A WYO Weekend
So I'm pretty lucky. Things just usually work out how they should, which often happens to be how I'd like them to. I love my job as a ranch hand, which in most cases necessitates one to work six days per week; but I have a lot of flexibility in my job. I work a certain number of hours to cover room and board, and anything over that comes at me in the form of pay-it's at my discretion. I also look at my time and experiences in Wyoming as very valuable, so often times my trips around the state are chosen and consolidated so that they are as beneficial as possible. This weekend was one of those trips, it was one of the biggest celebrations that Wyoming offers up: The Sheridan Wyo Rodeo and Street Dance. I have been planning this trip for a year, and boy howdy, it was worth the wait. I was able to squeeze a quick trip to Cody in as well, where I bought a used truck, finally. There were so many roads I was unable to venture down last year due to my POS car, but once I had that truck I made camp Friday night up on Red Grade Road. Any Sheridan Valley resident knows that road, and man its a steep one. The night was stunning, with bright stars and a warm, sweet breeze. I woke to a herd of cows bellowing not more than ten feet from me just after sunrise and quickly headed to my morning's destination.
Sheridan Valley sunrise from Red Grade Road
Me dorking out in my new truck! (Photo by Madisen Mitchell)
I had plans to visit my friend, the old cowboy I met back in Tensleep over the weekend of July 4th. Jake Berg, a cowboy-poet-artist-storyteller. He and his "Partner in Crime", the lovely Mrs. Cheyenne Greub, have recently self-published a book of their poetry, sketches and photography, titled Wisdom of the Old Coyote and Little Fox. Jake is the Old Coyote, and Cheyenne the Little Fox. I attended a morning reading of their work, and sipped coffee with cowboys and girls, and tourists alike. It was a wonderful time.
Me and Jake
Madisen and I spent the days sleeping off the weary of the previous evening in Sheridan, as the street dances run until 3:30 am, sleeping in the grass at Sheridan College, on the banks of Little Goose Creek, and really anywhere else we could catch a few winks. When we awoke, we hopped into the creek, swam and washed off. We cleaned ourselves up at the truck and got moving into downtown, where we strolled the old alleyways. The architecture and aesthetic of downtown Sheridan is so charming; old painted doors and brick buildings filled our view, creating a romantic western background for a fun and impromptu photoshoot. Being in a few photographs was really fun, but it feels strange to post them, as I am often behind the camera. But Madisen being a photographer as well, makes it only a matter of time before I am in a couple.
Downtown Sheridan offers so many interesting backgrounds (Photo by Madisen Mitchell)
Fun times on a Sheridan rooftop (Photo by Madisen Mitchell)
Wyoming has one ubiquitous number
After the storm
Miss Madisen
Sheridan Sunset (Photo by Madisen Mitchell)
The Streetdance following the WYO Rodeo was a spectacle. Easily a few thousand people packed the downtown streets, where one of my favorite local Wyoming bands, Chancey Williams and the Younger Brother's Band, were headlining. They sing covers of classic and mainstream country music, but Chancey has a great voice and kinda looks like Dierks Bently-so they get a pass. The dancing, drinking and cowboy charm was all around us, but the highlight of the night was running into many of my co-workers from the HF Bar Ranch.
Ah, the old HF.
The night didn't end until 4:30, where I layed out the sleeping pads in the back of the truck and didn't wake until very late in the morning. Leaving Sheridan brought me up and over the beautiful Bighorn Mountains. I easily cruised the sixty mile trip, taking it slow and savoring the time spent up there. I pulled into Tensleep and grabbed some food at the Saloon, where Sarah and her friend Sally, who lives in Lander and is a Photo Frame Maker, met me for a beer. We caught up on life, and I was pleased to hear of new and exciting developments on Sarah's horizon.
As the summer begins to wind down, I am seeing even more clearly the significance of recognizing those things in life that really make it worth while. I could have stayed back at the ranch this weekend, waited for the guys to show up for haying, and been perfectly happy. But it is always those times when I get out, I visit people from my past and meet people that I want in my future; sleep under the stars in a place I have never been before; receive an unexpected gift, a new friendship, a braided leather necklace, a warm conversation with a soul sister, some things so surprising and welcome that you can't help but smile so big you look like a child; these are the small things in life that mean so much.
And hey, guess what, the guys didn't even show up to hay until this afternoon anyway. Ha!
Me dorking out in my new truck! (Photo by Madisen Mitchell)
I had plans to visit my friend, the old cowboy I met back in Tensleep over the weekend of July 4th. Jake Berg, a cowboy-poet-artist-storyteller. He and his "Partner in Crime", the lovely Mrs. Cheyenne Greub, have recently self-published a book of their poetry, sketches and photography, titled Wisdom of the Old Coyote and Little Fox. Jake is the Old Coyote, and Cheyenne the Little Fox. I attended a morning reading of their work, and sipped coffee with cowboys and girls, and tourists alike. It was a wonderful time.
Madisen and I spent the days sleeping off the weary of the previous evening in Sheridan, as the street dances run until 3:30 am, sleeping in the grass at Sheridan College, on the banks of Little Goose Creek, and really anywhere else we could catch a few winks. When we awoke, we hopped into the creek, swam and washed off. We cleaned ourselves up at the truck and got moving into downtown, where we strolled the old alleyways. The architecture and aesthetic of downtown Sheridan is so charming; old painted doors and brick buildings filled our view, creating a romantic western background for a fun and impromptu photoshoot. Being in a few photographs was really fun, but it feels strange to post them, as I am often behind the camera. But Madisen being a photographer as well, makes it only a matter of time before I am in a couple.
Downtown Sheridan offers so many interesting backgrounds (Photo by Madisen Mitchell)
Wyoming has one ubiquitous number
Old Sugar Factory
The Streetdance following the WYO Rodeo was a spectacle. Easily a few thousand people packed the downtown streets, where one of my favorite local Wyoming bands, Chancey Williams and the Younger Brother's Band, were headlining. They sing covers of classic and mainstream country music, but Chancey has a great voice and kinda looks like Dierks Bently-so they get a pass. The dancing, drinking and cowboy charm was all around us, but the highlight of the night was running into many of my co-workers from the HF Bar Ranch.
The night didn't end until 4:30, where I layed out the sleeping pads in the back of the truck and didn't wake until very late in the morning. Leaving Sheridan brought me up and over the beautiful Bighorn Mountains. I easily cruised the sixty mile trip, taking it slow and savoring the time spent up there. I pulled into Tensleep and grabbed some food at the Saloon, where Sarah and her friend Sally, who lives in Lander and is a Photo Frame Maker, met me for a beer. We caught up on life, and I was pleased to hear of new and exciting developments on Sarah's horizon.
As the summer begins to wind down, I am seeing even more clearly the significance of recognizing those things in life that really make it worth while. I could have stayed back at the ranch this weekend, waited for the guys to show up for haying, and been perfectly happy. But it is always those times when I get out, I visit people from my past and meet people that I want in my future; sleep under the stars in a place I have never been before; receive an unexpected gift, a new friendship, a braided leather necklace, a warm conversation with a soul sister, some things so surprising and welcome that you can't help but smile so big you look like a child; these are the small things in life that mean so much.
And hey, guess what, the guys didn't even show up to hay until this afternoon anyway. Ha!
Comments
Thanks so much for taking the time to read the blog. My lifestyle isn't all that exciting, it's just different. I was in CA, around our home region, and just felt unfulfilled. So I left, and all of this just fell into place. Anyway, thanks again, for reading and for the sweetest thoughts.