Monday, December 3, 2012

Wide Open Spaces on Land Reminds Us of Wide Open Spaces on Water



We unpacked from the East Coast and repacked to head to Wyoming and a visit with family.  This year we flew instead of driving as it is a two day drive from MO and a 3hr. flight.  We had a babysitting obligation in MO for the end of the month and didn’t have the luxury of the extra driving time.  We did miss the wonderful scenery thru Nebraska and Wyoming and seeing family that we saw last year.

 We arrived in Billings, MT. at 9:30 am and headed to Cody.  The majestic mountains were off to the right and the sky just opened up all around us.  The bigness of the country is awe inspiring.   Arrived in Cody by noon and went straight to mom’s, she is great and loving the idea she will soon be 90yrs. old.  Good friends have opened a winery, Buffalo Jump, in Cody and the wines are superb.  Since it was Friday we were there in time for Wine Down Friday an afterhours wine tasting club they have started.  The winery interior is rustic, the walls being from an old barn found out in the plains. 
Buffalo skin in the winery

 
 
 
 
 
Scott and Beckey enjoy the winery
Leslie, sister Ally, and Scott and Becky
 
Starting Sat. my sister, who now manages the thrift shops for the Episcopal Church, put us to work and we volunteered for the next ten days.  This is quite an undertaking and very successful for the church and community.  We were amazed at the variety of donations. 
 
The Beer Fest at the edge of town
contestants made their own tap
 
Sat. night we went to an annual brew tasting.  Local brewers (garage type) present their brews for voting.  Some really good home-made beer were consumed, my favorite was a pumpkin ale which surprised me.
Leslie admires the Yaks
Chewbaca

Friends of my sister who used to live where we grew up have moved to Cody and have a Yack Ranch.  I now know where they must have gotten Chew Baca’s character on Star Wars, uncanny look alike.  Yack meat is delicious and good for you as it is lean.
Reconstructed guard tower at camp
Reconstucted Barracks

We took a morning and drove out to Heart Mountain Internment Camp.  This is the site where more than 14,000 Japanese Americans were confined during World War ll, making it the third largest city in Wyoming.  At one time the camp encompassed 47,000 acres with barracks type housing.  A family was only allowed to bring with them what each could carry. All their possessions were confiscated.   A family was allotted approx. a 20’by 24’ space with multiple generations living together; as many as 10 people could be sharing this space.  The space included an army cot, a mattress and a blanket for each person.  There were no bathrooms except public baths and no cooking facilities except the camp cafeteria.   The barracks had no insulation in the beginning and the coal furnaces were a constant worry for fires in these flimsy buildings.  The “camp” eventually included a hospital, internee-managed fire, police and judicial systems, a post office, a sewage treatment plant; a power station; a water system, two grade schools in barracks, a high school building and several cooperative enterprises.  Internees formed a very active recreation program and developed an agricultural program to provide fresh vegetables, poultry, pigs, and cattle. 
Picture of the camp under construction
 
 In 1944, the US government decided to draft the 18 yr. old internees, 88 refused to go and were sent to prison, 800 served our country with distinction.   Even though the Japanese-Americans were resourceful, they were living inside barbed wire with guard houses surrounding them.   The last train of internees left Heart Mountain on Nov. 10, 1945 each person receiving a ticket to the West Coast and $25.00.  Many of these people went on to recover what they lost, some became doctors, lawyers and even politicians but some never recovered, a phenomenal testimony to human spirit.  If you get to Wyoming this is a must visit.
Buffalo Bill Museam
Each dot pin is a place he performed his show, impressive

           Another must see in Cody is the Buffalo Bill Cody museum and Old Trail Town which is where Cody first laid out the town of Cody.  The refurbished Bill Cody exhibit had reopened and the man was fascinating.  We included a picture of the US which shows by all the stick pins where he performed The Wild West Show with Buffalo Bill Cody.  He employed hundreds of people from all over the world and had to transport and set up these shows at each destination.  The show also went to Europe where it was extremely popular.
Part of Old Town

          On our last night in Cody we went to a wild crazy annual Halloween party where the beer cooler is a real casket in the front yard.   We must now head back to MO. and babysit our grandchildren then onto GA to babysit our other son’s children as he and his wife will be on travel over the next 2weeks.  Eric and family will drive down for Thanksgiving so we will all be together.  Carl has many projects to finish yet in anticipation of returning to FROLIC.
Ready to Party!
Beer casket
 
 
 

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