Headed home...

I stopped to see a very dear friend of 25 years, Silvia, whom I hadn't seen for 8 years. We met when she was a waitress and I was a hostess at the same place. Her son was 9 months, mine was 6 months. So good to see her!

And I stopped by to visit with my nephew, Monte, and his awesome wife and 2 beautiful girls.
And I thought it was so cute...he gathered rocks from all over the state to make this fountain in their yard...HOW COOL IS THAT? Love ya, Goosa!

I got home, after being gone for a week, and we headed up the mountain to check out a new hiking place.
The mountains are FILLED with glorious flowers! Below, you see gallardias (yello) and purplish lupine. (BTW, contrary to what gramma said, it is pronounced lu-pin with a short i sound. Lu-PINE with a long I sound is anything referring to scary, wolf-like images.)


Nice mountains in the background.
JO, please look up in one of your 5 new flower books and tell me what these tiny little blue ones are, they are soooo cute!

My childhood favorite...mountain bluebells.


Here's the trailhead...we only walked 40 minutes in, but it's great...


Gus liked it too! Down the embankment on the left is a great river.

That big ol' tree grew on just a little dirt on a ROCK, ffs.


This would NOT be a good place to raft!

And what do you think this pic is of?


Yep. The tree fell and hit the outhouse! Glad I wasn't in it! Or if I had been close, I would have REALLY needed to use it! lol Lots of fallen trees this year from all the heavy, wet snow. At least it didn't completely block the door! lol

The Stillwater is still a bit too high to float.

We've camped in this spot, not it's flooded. There is so much snow melting that the rivers are buldging, 2 to 3 times the amount of water running in them than average this time of year.

So, we aren't rafting. Probably head out camping this weekend, then I'm off to see my BF get married, I'm maid of honor...her first wedding @ age 44! I'll have lots of pics of that! Megs is going too and we'll be meeting up with Michelle, can't wait! Tah tah for now! (I LOVE having summers off!)

try to help Chewy to understand us...

hu·mor /ˈhyumər or, often, ˈyu-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[hyoo-mer or, often, yoo-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun

1.	a comic, absurd, or incongruous quality causing amusement: the humor of a situation.

WHO WILL BE

MY 10,000th VISITOR?

Fort Caspar

Aunt Goldie and I toured a reconstructed 1865 military post which was located at a major river crossing on the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, Pony Express, (previous post shows an interpretive center of that) and transcontinental telegraph trail corridor.

We toured through this newly revamped museum that features exhibits on prehistoric peoples, Plains Indians, ranching, the energy industry, and the City of Casper as well as the western emigrant trails and frontier army.

Ft. Caspar was recently remodeled and new exhitibs were added. These new exhibits include topics such as Prehistoric Central Wyoming, Natrona County Community Development and 100 Years of Casper History, the Oil and Gas Industry, Central Wyoming Agriculture, Fort History, and Historic Trail Features associated with the site.

Here we go!

Interesting Navy exhibit!


Native American pottery and baskets...

and their clothes...(sorry about the flashes)
Communications...


I found this next section particularly interesting, as my father worked in what was used to be known as the Amoco Refinery...long before I was even a thought! Aunt Goldie's husband worked and retired from this company!


I have an aunt and uncle that still run a business supporting the oil field...

It used to be a town of almost 20,000...now it is about 300 people.

Outside, we found displays of the Native American's teepees...

and the Army Fort.

Signs outside described each building...

with neat displays inside.
After we went to the museum, we went home and packed our dinner picnic so we could go to the patriotic concert in the park. We had some unexpected guests. By the time we left (and Goldie fed them her cookies) there were 6 of these fine-feathered friends at our table!

And the concert brought tears to my eyes as they acknowledged the Veterans in the audience. Our ears were filled with an hour's worth of patriotic music...

and our eyes were filled with this lovely little girl who pranced around freely, acting out each song. She was so darling. Her little brother was there and sometimes she even got him to tango with her! lol


And the next morning, I had to say "goodbye" to my dear Auntie. Thanks for a wonderful week!
Next up...seeing my dear friend of 25 years and visiting M&M family one last time!