The Wayback Machine

This weekend at my aunt's in Casper some new pictures showed up. Below are some of them with a lot of unknowns except pretty much everyone here is a relative.  There are some short explanations.

This picture is not a new one but is my grandfather and his twin brother who immigrated from Switzerland when they were 14 after their mother died. Several others came afterwards and not all at the same time and that included their father as well. My great grandfather never learned to speak English and was loved by the kids at school because he always had candy. He was also known to have the best garden in town and my grandpa's were huge producers as I remember. My grandfather is on the left and his name was John.

We were also looking at old documents including ship manifestos and the like. This stuff is getting old and a lot of it is in German. 

On his wedding day.

I never got to know my grandmother as she died of cancer when I was two. These kids do not look like my dad and his brother and sister but it's almost has to be. The aunt I visited was not yet born.

Take a look at this crew. That's grandpa top left as he's a dead giveaway with his pipe. We were hardly sure of any of these kids but this is quite a picture.

I already forgot who this was but included it because I like it.

We're not sure who this was and they may or may not be related. Interesting though.

This is my Aunt Bernie and she still smiles as well and as often as she did back then.

We think this may be Grandpa's oldest brother. He died in Winnemucca, Nevada but was not buried there. I'm trying to find out more about him.

Take Your Choice - Dugout/Soddy/Mudhut

Mr. Jarvie himself built and lived in this at his ranch in Utah very close to the NW boundary of Dinosaur National Monument. The pictures of this came out pretty good and you can actually get a sense of what is was like inside. It's cool to be able to enter all the buildings at this site and handle any thing you see and there's a bunch and I like that.

This was also used by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

The last three pictures are of a soddy replica in Iowa. I understand that over the years this structure has required a lot of work. I don't think that is the case with the dugout. I did not ask but chances are good many of the items at Jarvie's ranch were his.

I'll end by saying this and I mean it and it's an observation only. While working on the south side of Chicago in the middle 80's around the projects that I would take a mud hut out in the bush in West Africa over what I saw there. I've been in some pretty snazzy ones. Nicer than the above.

If there was a choice to be made it would be something like this -
1. Mud hut in West Africa
2. Dugout because it's less work than a soddy.
3. Soddy
4. Anywhere but the Projects

Meet Ann Bassett

I found this person and her story very interesting. Her own words about Browns Park.
"every sage brush,gulch and rock had a meaning of it's own and each blade of grass or scrubby cedar was a symphony". But there's a lot more to this. Read the text under this picture.

 

This girl at the age of 15 started hanging with the big name outlaws of the time. Butch Cassidy and others as well. Her sister did the same. Another picture of Ms. Bassett below. The man has nothing to do with this. There was a man hung from the limb you see here and there were clothes that she wore in the cases and that's what prompted me to start thinking a bit.

Her clothing was key. She was very attractive and the clothes in the cases were extremely nice. The way they were displayed I did not take a picture and this girl was tiny. Charged with rustling twice but never convicted. Looking at the pictures and clothes it was obvious this girl had a bit of culture. I don't think Ann Bassett chewed tobacco and cussed a blue streak. The guys sought her out and I'd bet good money they acted like gentlemen when they were around these two sisters. I urge you to go here and read this very interesting story about this women and the outlaws of the time not even that long ago. She died in 1956 in Browns Park where she eventually married.

Some other pictures. One is a repetition. These were taken last Saturday 7/23.

Flowers Because It's Fun

These are all recent but it's the one at the bottom I like. Took it yesterday at a place where I swear has the highest populations of columbines anywhere. It was so pretty and I haven't been able to capture that with a picture. It was overcast but I did catch a fish. I was the first  that fished where I did yesterday. It's not too bad to get around but the water is just too high and fast yet. Going somewhere just now where it is fish able.

I'm a sucker for flower pictures too and right now with the late spring there are massive amounts of them. One of the fringe benefits of living in and around mountains and higher elevations. I'm okay with that rather than the other - - - which is white.

He's Got Pigs On His Mind

Whistle pigs AKA marmots. Hahns likes high places anyway and all he can do is look and quiver. He's such a good pooch and got to come to work today. The screen stays on as he could go out of there so easy. A fan of Hill Street Blues will remember when the dog jumped out the window. This has nothing to do with the quality of the picture or me but it has a lot do about other things. Stuff like this is fun and when I look at these I have to laugh a bit.

Can't Help It

I find myself fascinated with getting good pictures of dragonflies because when you look at them it's like being transported into a different world. It's fun damn it!

Denver Billbug

This is going to be real short. My friend is taking an online turf grass course and right now it's entomology time for him. He found these on our golf course just yesterday and they can be harmful if there are enough of them. You can read more here if you would like to learn more. You do not spray for them but endorse the help of other insects which I like.

Took a dozen or so pictures and I'm glad I got these two. This is a real ugly bug but the reason for these is the red ring on this creature in the bottom picture.We're not sure what is hanging on to the bottom of this. I don't think it's young but to me it looks like mites.

 I find this interesting.