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.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 1, 2018

Now, this is something you don't see very often in Cheyenne or -- for that matter -- anywhere.

Mr. Peanut and his NUTmobile came to one of the local grocery stores last month. It was a great photo opp, not to mention a chance to talk to the Peanutters, as the staff who tour with Mr. Peanut are called, and learn more about the famous nut.

Here's the NUTmobile in all its glory. If you were wondering, it's not a repurposed RV. The three NUTmobiles (one for each of three different regions of the country) were all custom made specifically for Planters.

Some fun facts about the NUTmobile itself.

In his almost a century of existence, Mr. Peanut himself has undergone some changes.

A fitting ending to the story, and to the NUTmobile itself: a personalized license plate.

Wednesday in Wyoming - July 25, 2018

It's Frontier Days time in Cheyenne, and today is Cheyenne Day. In addition to the rodeo itself and the famous Frontier Nights entertainment, there's a pancake breakfast and my favorite event: the US Air Force Thunderbirds show.

What a wonderful example of precision flying, excellence, and teamwork.

Wednesday in Wyoming - July 18, 2018

What would you think if you saw this on a billboard? Would it catch your eye? The Eiffel Tower windmill certainly caught my attention. I was so intrigued by it that when I discovered that the Laramie County Library was offering poster-sized versions, I snapped one up and have it hanging where I see it every day.

The campaign is a few years old, but the message is as true as it was then: libraries bring the world to us.

When was the last time you visited your library?

Wednesday in Wyoming - July 11, 2018

Have you seen any of these flags? They're part of Travel Wyoming's campaign to show the world the many aspects of the state and to answer the question of "Why are you vacationing in Wyoming?"  As the Travel Wyoming site says, "Wyoming is home to 98,000 square miles of possibility."

Travelers who pick up the flags (free, of course) at visitors' centers and at historic sites throughout the state  are encouraged to post photos of themselves and their flags using the hashtag #FlyYourWY.

If you're curious, you can find more information at their web site or by searching with the hashtag.

Wednesday in Wyoming - July 4, 2018

While we celebrate Independence Day across the country, I thought I'd share a few facts that you may or may not know about Wyoming.

It was the 44th state, admitted to the union in 1890.

Part of the reason Wyoming was granted statehood was that it was the first territory to grant women the right to vote. That happened in 1869, so you can see that it still took a while to become a state.

Wyoming has two nicknames: the Equality State and the Cowboy State. I'm sure you can guess why each one of those was chosen.

Wyoming is proud of its firsts. In addition to women's suffrage, it's the site of the first national park (Yellowstone in 1872) and the first national monument (Devils Tower in 1906). And in 1925 Nellie Tayloe Ross became Wyoming's -- and the nation's -- first woman governor.