By Dana Davis

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

Living in Wyoming often feels like being part of an extended small-town family, where neighbors look out for one another, friendships span generations, and there’s a shared pride in calling this state home. Saratoga is no exception. But even in communities as close-knit as ours, challenges arise—challenges that test not only our resilience but also our commitment to standing together.

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

Veterans Day really brings out the best in Americans. I understand it because I am super proud to be a son of veterans and a brother to one also. 

I am also a grandson of a man who was a lifer in the military.

In most of the bars I have worked in Wyoming, there have been over a half dozen, one thing that is interesting, is how accommodating most of these establishments were to chew or known as chewing tobacco.

By Dana Davis

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

Voting is one of the most critical rights and duties Americans have — especially for women. We’re fortunate to live in Wyoming, a state that led the charge for women’s suffrage.

In a recent column, I indicated my basement flooded. Thanks to the help of my neighbor, Perry Goodrich, a lot of bad things that could have happened, did not.

We got an inch of water out of my basement in a very timely manner. 

Once the water was most out, I used dehumidifiers to soak up more of the water that was still hanging around.

Quick action saved a lot of things, but there was a lot lost.

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

Life can definitely throw curve balls and when they happen, I have found it better to try and find the best of the situation than not.

Brave words and not always easy to put into practice.

Recently, I had a mishap in my home that made me realize how lucky I was and am.

One of the things that happen when you travel a lot, is that you see a lot of airports, or at least I did.

Some are amazing and some are less so.

As a little kid, I started to become familiar with airports because my sister and I were shuttled around for a couple of years between my father and mother.

My father lived in D.C. at the time and my mother Houston.

This past Friday found me particularly busy. 

Papers are delivered this day and distributed to the 10 towns to be picked up at their different locations. Rawlins alone has over 20 locations.

Plus we have to get the copies ready to be mailed at the Post Office.

In Hanna, I can’t give enough praise to the team that works there. They get me out fast and on the road. 

I have definitely seen a lot of Pacific Ocean countries while overseas, but I have been fortunate to go to Europe a few times. 

Spain, I have been to around half a dozen times thanks mostly to a Spanish company I worked for, although the first time in Spain was with my sister when we were vacationing in Portugal.

England was the first European country I visited because my sister was stationed at Mildenhall  AFB right outside the city of New Market.

I can remember being about 12 or 13 telling my father I wanted to go live in Australia or South Africa. I don’t know why I chose either country at that time, but I do recall my father saying if he was a young man again, with no family, he would want to travel and live in different places too.

I am sure subliminally, his words made an impression.

Sadly, he passed away before seeing me make my way to live on other shores, except Hawaii.

I have been asked more than once, what was my favorite place I have lived or traveled to. Living is different from traveling and it is really hard to pick one place, especially since many places have something amazing about them.

Traveling to other countries was very much a part of my life for a while. The visa that I carried in Taiwan, required me to leave every two months or get it stamped in Taipei. To get it stamped, I had to be going to a school to learn Chinese.

I think everyone remembers what they were doing when they first learned of a plane flying into the World Trade Center.

In 2001, I was living in America.

I returned from Australia the year before and was working for the Saratoga Inn Resort (I am pretty sure that was its name at the time). I had been brought in to run the beverage side for the summer and a little beyond. I was due to leave in October and work in Taiwan.

Compiled by Dick Perue

The last thing the town of Saratoga needs is to throw away its nearly century-old slogan of “Where the Trout Leap in Main Street” and start all over again! Read on and I’ll tell you why.

—Dick Perue

The weather has been fantastic for several days in the past couple of weeks.

I have recently started walking out near my house in the high desert. I have several trails to choose from and they all have their scenic beauty.

I enjoy looking at all the wildflowers coloring the landscape, and complimenting the tall sage growing throughout.

Again, I do not take for granted that I am healthy enough to do these walks and I can mentally and spiritually enjoy them.

I started voting at 18 and took it very seriously. My father and mother voted for opposite parties my entire life and I got a good dose of the good and bad of both political parties.

The first time I could vote, I volunteered to go door to door for my candidate. I learned everything available so I could answer questions about the positions my candidate took.