Halfway Through Summer in Cody, Wyoming
While the official halfway point of the summer is in early August since summer officially starts June 21 and officially ends September 21, I know better. Summer starts Memorial Day weekend and ends Labor Day weekend.
That makes midsummer right about…now, and I would like to report that the first half of this summer in Cody, Wyoming has been terrific with the forecast for continued fun and classic western experiences.
Kids gather round the rodeo clown after chasing two calves in the rodeo arena.
Here are some of the highlights for me so far.
1) My nephew won the prize for catching the calf at the Cody Nite Rodeo. Every year he has given it his best effort, and this was finally the year it paid off. If you have never seen 100 kids trying to get the bandana tied to a calf’s tail in the rodeo arena you are missing out.
2) The runoff has been high and the rafting fast. I ran a section of the North Fork of the Shoshone River in near-record time and was happy that I scheduled the longer run farther down river. It was a hot day, and the water never felt better.
3) I attended the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts Annual Meeting at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center and gained a deeper understanding of the challenges facing many people in our diverse country. I immediately signed up for the Heart Mountain Pilgrimage August 22 – 23, 2014. This year’s event will honor the late Sen. Daniel Inouye and all those who served in the armed forces.
4) I made a guest appearance in the Cody Gunfighters show. You might have seen me dressed up as a barroom dancer. My speaking part was to warn the marshal that one of the bad guys was sneaking up on him. I yelled “Duck,” and the other actors commended me on doing such a great job.
5) Dan Miller and his Cowboy Music Revue included me in his show one night by joking that I knew Buffalo Bill personally. While nobody actually believed him, I do suggest that you watch your back for the rest of the summer, “Danno.”
Several rafting companies provide float trips on local rivers. Many locals own their own rafts.
The rest of my summer will be filled with hiking, riding, fishing and other activities. I am especially looking forward to the county fair in Powell and the rest of the Thursday night concert series in Cody’s city park.
A reenactment of the mass trial of Heart Mountain internee draft resisters was part of the NCREFC conference.
If you have not pulled the trigger on using those vacation days, you still have time. Make sure you look me up when you get to town.
Until you do call, I am lovin’ life in Cody, Wyoming.
