Wednesday in Wyoming -- March 27, 2013

Earlier this month, I featured a painted horse, and still earlier, there was a sculpture of a bison.  As you can see, today's feature borrows a bit from each of those and is a painted bison.  This bison is on display at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper. 

If you look closely, you'll see that the designs on the first side include an Indian village and snow-dusted mountains, while the opposite side shows the white man's influence on Wyoming.

One of my favorite parts of this sculpture is the head.  I found the use of faces there to be particularly imaginative. 

As someone who doesn't have an artistic bone in her body, I'm always amazed by the creativity of those who can paint and sculpt.  That's why I've featured sculptures this month.  I hope you've enjoyed them.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- March 20, 2013

 

Late again!  Does that make you think of Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter's tea party?  That's the name of this sculpture that was given to the Children's Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in honor of the annual Mad Hatter tea party.  The always sold-out summer event features everything you'd expect from a tea party for children and lots more. 

Who Reads Amanda Cabot's Books? -- Lindsay Laskowski Does

This month's featured reader is Lindsay Laskowski from London.  Yes, London, England.  You guessed that from the background, didn't you?  I know that many of my readers live in the States, so it was fun to hear from Lindsay, who not only lives seven time zones away from me but whose preferred reading medium is e-book.

Lindsay, let's tell other readers a bit more about you.


What was the first of my books that you read?
     Paper Roses.
I'm glad you see you started with the first of the Texas Dreams series.  Even though I've designed my books to be read in any order, I suspect readers will enjoy the series more if they're read in sequence.


How did you discover that book?

One of my aunts gave me a copy of it.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and have continued to anxiously await each subsequent book.

My thanks to your aunt.  I've always heard that word of mouth was the most effective way of promoting a book.  I'm glad that your aunt introduced you to my books, and of course I'm delighted that the first book hooked you on the series.


If you have a favorite Cabot book, which one is it?  (And why is it your favorite, if you'd like to share that with others.)  

This is such a hard question as I really have enjoyed each and every one of the books; it seems that the last one I read becomes my new favorite. I especially enjoy the trilogies as I feel that I am accompanying the characters on their own life journey and cannot wait to see what their future holds. 

My current favorite is Christmas Roses as it was the perfect Christmas story filled with love and hope.

Now I know why you're holding Christmas Roses in your picture.  Of course I'm pleased that my characters have come to life for you.


 Who are your other favorite authors?

I enjoy several authors but my other favorite author would be Nicholas Sparks as I am a hopeless romantic.

I am thrilled to be mentioned in the same sentence as Nicholas Sparks.  Thanks for the compliment!


 What do you enjoy doing when you're not reading?

Traveling is something that I love doing and learning about various cultures.  I am very fortunate that my husband shares that passion and that we currently live in the UK making travel easier.  I also enjoy quiet evenings and spending time with my true love, my husband.

How wonderful that you've found your true love.  It's real-life love stories like yours that inspire me to write romances. 



Thanks for sharing your story with us, Lindsay.  I wish you many more opportunities to explore Europe with your husband.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- March 13, 2013

 

When I think about painted ponies, I picture carousel horses.  However, a few years ago when I visited the Campbell County branch library in Wright, I discovered a different kind of painted pony.  Here's a close-up so you can see just how imaginative the painting is.

The horse has moved to a new location in front of the Campco credit union, but it's still in Wright in case you're ever in the area and want to see a truly unique piece of sculpture.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- March 6, 2013

I'm trying something different in March, namely having a focus for my Wednesday in Wyoming posts.  This month's posts will all be about interesting sculptures from around the state. 

Today I'm featuring a bison a found in Lander.  Some of you may recall that Lander is the home of Lander Lil, Wyoming's answer to Punxautawney (or however that's spelled) Phil.  Each Ground Hog Day, Lil -- which just happens to be a statue of a prairie dog, not a live ground hog -- determines whether or not spring will be early.  This year she was confused, and we didn't get an official prediction.

But, even though Lil may be Lander's most famous statue, she's not the only one in town.  I was intrigued by this bison because of his size and the fact that his fur resembles chain mail. 

Bison, as you'll see from other posts, are common in Wyoming.  Not only is the bison the official state large mammal, but it's the centerpiece of the state flag.  So, let's welcome Lander's bison statue to Wednesday in Wyoming.