that the flag is hanging limp? That's SO unusual for Cheyenne.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 29, 2018

What would you do if you saw this bird watching you wash dishes? My answer was, "Forget the dishes and grab the camera."

It took a few minutes with my Audubon Field Guide, but I learned that the visitor was a chukar.

The chukar is not a native bird but was imported from Europe in the last century. I won't give you all the details here, but if you'd like more information, you might find this article from Cornell interesting.

This chukar stayed for quite a while, posing so I could admire him from different directions. Unfortunately, he hasn't been back.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 22, 2018

One of the most colorful backyard visitors is the goldfinch. I'm always entertained by the contortions the finches go through to harvest seeds from the sunflowers, and the fact that their colors are so similar only adds to the appeal.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 15, 2018

Last week I highlighted the hawk that's been a backyard visitor. Today's post features a much smaller bird -- a rufous hummingbird. Here it is, perched on a piece of lawn art. What surprises me is how long it'll sit there, almost motionless.

The reason for choosing that particular perch is that only a few feet away are one of its favorite foods -- penstemons. Although it seems to me that the birds (there are at least three) visit the same blossom multiple times a day, making me wonder if there's any nectar left, they don't appear discouraged and keep returning.

I always laugh when I see the little hummer with its full beak and part of its head buried in the flower. Must be tasty!

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 8, 2018

It's one thing to have robins and sparrows bathing in the birdbath, but a Swainson's Hawk is a different story. Even though this one was a juvenile, he still had trouble fitting in the birdbath, yet he persisted.

A couple weeks later, he returned -- considerably larger than the prior visit -- and decided to do nothing more than drink. As you can imagine, the ground squirrels and bunnies were less excited about the hawk's presence than we humans were.