Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 27, 2014

Do you know what is this?  You're right.  It's part of a phonograph, specifically one that Thomas Edison designed.  Now that we've established that, you're probably wondering why I've included something from the inventor who's more closely associated with New Jersey than Wyoming in a Wednesday in Wyoming post. 

A little known fact is that Edison visited Wyoming in 1878 to view a total solar eclipse and to test one of his new inventions, a tasimeter.  That was a new word to me, too, and my dictionary doesn't even include it.  According to the article I've linked below, the tasimeter was designed to measure small changes in temperature.  Unfortunately for Edison, the temperature changes were too great for his instrument to work properly, but he had an unforgettable visit to the Equality State.

You can find the whole story here:  
http://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/edison-light-bulb-and-eclipse-1878

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 20, 2014

You probably won't be surprised to learn that this is considered a mansion, the Ferris Mansion, to be specific.  You probably also won't be surprised that although it was once a private residence, it's now a B&B.  What might surprise you is that the house came from a kit.  Yes, in the early twentieth century it was possible to order a house exactly like this and have it delivered to your site.  How did I learn that?  From a lecture at the Wyoming State Museum earlier this year.

In case you're interested in staying there, the Ferris Mansion is located in Rawlins. 

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 13, 2014

Happy Anniversary, Flaming Gorge!  This coming Sunday marks fifty years since then First Lady Lady Bird Johnson dedicated the Flaming Gorge dam and officially opened what is now known as the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.  I'm cheating a little by including this picture, since the dam itself is in Utah, but I couldn't resist celebrating the anniversary, especially since the majority of Flaming Gorge is in Wyoming.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 6, 2014

Do you know what these are?  When my dentist and dental hygienist started using similar items, I assumed they were a recent development.  To my surprise, when I visited the Carbon County Museum in Rawlins, I  learned that physicians and dentists used magnifying surgical glasses like these in the nineteenth century.  If only I'd known that when I wrote With Autumn's Return, I could have had Elizabeth own a pair.

Free Today!

My publisher and I are celebrating summer by making Summer of Promise, the first of the Westward Winds books, free today.  Here are some buying links:
Amazon
B&N
CBD

If you've already read Summer of Promise, perhaps you'd enjoy the other books in the trilogy.  Waiting for Spring (with its gorgeous custom-made gown) is the second.

Of course I don't want you to have to search for buying links.
Amazon
B&N
CBD

And then there's the third:

With its links:
Amazon
B&N
CBD


Happy reading!