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.

What is your favorite birthday memory?

My birthday is in early August. My best friend was usually able to come and spend the night. My favorite memory is when a fun sleep-out in the yard turned into a major rainstorm.

After watching the original version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, having dinner, cake and opening presents, it was time to get ready to go sleep in the tents. My friend, Alice, and I would be sleeping in the larger blue domed tent and my brother, Billy, would be sleeping in a red pup tent. The tents were already set up, because in the summer time we always enjoyed playing in them during the day.

The three of us had fun talking, telling stories and thinking about what we would do the next day. We heard some lightning in the distance and did not think much about it. The news had not said anything about storms. Billy fell asleep as Alice and I continued to talk about our plans for the next day and what school was going to be like with our new teacher.

All of a sudden the wind started to blow and rain started pouring down. Billy had the pup tent fall down on him. We could hear him hollering for help. I thought it was so funny and I still do. He remembers nothing about it. Alice and I got out of our tent to help him. My dad came out of the house and told us to come in. I didn’t want to, but we always listened to my dad. It was a great idea, because then the lightning started.

We got our sleeping bags and put them in the house as well as Billy’s wet, limp tent. Alice and I left ours out, because we thought it would be safe since it was staked down very well.

Billy decided to sleep in his bed and we took the sleeping bags to my bedroom floor. We talked a little bit longer and then fell asleep listening to the rain.

When we woke up the next day and looked out my window there was no tent. We had breakfast and then thought we would out with the 4-wheeler and look for the tent. We drove ¾ of a mile to the nearest barbed wire fence. I saw all the cows looking in the same direction. We drove in the direction they were looking and there we found the tent. It was torn a little bit, but it was still in good condition.

I always enjoyed celebrating my birthday with Alice and Billy, but that was by far the best one.