Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Cheyenne Frontier Days

I went to the rodeo one day last week, and attended the pancake breakfast...

I have tons of photos to share...

BUt no time now...

Soon...very soon..

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

My First Pancake Breakfast Tomorrow - I Hope

The Depot serves pancakes from 7 to 9... I usually don't get up until 9.... but it's something I'd like to experience...

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Cheyenne Frontier Days are under way

And will go on until the 29th.

And as you might expect, the weather is in the 90s and probably will remain so for the rest of the summer.

;(

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Do you like getting up at 5 AM?

If so, go to Casper and stay overnight on July 27, so that on July 28 and July 29, at precisely 6 AM, you can see a mass launch of hot air balloons at the  Casper Balloon Roundup.

http://casperballoonroundup.com/

*I* would love to be there, but I couldn't get up at 5 am to save my life...

Friday, July 13, 2012

Tidbits from Traders newspaper

The Traders newspaper comes out every Friday. I pick up mine at the liquor store on Greeley Highway. (I don't drink, but they usually have the cheapest Pepsi in town.)

The paper consists of classified ads, things for sale, and Community Activities  - unfortunately scattered throughout the newspaper instead of all put in the front or back.

Anyway, what's in the issue from the Week of July 13?

Parade Days Brerakfast
During Frontier Days, the Oak Leaf Chuckwagon at the Historic Masonic TEmple,will be serving breakfast from 7:30am to 9:30 am on PARADE days. This breakfast isn't free - funds benefit Oak Leaf Chapter 6, Ordr of the Eastern Star.

Address: 1820 CApitol Avenue, corner of 19th and Capitol.

July 21
5th Annual Benefit Motorcycle Show
Held Saturday July 21 at Frontier Park, at the Buckin a Saloonm tent. Entry fee is $10 per motorcycle. Show is open to the public.

Governor's Mansion Extended Hours
Extended hours and guided tourts through Frontier Days. 9 am to 6 pm each day.
Guided tours: at 2 pm on the 21st, 24th, 26th and 28th
All tours are FREE

Buffalo Bill Boycott's Western Show
Monday July 23 and Friday July 27
After the pancake breakfst (free, I believe) at the Depot, Buffalo Bill will yodel, play music and tell great stories It's at the Laramie County Library.




Tuesday, July 10, 2012

World War II bomber tours skies over Casper

From Wyoming Tribune: World War II bomber tours skies over Casper

The engines chug to life. A brief bit of smoke and then a steady rumble.

Inside the B-25 Mitchell, David Bronson straps his seatbelt and waits. Lightning flashes outside the window. There’s thunder too but no way to hear it, as the aircraft — nearly seven decades old — rumbles down the runway.

Bronson hates jets. The turbulence mostly. It makes him nervous.

The B-25 is different. It might be loud and cramped, barely wide enough at the waist for a man to stretch out his arms. But to him, the old bomber is a hot rod.

“It’s a stock car, with oversized engines,” he says.

For three years now, he’s been touring with the Commemorative Air Force, an Arizona-based nonprofit that restores and flies WWII aircraft. The group flew its B-25, the Maid in the Shade, to Casper on Monday.
It’s a homecoming of sorts. After he retired, Bronson moved to Riverton. A few years back, the group visited the town with its B-17, a four-engine bomber that’s more like a sedan to the B-25’s coupe. He got a ride, and afterward, the volunteers convinced him to join.

Bronson was born in 1944, the same year the Maid in the Shade bombed railroad bridges in Italy and Yugoslavia. Growing up, he built models of World War II planes. Now he flies around the country in them.
“To get the chance, as old as I am now, when I only dreamed about it when I was a kid, you just can’t imagine,” he says.

He sits in the narrow fuselage, just behind the bomber’s two .50-caliber machine guns. Hat backward, with a blue flight suit.

The job is simple. Clean the aircraft. Help the passengers through the tiny belly hatch. Let them know when it’s OK to explore the airplane, and corral them when it’s time to land.

The plane flies low and fast over Casper, not even eye level with the mountains. It banks north and down over the river, shoving the riders backs into their seats. Downtown passes by and then the runway comes back into view.

It doesn’t take long to descend. A bump when the wheels touch down. Bronson pulls off his harness and opens the hatch below.

“This is class now,” he says. “Anybody can ride a jet.”
 

Monday, July 9, 2012

CLIMB Wyoming receives Nonprofit Impact Award

From Trib.com:  CLIMB Wyoming receives Nonprofit Impact Award

ServeWyoming recently awarded CLIMB Wyoming with the Nonprofit Impact Award, which is given twice a year to one nonprofit organization in Wyoming.

CLIMB Wyoming trains and places low-income single mothers in careers so that they can successfully support their families. Graduates of the program work in fields based on Wyoming's workforce needs, such as office administration, health care, welding and short haul trucking. Training sites in Cheyenne, Laramie, Rock Springs, Casper, Jackson and Gillette have served more than 1,500 women.

“CLIMB Wyoming has the opportunity everyday to see the impact that training and support can have on the lives of single moms and their families,” Ray Fleming Dinneen, executive director of CLIMB Wyoming, said in a media release. “It is gratifying that ServeWyoming recognizes the visible impact our evidenced-based approach makes for families in Wyoming.”

ServeWyoming is a statewide nonprofit that promotes service and volunteerism. It created the Nonprofit Impact Award in 2012 to honor Wyoming nonprofits that make a lasting impact. This year, the focus was on nonprofits that successfully create, maintain and demonstrate measurable outcomes.

“CLIMB Wyoming truly embodies the strategy of utilizing outcomes in all areas of their operations and programming,” Rachel Chadderdon, executive director of ServeWyoming, said in a media release. “Their program achieves results and life-changing stories of success that demonstrate meaningful, lasting impact on the participants within their program and on our state.”

CLIMB Wyoming was honored with an award banquet June 14 in Cheyenn

 

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Cheyenne to install 5 new surveillance cameras

From KULR8 :  Cheyenne to install 5 new surveillance cameras

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The city of Cheyenne will install five new surveillance cameras in the coming weeks to help investigate crimes.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle (http://bit.ly/MAHlXj ) reported Thursday that the downtown cameras will cost about $20,000.

City special projects manager Bob Bradshaw said they're a deterrent to crime and will be used to help investigate incidents such as vandalism.

Signs will be put in some areas notifying people that they are under surveillance. He said authorities won't watch the camera footage around the clock but will instead look at the footage as needed to investigate specific incidents.

Cheyenne already has several security cameras, including at the downtown parking garage and various city buildings.

The city has applied for a Homeland Security grant to buy another two cameras.

 

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Cheyenne Frontier Days is a Truly Historic Event

From YahooNews:  Cheyenne Frontier Days is a Truly Historic Event

Summertime means rodeos to the boots and hat set and you can take in all sorts of western fun and excitement at a rodeo near you. But where do you go if you want to see the biggest and best rodeo in the country? Well, according to most folks in the know, the answer to that question would be Cheyenne, Wyoming. The annual Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration takes place from July 20 - 29 and promises to be a heck of a show. Here's what you need to know before you go.

A truly historic event
The ever exciting Cheyenne Frontier Days event has been taking place in Wyoming ever since 1897. That means this year's festival is the 116th for the event dubbed "The Daddy of 'em All." The event features a world class rodeo, country western music legends, a carnival, an air show and both educational and recreational activities for visitors of all ages.

Cheyenne Frontier Days has been voted the Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) for eight years running. This year looks to be no exception. The Championship Bull Riding (CBR) World Champion will be awarded during this year's event. This bull riding spectacular is part of the daily rodeo and features dozens of the country's best bulls. Tickets start at around $14 per day with rodeo events taking place June 21 - 29.

Big name music acts
I visited the Cheyenne Frontier Days event during a childhood vacation. We watched the rodeo during the day and saw country music superstar Barbara Mandrell in concert that night. That was my first big concert, and it was a lot of fun. This year, visitors can see Merle Haggard, Reba McIntire, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Hank Williams Jr., the Zac Brown Band, Journey, Pat Benatar and more. Tickets for nightly concerts begin at about $38 per person.

Thrills and chills
In addition to the rodeo and music events, visitors can check out a thrilling air show by the USAF Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds have been flying at the Cheyenne Frontier Days since 1953 and will be back again this year. This event is free to the public.

Visitors looking for a little more excitement can enjoy the rides and attractions at the carnival. Single ride tickets are available, but armbands that allow unlimited rides can be a better deal, especially if you are staying for multiple days.

Those are some of the thrills, now for the chills. One of the things that took us by surprise when my family visited the Cheyenne Frontier Days event many years ago was the weather. We were used to summertime in Oklahoma, where the average highs were in the upper 90's to low 100's and the evenings were still sticky and hot. Things are usually a lot cooler in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Average highs in July are only in the low 80's and the nights can get downright chilly. Make sure you bring a jacket if you will be sticking around for evening events.