Where did you grow up?

I grew up on a 100 year-old ranch in the mountains of rural central Wyoming. The mountains are beautiful and each of the seasons are pretty in their own way.

Spring has the the snow thawing and the rising of the creeks. The spring rains bring flowers such as sunflowers, wild iris, buttercups, Indian paintbrush.

The summer has more flowers of the same flowers and green grass. In August the grass turns brown. It is the sagebrush that is noticed then. The sagebrush is silver-gray and it looks like a grey stormy sea. That is one of my favorite things to see.

Fall brings hunting season and the yellow leaves of the quaking aspen. Sometimes you have to be quick to see the leaves change, beacause can have an early frost and the leaves will be brown. Drive safely on the road because there will be hunters driving as they are trying to find elk, deer and antelope.

Winter brings the wind. I never really liked the wind, but some days are better than others. The wind blows much more in the winter. This winter the wind must have blown continuously at 50 mph for one entire day. It causes the dust and snow to come in the windows and the shingles to blow off the buildings. Some of the shingles have been for decades and some have not been there very long, so it is interesting to see how the older buildings have been built much better. I do like the snow in the winter. It can get pretty deep and it is fun to ski, sled and snowmobile.

I really enjoyed growing up in the mountains of Wyoming and I make sure I take my children there every chance I can.

Write a poem about snow.

Tonight I have a special guest writer. Her name is Jessica and she wrote this poem on December 9th. If any of you would like to be a guest writer leave a comment and we can give you a voice.

Nebulae of Silence

Dots in a
galaxy
of neverending
stars
Pinpricks
of light
dropping
from the
heavens
Plummeting
toward Earth
Nebulas of
snow

Illuminated
milky ways
shaping a path
alone
Mounded
onto flowing
slopes of
silence

Cold Weather

I don’t know about the rest of you in world, but this cold weather is really starting to get to me. I think I am physically and mentally becoming older. I am no longer fond of temperatures below the freezing temperature. As each year goes by I just want to bury my head in the covers and wait for spring to arrive. That is hard to do though with two young kids.

My children love to get out in the snow. They like to get outside in any kind of weather. I just wish it were warmer for them to be able to play outside. I am looking forward to having some sunny and warmer temperatures. I will be putting them in their snowsuits and all the rest of the winter apparel and then send them outside.

I will have fun watching them rolling snowballs, getting jumped on by the puppies and pushing the snow off their slides. I will give them ice-cream buckets to scoop up the snow so they can make snow castles.

I will look at them having fun and it will make me want to go outside and have fun with them. I will then get on all of my winter apparel and send myself outside. I will roll snowballs, get jumped on by the puppies and use the ice-cream buckets to make the biggest snow castle.

I just hope there is enough snow to build a snow castle at least 4 feet high and also sticky enough. I have changed my mind about winter. It is fun.

Write a poem about two opposing views of winter.

Two Opposing Views

Bleak, dreary winter,
That I don’t like. Snow and cold.
Wish it was summer.

Beautiful snowdrifts
Provide fun for kids,
Who all love sledding.

Write about your favorite place

Write about your favorite place

Boxelder Canyon

Bugle of bull elk
Howl of coyote and wolf
Wind through firs and pine
Large drifts on edge of trees
Cozy fires on stormy nights

Next day glorious
Sun glistening off snow
Cold winter wind
Miles without a soul
There are signs
Elk, bear, and lion
Looking for food
Cold air bites cheeks
Smell of wood smoke
Cures cabin fever
Happiness