Sunday, January 10, 2010

Week of December 14th

Wyoming is another tough state, kind of a “have to be there” state. It’s home to wonderful national treasures like Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons National Park but unfortunately it’s not known for any specific food or drink products or any native music. Jackson Pollack is from Wyoming but it would be a real stretch to associate Wyoming with Abstract Expressionism.

Wyoming is home to more rodeos than any other state in the union, but alas, no rodeos in St. Louis this week. Many years ago I went to a rodeo in Jackson Hole and I remember it left me with the same impression as NASCAR racing, it’s noisy, smelly and the participants have to be of questionable sanity. I read somewhere that someone wrote “Rodeo is more than a sport in Wyoming…it’s a way of life”. If I ever find out who said it, I’ll fill in the blanks.

While we’re thinking about ideas for our state celebration, here are some state tidbits:
• Wyoming is called “The Equality State” because it was the 1st state in the Union to grant women the right to vote - go figure.
• Most of “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s adventures took place in Wyoming where he was named for Cody, Wyoming.
• “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind” (one of my personal favorites) was filmed at Devil’s Tower in Wyoming.
• OK, I’m hurting for material.

Since once again, schedules were tight and “Wyoming” creativity short, we opted for a movie. With cowboy hats donned once again, we settled down to the Wyoming classic, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. When this movie came out, I remember it as a crowd favorite, but time and technology has a way of changing your point of view. And who can take any cowboy seriously who rides a bicycle to “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head”?

Color in the “Equality” state with splashes, drips and strokes of color in the Abstract Expressionist style and travel, for the 1st time, to the Northeast to the “Pine Tree” State – Maine. Nine down - 43 to go.

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