September 5th and 6th, I got another good dose of meeting and seeing a lot of residents from Carbon County.

The morning started with getting the newspapers delivered from Cheyenne. The papers can get here anywhere from 7:30 to 9 a.m.

We get at least 1,200 printed copies of the Comet each week and deliver them to 130 locations throughout 11 municipalities. Dana and I meet at Walcott, where she takes the papers for the Valley and the Little Snake River Valley. 

Carbon County Comet readers are an eclectic bunch, much as one would expect for readers of unknown content, perspective and presentation. It takes an adventurous intellect to step outside of one’s comfort zone and venture into the wilderness of an unknown.

Last Friday started out with me not feeling great about how my day had started. The day started with some news that was disappointing. That is never a good thing.

The delivery of the papers was a little late, so I knew that would put me behind the five towns to deliver to. Friday is a busy day for Dana and me just to get the papers to all 125 distribution points.

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

How does it happen that one gets controlled by a pet?

My father believed a pet should be outside and not indoors.

He was a dairy farmer growing up and although he had stories of a collie he loved, the dog was a work animal.

That was what a pet should be, he told me.

Useful.

Let's Talk

Henry Nicolle

A note for young readers - If you were born less than forty (40) years ago, you might consider subscribing to the COMET online (instead of using A.I. to explain these musings.)

Societies evolve by question and answer - a “Shout and Response” cycle. We ask a lot of questions.

When I went to the Carbon County Fair’s Exhibit Hall opening, I was doing interviews with people at the different booths. I was charmed by a little lady named Xavier at the “Rawlins in Motion” table, which made approaching them a major highlight. This dance group is raising money to go to Paris next summer and be in a parade at Disney World.

Xavier, who could not have been older than eight, did a great job explaining her dance company’s goals and why she enjoys dancing.

I have a baby gym in one of my bedrooms.

It not only has my free weights and stomach machine, but also a lot of my sports equipment that I have collected over the years.

There is one item I have hung onto since my time in Hawaii, which has not gotten much use, but I don’t know if I will ever give it up.

It is my connection to a near disaster where I really feel God was watching out for me.

The item is a boogie board.

On Let’s Talk Rawlins radio recently, Michael DeLourdes interviewed Kenny Raymond, a young rancher and emerging singer. We might hear him rise in the County-Western ranks as a Wyoming original someday. During the interview, he made a comment worth expanding here. Regarding the benefits and enjoyments of “life on the range”, he commented that “real ranch life is a lot of actual work, most of which is fixing things”. How true!

The Carbon County Traveler

Mike Armstrong

It is interesting, as I look back at places I have visited or lived in, what country I consider the most unique culture I was exposed to.

China would be the obvious choice to many who know me, being a communist country where freedom is very strictly limited and religion is not encouraged.

It is sort of funny to me, how much I was exposed to Hollywood, acting and doing commercials, I had almost forgotten.

The woman I rebounded with after my marriage crashed and burned was a minor actress in Washington D.C. The only movie I remember her being in was a small walk-on part in “Her Alibi”, starring Tom Sellick.

I remember her struggles to land auditions in plays and what little film work came around.

Small town commentary by default should be a readable mix relating contemporary neighborhood activity and memorable observation.

The summer of 2025 has been a good one as far as visits from friends. In late June, I got to see my friend, Darby Doll, who introduced me to Wyoming and Carbon County. He brought along his daughter, which really aged me.

She is fifteen now and I last saw her when Lila was a little girl.

Time goes by fast.

The visit was very brief, but I was glad we got a chance to connect in person.

Then last week, my buddy from Maryland visited me.

Let's Talk

Henry Nicolle

I can’t watch a Star Wars movie, especially the first one, where I can’t help remembering a guy named Donald I met in Hawaii.

His last name eludes me, but I won’t forget this guy for a few reasons. He was living in Hawaii for health reasons, but he did come to my bar frequently.

I was bartending in a cool little outside bar that was frequented by a lot of artistic types of folk.

Let's Talk

Henry Nicolle