graduation

While my husband, Bob and I were in the Black Hills last week, we were having breakfast at the Hill City Cafe, when we overheard a waitress telling another table the story of how the Hill City High School came to have Smokey Bear as their mascot and be renamed the Hill City Rangers. I had no idea that anyone used Smokey Bear as their mascot, nor did I know that no other school was allowed to do so. That caught my interest, so we listened to the story, and then I had to research it further to get the whole story. And quite a story it is.

It all started around noon on July 10, 1939, with one of the worst forest fires in the history of the Black Hills. It was located just ten miles northwest of Hill City, and that’s too close for any wildfire to be to a city. Overnight, the fire burned through six of those ten miles, jumped the Mystic Road, the C.B. and Q. Railway, and was headed directly for Hill City. These are areas my husband, Bob and I have hiked, and hearing about the fire raging through them really hits home for me. The C.B. and Q Railway (Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad) was later abandoned and became the Mickelson Trail, which I have hiked from end to end, twice!! Not in one trip, but over about 10 years, one section at a time. The whole area is a place I love, and to think of it burning…well, it tears at my heart.

By noon on July 11, 1939, the fire was within three miles of town. That was when the wind changed and carried the fire further North and East. Still, Hill City and other towns were not safe, winds shift all the time, and the fire had to be stopped. The weather that year had been hot and very dry, unlike this year, plus a high wind repeatedly “crowned” the fire. The firefighters were in constant danger. They had already called in all of the Civilian Conservation Corps boys in the area, who had been immediately put on the fire, and now the forest rangers called for more help. You know that the situation is desperate, when they call for untrained volunteers. Shockingly, one of the first crews to respond was a group of 25 schoolboys from Hill City. These were high school kids…kids!! The crew of 25 included the entire basketball squad, one eighth grader, and several boys who had recently attended or graduated from the Hill City High School. Their foreman was Charles Hare, President of the Board of Education. This whole story of bravery and selflessness brings tears to my eyes and puts a lump in my throat.

The inferno raged throughout July 11th and into July 12th and utilized over four thousand firefighters, laboring together to bring the fire under control. The fire often isolated the crews, who went without food and water for a number of hours. Heat, smoke, and the danger of being trapped hampered the firefighters, but the blaze was brought under control on July 12th. The people of Hill City had spent many anxious hours watching the smoke and direction of the fire. Many had packed their belongings and were ready to move, but the order to abandon the town was never given. The schoolboys crew from Hill City was at the fire every day. The US Forest Service was so grateful to them that they were later recognized by officials as one of the best crews!! The McVey Fire burned over 20,000 acres.

To get back to the story the waitress was so proudly telling, “The name ‘Rangers’ was given to them in honor of their good record. Because of the work of these schoolboys back in 1939, Hill City Schools became the ONLY school district in the United States to have the privilege of using ‘Smokey Bear’ as its mascot. The school colors are Green and Gold which also represent the National Forest Service Theme, and Hill City is the ONLY school with the honorable privilege of having their graduation ceremonies held at Mount Rushmore. The staff, students and teams representing Hill City Schools hope to continue the traditions of the splendid group of men that our boys so ably assisted, The United States Forest Rangers.” It’s a proud tradition to own, and an awesome goal to reach for. I’m sure they will be able to achieve their goal, and as an annual “tourist” in the area, who loves the Black Hills, I want to thank all the brave firefighters in the Black Hills-Hill City area…past, present, and future (one of which was my niece, Lindsay Moore, for a summer) for all their hard work keeping the area safe, and mostly for their bravery.

As my grandnephew, Chris Spicer graduates from Rawlins High School today, he will be looking forward to a number of changes coming very quickly. Following graduation, Chris and his mom, Andrea Beach will be moving to Casper, to be near family. Chris’ grandparents, Caryl and Mike Reed lived in Rawlins until last July, and when they moved to Casper, there was nothing keeping Chris and his mom in Rawlins, except that Chris was in going into his senior year at Rawlins High School…definitely not the time to move and switch schools. So, Andrea and Chris made the decision to stay in Rawlins for one more school year. Now that year in over and by June 1st, Chris and his mom will be living in Casper and checking out the job market.

Chris has had a few ideas about what he wants to do with his life, and he has decided to attend Casper College, and major in Graphic Design. Since I didn’t really know all the aspects of graphic design, I decided to research that field a little bit. I found that, “Graphic designers can work in a variety of industries and create visual concepts using computer software or by hand to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. They work with print or digital media and design a variety of projects like advertisements, logos, packaging, websites, and more. They use design elements and layouts to achieve artistic or functional effects. They may work in specialized design services, publishing, or advertising, public relations, and related services industries.” Basically, that tells me than the career possibilities are endless, and I know that Chris will have lots of career opportunities.

For now, Chris will be getting a job while going to school, but he is not sure what he will go for right now. I suppose it depends on what is available. But before all that, Chris, his mom, and his grandma will be taking their annual Black Hills trip. The trip has been a tradition for years now, and they look forward to it very much. This is a trip where Mike (Caryl’s husband) stays home to let the three of them have some bonding time. It has been an important time for the three of them, and it is great of Mike to give them that time. Chris and his mom are going to be going through a lot of changes, but they are positive changes that will greatly improve their lives, but this day is all about graduation. Today, Chris takes that important first step!! He graduates from high school!! Congratulations on your successful public-school career and on your graduation from Rawlins High School, Chris!! We are all so proud of you!!

Alli Simpson, who is my grandnephew, Xander Spethman’s girlfriend is a sweet girl who has captured Xander’s heart, and everyone in his family loves her very much. Alli is a quiet girl, at least when I have been around her, but maybe she is just shy because she doesn’t know me too well. Xanders family has pretty much “adopted” her, for now…a situation that will change as their relationship deepens. It’s not every day that a person fits so perfectly in a family, but Alli is one of those precious few who really do.

Alli is a smart girl, who worked hard and graduated from high school one semester early. I know she has great things ahead of her. She had considered becoming a nurse at one point, but like many people who were considering nursing, plans changed following Covid-19. While her plans may have taken a setback, I know that this ambitious girl did not. Whatever she decides to do, I know that she will land on her feet. Right now, she is just working and enjoying spending time with Xander and his family.

Alli loves plants. If you look at her Facebook profile page, you will pick up on that fact immediately. I must say that I have to give a lot of credit to anyone who can raise plants, because there are lots of us out there who definitely can’t. I can kill a plant in record time, so I am in awe of anyone who can keep one alive for more than a month. Alli’s sense of humor even extends to her plants. While I don’t know if she would actually take a plant out for a walk, the fact that she sees humor in the idea makes me smile. Maybe she would do that, simply because it would be something new and different. I think that if Xander is looking for a birthday present for her, a plant stroller might be just the ticket.

It seems that Alli has always been a bit of a princess and really, a fashionista. That makes her a good friend for Xander’s little sister, Aleesia, who is a fashionista too, and as the only girl in the Spethman family, she and Alli and Xander’s mom, Jenny Spethman, of course, can all share in their fashion/princess world together. Alli and Xander have also decided that they want to help an animal in need, so recently, they adopted a dog that they named Rocky. Rocky loves his new mommy and daddy, and since the kids just moved into their first place together, they now have a nice little family. Today is Alli’s 18th birthday. Happy birthday Alli!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My grandniece, Jadyn Mortensen is graduating from high school today, and I can’t believe that she could possibly be that grown up…except for the fact that I have watched her growing up these 18 years. I would like to say that there is one standout point of amazingness with Jadyn, but there just isn’t. Jadyn is a girl with many talents. If you put Jadyn on a horse, she will show you how to be the most amazing barrel racer I have ever seen. Ok, I could be biased, but she is really good, nevertheless. She is so good in fact, that the University of Wyoming saw her talent, and signed her to the rodeo team immediately…along with a full ride scholarship. The value of her talent has proven to be great.

Jadyn plans to study Mechanical Engineering. I wasn’t totally sure what that was, so I had to look it up. At first, I thought it was about building machines, and to a degree it is, but there is so much more to it than that. What I found was that “mechanical engineers are problem solvers who apply their skills to design, develop, build, and test all sorts of mechanical devices, tools, engines, and machines in just about every type of industry.” They are like the designers of the future!! A mechanical engineering student works with a team to develop “a wide range of products and systems including, transmissions, engine parts, aircraft engines, control systems, prosthetic devices, disk drives, printers, semiconductor tools, sensors, gas turbines, wind turbines, fuel cells, compressors, robots, machine tools, space shuttle vehicles, turbines, pumps, power plants, factories, and more.” When I look at the list of possible career options for a mechanical engineer…well, it’s endless!! To top it off, mechanical engineering is actually “ranked among the top 10 fields for employment nationally, and according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) engineers have a median annual wage of $91,010 (May 2019), and the engineering field projects to have employment growth of nearly 140,000 new jobs over the next decade.” Ok, I’m impressed. Like I said, Jadyn is a multi-talented girl, and it looks like her options are as big as her many talents.

Jadyn’s interest in machines, is not something she came by accidentally. Jadyn has grown up around boats, 4 wheelers, snowmobiles, and motorcycles too. In fact, she has mixed motorcycles with snow by adding skis to the motorcycle. She and her parents, Amanda Reed and Sean Mortensen love every kind of “toy” and they are talented on all of them. Jadyn and her dad have even filmed YouTube videos of themselves “struttin’ their stuff” on their toys. They are interesting to watch, and Jadyn and her dad love to tease each other while they ride. I think that really the hardest part about Jadyn going off to college is that she has been very close to her parents her whole life, and while UW is not so far away, it is far enough that her parents will definitely feel the empty nest she will be leaving them with. Today, Jadyn is graduating from high school. The world is waiting Jadyn!! I can’t wait to see where life takes you. Congratulations!! We love you!!

My grandnephew, Easton Moore is getting ready to start the next phase of his life and is still considering his options. The rest of us are sitting here wondering where all the years went. It seems impossible that Easton could be out of elementary school, much less high school. Currently, Easton is a supervisor at McDonald’s, which is a pretty good accomplishment for a young man of just 18 years. He is looking forward to the end of school now, because as supervisor, he is required to close, which makes for late nights and little sleep…which accounts for his mom, Machelle Moore’s ability to catch him sleeping during the day and having the evidence to prove it.

Easton has spent a lot of time tinkering on his own vehicle and has found that he really has a knack for it. Easton has also helped his friends work on their vehicles, so he is actually building a clientele of sorts already. In fact, mechanics is one of the things Easton is considering as a career option, a side option, or a temporary option while he prepares for the other possible career option that he is considering. Like most young people, Easton is very comfortable with computers, and would not mind getting a job on the internet or maybe in computer programing. The possibilities in computers are endless right now, and things are advancing so fat that what seems far-fetched today is very possible in the very near future.

One thing Easton isn’t considering right now is moving out on his own. Like most high school graduates, he would like to, but with rentals in Powell running around $1000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, that is just not feasible. Moving out right now around here is not a good idea. So, his plan is to live at home, while working, and to begin taking college classes to advance his computer skills, so that if that is what he decided he wants to do in life, he is moving in the right direction for it. As for his mom and dad, I’m sure this plan doesn’t hurt their feelings one bit, because they were facing the “empty nest” and I don’t think they were really very happy about it. Sometimes, it’s nice for the parents to have a little reprieve…even if it’s just a little one. Easton is graduation today and getting ready to go out into the world and make his own mark. Congratulations Easton!! We are very proud of you!!

My niece, Liz Masterson is a journalism teacher for the Natrona County School District, teaching at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming. She is an excellent teacher and is loved by faculty and students alike. One of the perks that being a teacher has given her is summers off, and things like Spring Break, and other school holidays. That fits in quite well with Liz’s love of travel. In the working world, people get only so many vacation days a year, and I don’t know of any other occupation that gives summers off and yet pays you for a year’s work…not that teachers really get paid what they are worth (most of them anyway.) Some teachers are paid far more than their worth, unfortunately. Liz isn’t one of those, and we, her family, are all very proud of her ability, drive, and dedication. All Liz ever wanted to be was a teacher, and she is an amazing teacher.

This week is spring break, and so Liz and her cousins, Jessi Sawdon, Lindsay Moore, and Kellie Hadlock decided that they all needed a “girl’s trip” to Las Vegas. So, they took Jessi and Lindsay’s daughters, Adelaide Sawdon and Mackenzie Moore to stay with their grandma and grandpa, Allyn and Chris Hadlock, and then the girls took to the air, flying to Vegas. I’m sure they are having a great time, as especially since Liz’s birthday falls in the middle of their trip, it’s a great was to celebrate. Liz has traveled to, to some amazing places, like Rome and several other places near there. She has also traveled to many places in the United States. Liz loves to go to New York City, Rapid City, and places in Texas, as well as many other places in the United States.

She has lived an interesting life for sure, but her favorite thing is her fur babies. Liz has three dogs and a cat, and they vie for her attention much of her time at home. She would love to take all three puppies for a walk, but they all want to go different directions. That just doesn’t work, so whenever Liz goes for a walk, only one dog gets to go, unless she puts them in the baby stroller that zips closed, so they can’t get out. The worst problem with that is that they love to bark at all their friends (dog friends) along the trail.

Liz is an excellent photographer and has a side gig in photography. She has actually taken many of the senior pictures for her students. As a journalism teacher, Liz has been in charge of the yearbook at Kelly Walsh. She also takes all the sports and club pictures…and of course the graduation pictures…quite different in 2020. I don’t know how they would have ever managed the yearbook all these years without Liz’s expertise. She has been an important asset to the school and to everyone else who knows her. Today is Liz’s birthday. Happy birthday Liz!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My grandnephew, Easton Moore is very excited for his upcoming high school graduation. I think that whether a kid likes school or not, as they near the end of their public-school days, they are just ready to have it over with. This last semester is notoriously the hardest one, because the student really has “short-timers disease” for lack of a better term. Thirteen years of public school is a lot, and that’s if they didn’t go to pre-school, which most kids do these days. Thankfully for Easton, this last semester is a very light and easy one. That makes it easier to handle in his final stretch. Easton hasn’t exactly decided what he wants to do concerning college, tech school, or working.

He loves working on his Bronco, and it sound to me like he could easily make a career of mechanics and/or auto body repair work. That isn’t surprising, because he comes from a long line of mechanics. He has really been changing things up on his Bronco. He has added new headlights, grill, radio, speakers, door speakers, and that’s just for starters. He has future plans to switch out the interior to black…the roof, flooring, dash, console, door panels, and such. He also wants to add a visor to the outside of the windshield. The back window had been broken while the Bronco was sitting in front of the house, so he replaced that and the trim around it. He is hoping that keeps it from breaking again. He also put in a new back window motor, new ignition lock switch, and fixed a leak in the seam around the front window. He took the running boards and replaced the muffler and the heater core…it was blowing smoke into the cab which made him freak out a bit. I can totally understand that!! The Bronco is an unimpressive light tan color, in Easton’s opinion, so he plans to paint it, and put on different wheels and rims. At Christmas, he even put a string of Christmas lights on the Bronco. It looked pretty fancy driving down the road. His mom, Machelle Moore is sure he will think of a bunch of other fun things to do to it too, because his Bronco has really started something in him that, she believes he will end up having a passion to do. He is learning so much about how to do these kinds of things, and he’s not afraid of digging in to figure it out. I’m sure that before long, his Bronco will be a real “chic magnet” and there’s nothing wrong with that.

It’s going to be a great year for Easton, and he is very excited to see where things go from here. I think he will excel in whatever he decides to do. Today is Easton’s 18th birthday. Happy birthday Easton!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My niece, Jenny Spethman is my sister, Cheryl Masterson’s youngest child, and sometimes it’s still hard for me to believe that she is all grown up and a mother of 5 children, one of whom is graduating from high school this year. Jenny seems to take family life so much in stride. Oh, I know there are kid struggles, as there are in any family, but all in all Jenny and her husband, Steve Spethman have been very successful, and they have raised wonderful kids.

As I think about Jenny, I find myself with the same thoughts over and over…a love of God, humbleness, and kindness. Those are things not everyone can have said about them. Jenny is one of those people who absolutely ooze those things. She doesn’t put on airs or act conceited. Those traits live strongly in her heart, and as the Bible says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45. That is very true of Jenny. I don’t think I have ever heard her speak an unkind word to or about anyone. It just really isn’t in her.

These days, Jenny works part-time at the law firm where her mom, works, and everyone there absolutely loves her. Jenny could go full time, and in fact they have offered that to her. Of course, that would mean being in an office all day, and not the “runner” she is now, but Jenny likes being the runner. She runs errands that need done for the office, such as taking legal documents to the courthouse, going to the post office, and anything else they need someone to do outside the office. She also helps out at the reception desk for lunch and breaks for the receptionist. By running their errands, Jenny has developed a great relationship with everyone in the office, and they dearly love her. It’s not that Jenny and Steve need the money anyway, it’s just what Jenny calls “Mad Money” and that is all she wants it to be. Jenny and Steve love to entertain, and she is definitely a fashionista with a flair for the unusual, ina a way that the rest of us are just a bit jealous of. With her “mad money” job, they have the extra money to do all the fun stuff they want to do. Today is Jenny’s birthday. Happy birthday Jenny!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My niece, Gaby Beach has had a very busy year. Following her graduation from nursing school, Gaby took a job at Wyoming Medical Center, where both she and her husband, Allen Beach now work. Gaby now works in the PCU, which is an area of the hospital for patients who don’t need to be in the ICU, but aren’t quite ready for the care they would get on a regular floor. Gaby really likes her job, and she has been assigned as the charge nurse periodically.

Because they both work at the hospital now, Gaby and Allen decided to buy a house near their work. They had been renting an apartment for Allen’s parents, Caryl and Mike Reed, but the place was far out in the country, and now that they were both working, they felt it was time for a home of their own. They found a great house that wasn’t too far from the hospital, and now they are working on making it their own, and enjoying the time with their dogs, Oly and Jasper. They’ve removed some trees in the back yard that we’re old and growing into power lines. They hope to build a garage in the back yard sometime in the near future, but for now they will most likely settle for a taller privacy fence.

Having school out of the way for now has been really nice for Gaby and Allen, who has a degree in Hospital administration. Gaby’s degree is in nursing, of course, and at some point, down the road, she plans to work toward her bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), but for now she wants to just relax and enjoy her job and life for a while.

They have plans to go to Disney World in April. They have worked very hard, and a fun break will be awesome for them. I’m sure that after a cold winter, a trip to sunny Florida would be really nice. Gaby and Allen really love to travel, but with Covid, they haven’t been able to do much of that, making this trip to Florida a big deal. Covid has kept everyone closer to home these days, but now it’s time to live a little. I know they will have a great time.

Gaby and Allen first met when they were in the Navy, stationed at the same place. That is also where Gaby became interested in becoming a nurse. Being a Corpsman taught her so much about medicine, and so when she was done with her term of service, she went back to school to become a nurse, and she has become an asset to the hospital. Today is Gaby’s birthday. Happy birthday Gaby!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My grand-niece, Jadyn Mortensen is a complex girl. She has many sides, and many talents. I think that first and foremost, Jadyn is her parents’ daughter. She loves her mom, Amanda Reed and her dad, Sean Mortensen very much, and she is very loyal to them. Jadyn is their only child, and they love her very much too. She also makes them very proud. There seems to be nothing Jadyn can’t do when she puts her mind to it, and she wants to experience life to the fullest.

Jadyn loves horses, and she has a way with them. She is a very talented barrel racer. I have watched her career from vantage point of the pictures her family takes. Jadyn is very photogenic, and Jadyn on a horse is just amazing. She loves her houses and they love her. The two together are a perfect team, acting in unison.

While Jadyn is an excellent equestrian, she is also great at just about every other sport there is, or at least the ones she is interested in. She loves the snow, and snow sports, she loves the water and being at the lake with her parents and their friends’ families. The summer weekends are always full of activity, most often at Seminoe Reservoir. Jadyn fits in with children and adults alike. She always has.

The Covid School Year stole so much for our students, but it was more for the high school students, because they missed out on prom, graduations, sporting events that might have meant scholarships, and so much more. Nevertheless, for the ones, like Jadyn, this year was a second chance at the things they missed before. Jadyn got to got to prom this year, and she looked stunning in her gorgeous red dress. She is a beautiful girl, inside and out, and really looks stunning in a prom dress or a pair of jeans, shirt, and cowboy boots. I’m sure rodeo was different too. Many events, if they were held, were without spectators, and that is sad. Parents should be able to watch their child perform. For our kids, we can never go back to such a thing again. Nevertheless, Jadyn has continued to excel, and she has a bright future ahead of her. Today is Jadyn’s 17th birthday. Happy birthday Jadyn!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

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