Wyoming and some of its citizens were featured prominently in an insightful series of programs about our country, which aired on Public Television in late April.

Called America Revealed, one of the programs was all about energy and, of course, focused on the coal in the Powder River Basin. Josh Gardner, who drives a gigantic truck at the Black Thunder Mine (biggest in the country), was interviewed and gave the host a ride around the mine site.

         The program also showed how trains of coal headed out of the basin to literally all parts of the country and in some case, around the world.

         Another of their programs concerned networks and focused on the TCT Company in the Big Horn Basin and that company’s efforts to lay fiber cable. The point was that even in these isolated towns way out on the frontier of Wyoming like Tensleep had access to modern tools because of progressive companies like TCT. Rod Collingwood of that company was interviewed and followed around during his duties.

         Meanwhile here in Lander, a local young man, Josh Denhardt, has started his acting career in Hollywood and recently made a movie called Louis Lake, filmed near a lake of that name on the Loop Road above Lander. Look forward to seeing the Red Carpet event on that.

         Another Lander native, Larry LaRose, was also featured in major news events in late April. He was one of six members of the NASA Shuttle support crew to fly around the country in that big 747 carrying the shuttles on its back.

         Larry was the guy who stuck the American flag up just after it landed in New York City,

         Also here in my Lander back yard, we have had two gaggles of goslings hatched one group of five and one of eight. Looks pretty neat seeing these little buggers paddling around behind the big old wary parents in our pond.

         Also saw a squirrel fall out a tree into that same pond. Funny as can be. The little feller paddled furiously to the edge and ran off. I think he was a lousy swimmer but luckily had a big fluffy tail that probably saved him. He seemed incredibly embarrassed.

         On a fine day last Saturday, I saw a jogger veer off the road and stop by some blooming lilacs and take a big whiff. Now that is what I call “stopping to smell the roses.”

         I was in Denver not long ago buying an iPad at the Apple Store there. When I told the salesman (referred to as geniuses by Apple) that my email address ended with @wyoming.com, he asked me: “Does everyone in Wyoming get a wyoming.com email address?”

         Not sure how small he thought our state was, but I am sure wyoming.com owner Steve Mossbrook would be glad to “sell” everyone in the state such an address.

         An old colleague of mine, Jack Nisselius, 91, of Gillette passed away recently. At his funeral, they read a list of things that he had written a few years ago “of what he was thankful for.” Might make a good thing for all of us to do and then stick in the family bible.

         Read an interesting article recently about the biggest regrets people reveal when they are near death. They are:

         I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself and not the life others expected of me.

         I wish I had not worked so hard.

         I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

         I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

         I wish that I had let myself be happier.

         Powerful stuff.

         When Nancy and I travel, she does crossword puzzles and she often asks me for help. Back on April 8, she asked me: “What is the county seat of Fayette County in Iowa?”

         “West Union,” I answered.

         Hey, wait a minute. What newspaper are you reading from? I asked.

         It was the Casper Star and it was a national crossword. What an odd coincidence. That is my hometown county, one of 99 counties in one of the 50 states in the USA.

         Why would they pick that county and why would we happen to be doing that crossword puzzle on this day?

We had been in Casper at the annual Jefferson Award dinner where Cheyenne physician John Urbigkit was named the 2012 statewide winner. Congrats to him for a lot of wonderful volunteer work. I can proudly say that my crossword-loving wife was the 2011 winner.