Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Wednesday in Wyoming - March 27, 2019

There are two sides to a story and -- in this case -- a statue.

Entitled "Essence of Rex," this statue is located in front of the Tate Museum at Casper College. The side above is what you might expect, a depiction of the flesh-and-blood dinosaur.

The other side is different.

If you look closely, you can see that this side shows the skeleton, giving visitors a hint to what they might find inside the museum. Yes, dinosaurs and other fossils play a big role in the Tate's exhibits.

I found the museum to be a small gem and will be sharing pictures of some of its exhibits with you later this year. In the meantime, enjoy Rex and his two sides.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Wednesday in Wyoming - March 20, 2019

This post ought to be titled "A Tale of  Two Escalators." What's so special about two escalators? Believe it or not, that's how many there are in the entire state of Wyoming. While there are a number of theories about the reason for so few moving staircases in the Equality State, no one knows for certain why they're not more popular.

Both escalators are located in banks in Casper, but that's where the similarity ends. The experiences were very different.

The first bank we visited was First Interstate Bank. We were greeted warmly and directed to the escalator, although we were warned that the one leading up to the second floor wasn't operational. It seems that it's so old that it's virtually impossible to get repair parts.

Undaunted by that challenge, the bank is planning to have a new one installed, even though the building has a fully functional bank of elevators that reaches all six stories.

Now, here's the important part of the story. We were able to take pictures and share them with you. (Of course you've seen escalators before, but you probably haven't seen a Wyoming escalator.)

When we reached the second bank, Hilltop National, we once again received a warm welcome. Both sides of their escalator were working and, we were told, were a big tourist attraction. Apparently families bring their children to the bank for the sheer novelty of riding an escalator.

We started walking toward the escalator but were stopped when the receptionist saw my husband's camera. Unfortunately, the bank's security policy prohibits taking pictures.

The good news is two-fold: (1) Hilltop's was an escalator like every other one you've seen, so not having a picture wasn't a big deal, and (2) I was able to cross "see both of Wyoming's escalators" off my to-do list.






Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Wednesday in Wyoming - March 13, 2019

When you think of Wyoming, do you think of wide open spaces like these? If so, you won't be surprised to learn that Wyoming is the least densely populated state. Even here, only a few miles from the state's second largest city, open land far outweighs development.

This photo was taken from Casper Mountain (you remember that from last week's post, don't you) and shows the city of Casper as well as the surrounding area.

I particularly like the contrast of the grasses in the foreground (bent over because of the almost constant wind, of course) against the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Quintessential Wyoming!

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Wednesday in Wyoming - March 6, 2019

Casper Mountain

Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted an early spring, but there's still snow in Wyoming, particularly in higher places like Casper Mountain.

As you may have guessed from the name, this mountain is on the outskirts of the city of Casper. If you like hairpin turns and beautiful scenery, this is the drive for you. And when you reach the summit, there's both downhill and cross-country skiing.

Saturday, March 2, 2019

The Appeal of Book Series

A Tender Hope cover


Do you enjoy reading books in a series? You can be assured that I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't write trilogies, nor would I have tied most of my novellas to the same bakery in nineteenth century Cheyenne.

What's the appeal of series, and what do I dislike about them? I answered those questions in a post for Fresh Fiction.  And, if you wondered what techniques I use to create series, I talked about that on Seekerville.

(This blog post is brought to you compliments of Kathy F., who reminded me that not everyone sees my Tweets or Facebook posts. Thanks, Kathy!)