Meeteetse, WY, part 2

Today was another example of what climatologists call "global weirding." There was hail and the threat of local flooding on the outskirts of Thermopolis, and Meeteetse had some scattered thunderstorms. It makes the weather unpredictable, but at least everything is still green even in July!

Just before getting to Meeteetse, we stopped to take pictures of the many, many flowers along the roadside.





This is the southern entrance to Meeteetse:

I always like going to cemeteries because I enjoy history and understanding the culture of a place. So before driving into town, we stopped at the cemetery which is next to the rodeo and baseball diamond.
These are two great sculptures which stand at the center, and both are dedicated to the Renner family.

Below are some more Renners. The monument is typical of the vibrant colors Wyoming cemeteries have due to the almost exclusive use of artificial flowers (something not appreciated in wetter climates in the United States).

The monument in the foreground above matches the close-up of it below. It is evident that some cement was mixed up, set on the granite stone, and then the person's name was formed in it before drying. I think it is a good example of the individualism and laissez faire attitude of many in this state.

The name below makes me wonder what people thought of this name upon hearing it. Was his middle name Owen?

The hat and boots are classic Wyoming.

FFA (below) stands for Future Farmers of America, and "HERE BY THE OWL" is what the FFA advisor states as a part of the opening ceremonies.

The bucking bronco rider is the symbol of Wyoming and is on all the vehicle license plates. Here a young man who served in Vietnam, and probably died there, is remembered for his rodeo abilities.

We then went into the center of town and took WY-290 southwest to the upper Sunshine reservoir (there is also a lower one which isn't as grand).

A mist of clouds hung over the valley as we drove up the road to the reservoir, but we had to stop to photograph some flowers we had never seen before.



We spoke to an older gentleman who has been coming here during the summer most of his life. He said that it is very unusual for everything to be green in July. This satellite image shows the effect of the recent drought on the reservoir. Now it is full and overflowing.

This is the manmade canal used to bring water from a creek fed by the melting snows in the mountains.

See also Meeteetse, WY, part 3, part 1.

link: index to photographs