Although I have relocated to Florida, retiring from Wyoming Newspapers, an unfortunate illness came to my successor, Chrystal Tracy and I ventured out of the land of fairy-tales and dragon flies to fill in from a distance.

And… he’s back in Wyoming

I’m back in one of my favorite places in the whole world. Platte County.

Well… at least virtually.  It’s hard to believe that I left less than a week ago as it seems like I’ve traveled a million miles, packing in just about as much as anyone can pack. I found out that my successor and heir-apparent to the editor’s chair in Wheatland had a terrible tumble as far as her health goes.

Although a setback, we are all anticipating a quick recovery. Until there, I will be doing some remote things, so if you have a story or an event, you can email me pictures and information and I will create the story from home.

Kind of learned a thing or two from the quarantining by COVID – but I will not say “thank you” to that monster.

I must take a moment to say “thanks a bunch” to all the people who wished me well in emails, phone calls and those who could attend the going away party. You know that you all mean the world to me and I miss you already.

I don’t miss the thought of two-foot snowfalls that come sometime as early as Labor Day and those snows that are late bloomers in May. I thought about that the other day as I was camped out with my fiancé overlooking the ocean and eating an ice cream cone. (Don’t be hatin’.)

I took off early on Saturday morning for the Denver airport in a borrowed car from Malcolm and Bailey Ervin. As I drove over the state line at about 5 a.m. heading into Colorado I found myself reminiscing about the many friends, the captured moments on photographs and the million memories that you all provided for me.

I found myself laughing out loud as I remembered Bailey at the goodbye party taking dollars and recording on a pool as to the date people thought I’d be returning. And yes, I am technically back virtually, I don’t think you won the pool LeRoy Johns who predicted an early return.

You may want to take that up with the organizer’s judge and rules enforcer though. This may be your window of technicality.

From the Denver airport where the nightmarish TSA problems were repaired and it only took me about 10 minutes to get through to a two-hour wait to board. From there is was a layover in Dallas where the temperature was “hell” at 110 degrees.

From there it was, for me, heading home to open arms, a lick on my face (from my new dog, Maxwell, silly). As we headed into West Palm Beach airport, the atmosphere reminded me that it was hurricane season and the storms were intense over the ocean yielding an interesting look at giant lightning bolts from the sky.

After a delay to sit on the runway due to the threat of getting hit by lightning, I was swept away to my new assisted living facility. I only say that so that it won’t sound as incredible as it really is to spare your feelings, and although Wyoming is pretty spectacular at this time of year, I’ll try to use wisdom and empathy  when I describe the temperatures and warm sunshine next January.

I’m not saying it’s spectacular, but I feel like I am in a Corona beer commercial with Snoop Dog and Andy Samberg.

You all stay safe and visit when you can.