Secretly Watching

Everyday I secretly watch the citizens of Lander. They don’t know that I watch. If they know that they’re being watched they probably don’t give it much thought if any. I really don’t get to see much. A few cars or trucks driving on main street, maybe someone walking, what the weather is like - does it match the weather report. Nothing terribly exciting, but I have a daily, real time, connection through the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WDOT) webcam. I get a simple pleasure out of being able to check in daily to see what’s happening, even if its only to check the weather.

http://www.wyoroad.info/highway/webcameras/US287Lander/US287Lander.html

Stratton Springs Trail. Ice flow captures the trees.

Another angle on the Ute Holy Tree.

The Ute Holy Tree, Stratton Open Space.

The Ute people of this area would tie down saplings and imbue them with their prayers. The tree would then grow up with a bend in its trunk. The Ute people believed that for as long as the tree stood, it would continue to deliver their prayers to the sky.

So this is a place to say whats on your mind right?

So you drive around the springs and you see people holding signs saying their homeless or poor please help. I so understand hard times, I support a disabled parent and pay for school and stuff but you make do, right. These people are standing in front of McDonald's or walmart and king soopers Hello go inside and ask if they need help even if its someone to sweep the parking lot. Some money is better than none. I do truly feel bad for some of these people who live in tent city and do work or that are actively looking for work and cant find any. But in times like these people need to put pride aside. Ask for help if you truly need it, go to a shelter if you have family in town let them know how your struggling. But what makes me truly upset and why i felt the need to vent all this. I watched a man in front of walmart who had a sign please help blah blah.. he had brand new sneakers on someone stopped and gave him food he looked at them like i wanted money. Some of these people are young too. This same guy i seen over the next few days in the same spot wearing clean cloths everyday. Ive heard of people begging as a occupation, I truly hope this isn't what this man is doing. Cant think of what its called off hand but when people are seriously in such a time of need why would you feed off that and take from people who truly need.

Endlessness

This one might be a little off topic, but I absolutely love when the clouds look like this, I feel like I could just jump up and grab a chunk of one of them. Its something that definitely reminds me of childhood, an easier time! I keep talking about enjoying the little things in life; I think remembering things like this are very important and therapudic. I remember laying down and making shapes out of the clouds, I'm sure that is something most of us can relate to. I also enjoy the endless feeling I get from driving down this road, and the clouds seem as though they aren't moving most of the time. But if you look away for a few minutes and glance back up, the shapes you saw a few minutes ago are gone, and there is a whole new set of images in the clouds. Then there are the days where the wind is blowing just enough so you can track the movement of the clouds. I find that interesting, especially the lower clouds. It always gets me when the clouds are lower than the Rockies. I was thinking during my last plane ride how amazing it is to go through the clouds. When I was leaving Idaho, it was gloomy and wet and raining. Not a single patch of blue skies. When the plane was getting higher in elevation, there was a point when we passed through the clouds that I felt like we were in a path of dense space. There was nothing I could see through those clouds, just white. Then as we broke through them, it was blue skies. It just amazes me how thick they can be to cover a city in rain and gloom and as soon as you pass through them it is a whole new look and day... very interesting!

Progress?

We live in a state that is all about the wilderness and nature. Graffiti Falls in Manitou is a melding of nature and human nature. Its the a place that incorporates rocks and water and the natural side of life along with the man made, a bridge for our road system. My favorite thing about this video is what has been added. You have the natural and the man made but at the same time you have a group of people, most likely young people, who have inserted themselves into their landscape. It is a sense of rebellion in what they are doing yet at the same time they are creating art. Personality shines through even with the signatures on the stones surrounding the creek. Small drawings on the side of the wall to the extravagance of the drawings that were painted while rock climbing upside down. The artists are creating means to an end. They have constructed their own means of transportation in this make shift culture that has been created under the bridge. Years of layers have been added by rebellious youths until now there is a full painted wall of art and decoration.

What I think is sad is that it was recently given to the city and the city has promised to turn it into a park and clean it up. Make shift fire pits and multi-colored rocks will be replaced with park benches and gravel. A place of originality and expression will be replaced to make local young families feel at home and the rebellious youths will have to find a new habitat to set up their angst-y roots.

But maybe the artists will revolt and take back the park and restore it to its colorful self.

We will have to see.

City Dionysia - The Bacchae: On Its Feet

Now that the cast is better acquainted with their respected characters, rehearsal time can begin. Kevin Landis (director) wants them memorized and blocked (stage directions know) as soon as possible, as the music department (that is creating live music for the show) will need to get a feel of the show to better create the tones that go under it. Since there were two different shows going on in the Bon Vivant during the early stages of rehearsal, the practice spot was a class room next to the Osborne Theatre. This space was marked out by the stage manager with tape so the actors would know what they would have to work with once the set was built. This was extremely important as the stage is relatively small, and is theater-in-the-round style.

The main props of the Bacchae are the thersi that is toted by the chorus and sometimes Dionysus. These staffs are one of the characteristics that make a Dionysian follower (almost fallace like.) Since these are such important props, they cannot be mimed. Likewise, for the blind seer Teiresius, a seeing staff is needed. Random sticks and piping are used in place of the wooden joyrods the chorus with receive come production week.

The chorus of Asian Women, though not as frightening as their Bacchus crazed counterparts, are still very animalistic, tribal and rugged. Flexibility and strength is a must. Monologues addressing the audience can be as long as ten minutes or more, sometimes causing the chorus to be in a frozen, tip-toed state. Kevin Landis (Director) warms up the chorus with “plastiques” very loud and strange movements and poses that are always on the toes, even when they are low. Until bodies adjust, rehearsal will not be kind to the chorus.

Next Post: Bacchus Crazed Beats – Music of the Bacchae

“Come Bacchae! Come Bacchae! Escort the god and son of god, Dionysus!”

Beyond the Lacy Curtains

So with this blog, I intend to analyze how working at the McAllister House has altered my perspective of Colorado Springs. The Colorado Springs of 2010 is vastly different than the Colorado Springs of 1873.

Henry McAllister and William Palmer were born three days apart in the same Quaker Community in Delaware in 1836. Both young men joined the 15th Pennsylvania Volunteer Calvary and fought bravely in the civil war (we have it on good authority that there is still DNA on McAllister's war sword that lays near the mantel in the study). When the War ended Palmer came out west and called on the men of the 15th Calvary to assist him in the construction of a new Settlement.

As his best friend went west, Henry returned home to marry his local sweetheart. Henry and Elizabeth McAllister were married January 17, 1866 by the mayor of Philadelphia and almost directly came to settle in Colorado to assist General Palmer in the establishment of the Fountain Colony (that's us!). Now, at the time Philadelphia was a hopping place! It was the city of the World's Fair and was the hub of culture and sophistication. If Mrs. McAllister wished she could walk two blocks from her city home and fetch exotic fruit and ice cream in one trip! To think that they left all that behind to come to a desolate, God-forsaken place overrun by hostiles (Eastern perspective).

From the moment the McAllisters stepped off the train they witnessed the ferocity of the WILD west that was so unlike civilized Philadelphia. A gale strength wind blew through the station and blew over the train they had just departed! After seeing this- Major McAllister insisted that his house be secure...and so the cottage he built has 3" steel rods bolting the basement to the roof and the exterior walls are 16" thick (the standard for modern homes is 6"-8"). Many joke that it was the first house standing in Colorado Springs and it will be the last one standing.

I muse over the histories I've learned working in this charming cottage as I look out the lacy curtains from the master bedroom. Here in this room I am safe, warm and cozy. I am surrounded by grand pieces of furniture, fine china and intricately embroidered textiles. The cottage truly is a time machine. But when I look out the window I can see the bank behind the property. A man who's just used the ATM has thrown his receipt onto the ground and greedily slurps the soda in his hands. Another man in tattered clothes wanders the alley behind the house clutching a cardboard sign. I don't have to read it to know what it says...something along the lines of "Out of work. Need help." The world outside this beautiful cottage is so much different than the world inside. The Colorado Springs the McAllisters nurtured has drastically changed. Perhaps I should go outside and join the man with a sign of my own: "Lost Hope. Seeking common ground between past and present."

Lander Demographics

The people who settled Lander were a hardy bunch since they thought the area had a “mild” climate for ranching and farming. I guess everything is relative depending on how you look at it. I was surprised to learn last semester Lander was on the top 10 list for snowiest cities. Most people you talk to in Lander would be surprised to hear that also, in fact Gary (Community Resource Coordinator) from the mayor’s office was not even aware Lander was on such a list. So either the list is wrong or it’s not as bad as it appears. I believe the latter.

With a population of roughly 6900 most of you probably consider Lander pretty small. Below is some demographic information about Lander. If you read through it all, you’ll see that Lander provides all the services a person needs with choices despite its size! What you’ll notice when you drive down main street is that the stores are owned by the towns people. You won’t find Walmart here. If you are looking for something to eat you could stop at the one fast food restaurant in town, McDonald’s, or better yet stop in at one of the local restaurants. Grocery stores, there are two. An ACE hardware. Although its not what most would consider a shopping mecca you can find everything you need, maybe not everything you want, but then there is always internet shopping. Or if you really have to go to Best Buy a drive to Casper 150 miles a way will fix the urge and while you’re there you can eat at a chain restaurant if you really must. But you don't need that fix often when you have great local places to dine like the Granite Grill or Tony's

Elevation: 5,357 feet
Population Within City Limits: In 2000 there were 6,867

Climate:

Ave High & Low

Jan: 31.2 degrees, 7.8 degrees July: 86. degrees, 55.9 degrees

Ave. Snowfall: 108"
Ave. humidity: 52%
Growing Season: 79-101 Days

114 Clear Days
122 Partly Cloudy Days
129 Cloudy Days
Average Wind Speed: 6.8 mph

Housing:

Single Family

New Home: $115,000-295,000 Existing Homes: $126,000

Ave. Land Costs
City: $17,600/8,800 sq. ft lot County: $1,200-3,000/acre

Taxes:

No state or local personal income tax

No state or local corporate income tax

No state or local inventory tax

Sales Tax: 4%

Lander Parks & Recreation:

Baseball Fields: 6
Tennis Courts: 6
Swimming Pool: 1
Golf Course (18 hole): 1
Bike Paths/Greenway: 1
Soccer Fields: 5
Skating Rinks: 1
Parks: 11

Newspapers:

Lander Journal

Riverton Ranger

Casper Star Tribune

Radio:
KOVE (1330)/KDLY (97.5)(AM/FM)
KCWC (Public)
KVOW (1450)/KTAK (93.9)(AM/FM)
KTRZ (93.1 Riverton/95.3 LAnder)(FM)

Education:

Fremont County School District #1 Facilities Enrollment for 2001-2002

Elementary: 4 schools - 858 students

Junior High: 1 school - 298 students

High School: 1 school - 707 students

Lander Christian Academy: 27

Central Wyoming Community College is 24 miles away in Riverton. CWC has a Lander Extension Office and offers local classes.

University of Wyoming, West Central Regional Office of Outreach Credit Courses

Wyoming Catholic College is a 4 year coeducational Catholic liberal arts college.

Medical Facilities:

Lander Valley Medical Center

81 beds

Lander Medical Clinic
Doctors: 30
Dentists: 8

Churches: 25

Transportation:

Hunt Field Aiport-Lander

Non-Commercial

Runway Length- 5,100 ft.

Type of Surface: Asphalt

Lights, fixed base, operator/air taxi, fuel & restrooms.

No Instrument landing system and operator

Riverton Municipal Airport

United Airlines-daily commuter service. 26 miles to terminal.

Bus Service

Senior Citizens/Handicapped Bus

Wind River Transportation Authority

City Services:

Emergencies 911

Lander Police

Fremont County Sheriff

City of Lander

Employment Resources

Fremont County Library

Total volumes: 63,000

Fremont County Offices

Lander Post Office

Mount Hope Cemetery

For Seniors:

Senior Citizen Center

Mountain Vista Retirement Residence

Westward Heights Care Center

City Dionysia - The Bacchae: Bookwork

The Bacchae is a Greek tragedy written by Euripides. It is the story of King Pentheus who refuses piety to the god, Dionysus, which ultimately leads to his death. This play is in conjunction with City Dionysia, a city-wide time of festivities, art, music and wine.

This play will be done theatre-in-the round style, with live and original music from several students in the music department. The show will be a graphic one; sensual, dismembering and bloody.

The starting steps are to understand the characters, as well as the text. Before any action is started, research must be completed. Pronunciation of words, settings and of course character analysis. Below are descriptions of the some of the main characters from the actors themselves.

From Joy to the World, The Lord has Come
“Dionysos is the son of Zeus himself, King of the Gods. He is born of a mortal woman named Semele in Thebes, Greece. After his birth he is placed in hiding for his protection. By the time he reaches maturation he is at the height of his ministry and traveling throughout the Middle East gathering his loving disciples (the Chorus). “
-Benjamin Bonenfant

From A Case for Pentheus
“It's easy to look at Pentheus as sort of a jerk—his temper is well-known and feared throughout the Greek city-state, and his stubborn refusal to accept Dionysos—the god who started all this mess and happens to be Pentheus' cousin—flies in the face of reason at the end of all. Still, Pentheus is doing what any of us would do if our family and livelihoods were put in peril.”
-Greg Reiley

From Thine Will be Done
“Like any devout followers, the chorus loves to share the stories of Dionysus’ birth, power and might. They are wholly committed and completely in worship; at a touch they are gentle, love-struck fawns; at a call they are savage warriors, and at a command, they are ready to die.
-Danielle Doyle

The actors must study the roles, talk about what is to be portrayed with the director first. Questions he may ask; "Where is this located, who are you talking to? How does your character feel? What happened in the scene before this?" Perhaps in the text, those answers are told, perhaps all actors and director must come together and talk to derive an answer from the context. Either way, the bookwork must take place first. The more that is known, the eaiser the characters and text will be to portray.

Next Post: On Its Feet

“What is wisdom? Or what gift from the god’s is sweeter in man’s opinion than to hold the upper hand over a fallen foe? Why, tis’ a thing of beauty, and a joy forever.”

Enjoy Those Little Moments

So I went to Idaho this last weekend to visit my fiance... he took me through these mountains so I could get some pictures, and as I was looking around I noticed the road in this photo. It looks so natural even though we know it is man made. The whole time we were driving through here (you cant tell in this picture) but there was a creek that ran along the road. I was noticing that the trees looked as though they were sliding down the mountain and would fall into the creek at any moment. Kind of made me imagine how everything looked before the road was there, and it made me notice how much man can impact nature. I love nature and I love being right in the middle of it. There was a quiet air around us, there was nothing around. We barely passed any cars, this was a 2 hour drive of nature. A storm started to roll in before we left and it starting raining, I couldn't have been happier. I took tons of digital pictures and a few rolls of film. The picture at the top is one of the clouds as they came in, most of the time it bothers me that man has destroyed so much nature... but at times like this, I'm glad there is a road that can lead me into this beauty, so I can enjoy those little moments

Lost in Thought

As I look out my own window into the city of Colorado Springs, I realize that I never closely examine the nature of the place itself. I've been thoroughly confounded as to how I could go about this project, thinking deeply on what the city means to me, how I view it, and how it changes.

I know, as film/photography is my typical medium, I will create a short film/video for this project. But the subject is still debatable for me. I recently met an Architect while finishing a video for my internship, and we got into a deep discussion about the city and how it affects our own lives. She was describing how it fascinates her that the appearance of the city/its architecture has adapted and changed so much in the past hundred years alone. She was investigating a way to create an animation or visual documentation of the changes in certain areas of the city. She was mainly interested in the boundary changes in the counties themselves, and how many inaccuracies existed. However, she sparked my imagination of possibly creating a short video to represent the changes in as much as even the stores, or the construction of downtown colorado springs.

I think so many changes occur all around us, we never notice. We could be shocked and face it, or we could pass it by and ignore it. It would be interesting to me to document the changes of the city, as it rapidly develops.

The other idea I'm still toying with is the idea of existence of people and life in the city. People change so much as a result of their environment. My own grandfather used to say, "You are the product of your environment, and your environment is constantly changing." He was right. In reference to my documentary: urbanization of once spaced out housing can create conflict, adaptations and change. I would document these changes through documenting graffiti, inner-city gangs, the degradation of housing, development of barren land, improvement efforts of the community/city and the truth behind the increasing population of our city.

I'm not sure if I may even go with these, but I'm toying with the idea so far.

Exploring new places

Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while,

you could miss it.

Quote from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Wow! How time flies and I rarely seem to get out and see new places.

I think most of us have this problem of slowing down and taking a look around.

It is easy to get stuck in our everyday routines and dismiss many places and people we pass during our day.

So, I decided to break my mundane routine and get out and take a look around.

Deciding to stretch out of my comfort zone of where and what I know is a weird feeling. It takes thought and motivation to experience new places and people.

I started my exploration from my son’s gym (Front Range Sports Performance & Fitness), which is located in downtown Colorado Springs at the corner of Colorado Ave. and Sahwatch St. I usually stay inside the gym and watch my son and other athletes do their Olympic Weightlifting routines. Every now and then I peer out the garage door windows of the gym and see the Bargain Book Warehouse building, which is across Colorado Ave.

I had never gone checked out bookstore, even though it is right across the street. It has always intrigued me, especially during the summer months, when the Bookstore employs a guy waving a arrow sign along Colorado Ave. to attract customers. It is just across the street. So, why have I never taken the time to venture across the street and checked it out? I think several things had kept me from taking the time to check it out.

Time, the unknown or unfamiliar place and people.

So, I finally took the time to wondered over to Bargain Book Warehouse from the gym. The traffic is busy on Colorado Ave. Once I crossed the street and approached the old building I observed the buildings brick exterior, with neatly wood painted store signs that were placed into the old windows of the building. One of the signs had penciled giraffe, which stated books were on sale and several other statements. As I approached the front of the door, I felt a little hesitant because their were no windows and the glass door was covered with a paper “were open” sign and listed the hours of operation (everyday from 10-7). Once I was inside I greeted an older man behind the counter. It took him a little while to respond back to me. He seemed preoccupied with sorting out stacks of books at the check out counter. I asked him several questions and he seemed uncomfortable with my conversation, so I started to look around.

Here are a few pictures from my first exploration.

T Gray

Thinking agian....

Uhm, quick question for the class and the professor. We were talking about originality and reproducibility last week and I was wondering....is there a point when you have altered an image or something of the like that it becomes new and original. And at that point does it become someone else's or does it still belong to the initial creator?

Lander's Beginnings

Like many western towns their beginnings can be traced back to the discovery of gold. In mid 1867 gold was discovered 35 miles away from where the town of Lander would be established and the rush to the area established the gold field cities of South Pass City and Atlantic City. Transportation to and from the gold fields developed several wagon routes from South Pass to the Union Pacific mainline over a hundred miles away in Rawlins. Eventually the north-south wagon roads were extended from South Pass through the Lander Valley as far as the Wind River Indian Reservation that was established in 1868 for the Shoshone tribe. At the future site of the town of Lander an agency and military installation, Camp Augar, was established to administer and protect the reservation. Between the miners, military and Indians a market was provided for all the local agricultural products. The Lander Valley was well watered and had a mild climate for farming and ranching which attracted ranchers, farmers and settlers to the area.

In 1871 Camp Augar moved to the Little Wind River and became Camp Brown. The community that had grown-up around the camp became known as Pushroot. In 1875 the pioneers applied for a Post Office. The US Postal Service would not approve the name Pushroot. Benjamin Franklin Lowe suggested the name Lander after Frederick W. Lander the surveyor who created the Lander cutoff. In March the Post Office in Lander opened with James I. Patten as the first postmaster.

In 1880 BF Lowe, PP Dickinson, and EA Amoretti established the Lander Townsite Company. The land was surveyed, and the town was laid out. Lots were now for sale and people were ready to buy land, establish homes and businesses.

Information courtesy of the Fremont County Pioneer Museum

Thoughts on Independent Project

I have been thinking about the project this week and I may have an idea or rather inclination of what I would like to explore. (I finally have words for it). I do enjoy watching people and animals how they move about the world...I am curious to see how people react in a specific place or plane of space, how much of that interacton plays a role within the stories that create not only their lives, and how much of those stories create history. With the information I would write a stanza that would reflect that...this is merely a possiblity. I am still not entirely sure where or how this will turn...but, any imput would be lovely.

The Nature Of Colorado

This is one of my favorite things about Colorado. I'm very much into nature, and any chance I get I like to go somewhere and enjoy it. It is amazing to watch the city grow, more and more land is being taken up by people. Here, you can see parts of the city, but to me what stands out is the sunset, the clouds, and the mountains in all their beauty. There is a sense of quiet from the picture, and that is what I feel when I can enjoy this sort of scenery.

wonderful CO

I dont know if everyone is from CO but Im from NY and every time it snows here im in awe about how beautiful it is. In NY when it snows its not as white or fluffy and u cant see the details of the snow flakes like you can here. I never wanna leave.

The Beginning of a Victorian Revival!

Last October my Museum Studies professor insisted we all meet him down town for a field trip of the McAllister House museum...as much as some protested we were duty bound. So at 3 o'clock in the afternoon we shuffled up to this tiny, picturesque cottage and I fell in love. Normally love of this caliber comes with a steady date on friday nights and a box of chocolates on select holidays, but the McAllister house has given me so much more- a revival of my passion for the Victorian Era.

I've always been a Victorian junkie. I dare you to come and see my period drama DVD collection, or the insane amount of Victorian Gothic literature on my shelves. I'm like a twilight fan stuck in Regency England- but instead of yearning for Edward Cullen, my heart goes wild for lace gloves, antique opera glasses, and the sound of swishing silks... and now I'd found my ultimate high!

It's a quaint little place. Filled with charm, priceless valuables, hundreds of untold stories and millions of possible encounters. I unearthed a beaver muff last weekend from a cedar chest under the sleigh bed in the childrens' room. Who's muff was it? It's labeled as a gift from Josh Fiston by way of Mr. Loveland for a young woman by the name of Anne. Were they lovers? Was he hopelessly devoted to her and so cemented her affections with gifts? Or are my romantic sensibilities going too far and its simply a beaver muff...we shall see.

Come visit me at the McAllister house- until then visit the website!

http://mcallisterhouse.org/

You know, this is very much like a paint brush
across a landscape.

According to Interesting United States Weather Facts and Extremes:

Wyoming is ranked #5 out of the 10 coldest states with a mean annual temperature of 41.98, F

Wyoming is ranked #3 out of the 10 driest states with an average annual precipitation of 12.97 inches

Lander, Wyoming is ranked #7 out of the 10 snowiest cities with an average annual precipitation of 102.5 inches

According to Liz Osborn on Current Results.com writing about the Snowiest Places in the United States, there are fourteen cities with the distinction of having an average annual snowfall of over 100 inches. Lander, Wyoming makes the list. Seven of the fourteen also have the honor of making her list for averaging snowfall between June and August. Once again Lander, WY is on the list with 1.2 inches. Lander also averages 183 days where the temperature is 32 F or less.

When people think of places to retire they usually choose places that are more hospitable or at least not freezing. Why retire to Lander, Wyoming? What does this small town have to offer that offsets its weather extremes?

If you take the time!

I sat back an watched as people hurried through the busy streets. No one paying any mind to anyone but them selves. I probably saw about a 100 people from all walks of life. I wonder how many of them are homeless, or can't afford to feed there family how many of them are in love or hate their lives. I wonder how many other people took the time to just sit back and enjoy life, or to at least soak it in. People in love, holding hands as they walk down the street, and elderly couple sitting on a bench holding hands and talking. Children laughing and skipping with no worries in the world as there mom yells to slow down. A man walking down the street with his dog, dirty, smelling of alcohol. A pregnant women smoking a cigarette. All of these people paying no attention to anyone but themselves. Wonder how many of these people could have helped make someone Else's day a little bit better.