The Houdini Dog

OUT WESTCHEYENNE, WYOMING

I've been researching Wyoming for a trip I'm taking soon, and I found these interesting photos from the city of Cheyenne. I thought they were very cool, and wanted to share them with you!

The Botanic Gardens and The State Capitol are two places worth seeing.

Now here is a surprise, one of Cheyenne's Sister Cities is ~

Waimea, Hawaii !! That really amazed me. Who would think that a humid place on the ocean would be a sister city to this arid Wyoming town?

Here's the answer: Waimea, Hawaii, became sister city as of May 2007.

In recognition of the Wyoming/Hawaiian ranching kinship, and the 2008 "Great Waiomina (Wyoming) Centennial Celebration" of Paniolo (Hawaiian Cowboy) Ikua Purdy at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

In 1908, Purdy (and three others) came to Cheyenne's great rodeo by steamship and train, competed, and WON. It was a complete surprise to the audience.

Here is an excerpt from a Hawaiian song:

Up walked a strange cowboy, paniolo to some
From Hawaii he came, a cowboy he had become
They asked from where he hailed, his voice had a ring
He spoke of fair islands and roundups in the spring

He said the cattle are grazing in Waianae this morn
At the ranch of the Parker's, kepa pele bell spurs busy at dawn
At Hanalei on Kauai the kaula ili lariats they swing
And the paniolos of Hawaii are at the roundups in the spring

They all got quiet and asked this strange cowboy his name
Ikua Purdy I am but I'm not here for the fame

I love Hawaii, been there many times, but this sheds an entirely different light on both Cheyenne and Waimea! Ranching. Cowboys. Paniolos! Life IS a trip!

Can't wait for MY trip, mid October.




Jiva

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

FALL 2008 ~ SCHOLASTIC LIFE ON LAKE MICHIGAN

Northwestern University is a private institution with its main campus of 240 acres on the shore of Lake Michigan in Evanston, about 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, and a 25-acre campus in Chicago. It has about 7,800 undergraduate and 6,200 graduate and professional program students. A member of the Big Ten conference, its athletic teams are called the Wildcats.

Evanston Campus

North Avenue Beach

Chicago at night

Serene campus view

Chicago campus

My nephew and his wife both graduated from Northwestern University, and now their daughter begins her first year there, starting what may be a tradition. As I write this, she sits at JFK, waiting for her plane to Chicago.
It's quite an adventure, leaving home in Maine, and traveling across the country.

She is a beautiful young lady, with long blonde hair, and a sparkling personality.
In high school, she excelled at just about everything, as did her parents before her.
I was born and raised in Chicago, as was my nephew, his wife being from New Jersey. Their daughter is the first of the children to leave home and start her new life in a world of academia. I wish her well.



Campus Tour

Jiva

HURRICANES AND SEPTEMBER WEATHER

Every year in September, I stop buying perishable foods. I have canned goods, boxed goods, and anything I can make with water. Bottled water is a necessity.
I also have V8 Fusion, a drink made from half vegetable juice and half fruit juice. It has a long shelf life, over six months. Tastes great too. I like the pomegranite/blueberry and the peach/mango. And if you want a cocktail, drop in a little gin or vodka.

The freezer is empty except for butter and bread. No meat, no fish, ~ when the power goes off, those items are the first to defrost and spoil. The butter and bread are usually still edible when defrosted. Some people put a bag of ice in the freezer when they know the loss of power is imminent. That's how the old "Ice Box" was kept cold before electrical refrigeration! That's how we do it here in Florida. Years and years of experience dealing with storms. Tropical Storms, Tornadoes, Floods, Storm Surges, Lightning, you name it, we've got it.

Jiva



Hurricanes and Tornadoes... A Montage




Hurricane Ike video taken by Brave Soul... !