It was a dark and stormy morning. What a strange start to a Dubois story! Who would ever expect rain in in the high mountain desert, in mid-July, preparing for one of the town’s favorite annual celebrations: Museum Day?
Here’s what we planned for Museum Day 2015. Take a look: So much going on! (That’s usually the story for this popular event.)
This was Museum Day 2012, showing how we expect it to appear: Dry, pleasant, maybe even a little too hot.
Here’s the chuckwagon chef, in another picture from 2012. This year, as usual, volunteers started the fire for the stew at around 6 AM and the chef arrived at 7:30 to begin preparing the historic recipe. (But how would the stew fare after steady rain set in at around 10 AM? He had neglected to bring a raincoat or hat, and was soon soaked to the skin.)
Meanwhile the head of the bake sale (me) was pricing the mountain of delicious donations, in despair. How could we sell if nobody came? Should we call all the bakers and offer to return the donations? We set up on the porch to keep the goodies dry.
As always in Dubois, a small army of volunteers turned up to set up, hoping for the best but fearing the worst.. We This year for the first time, we got extra help from the young campers at Eagle View Ranch.
Dan Seelye and his band set up inside the Dennison Lodge, rather than on the stage on the lawn. This year the many exhibitors and visitors inside the Lodge got to enjoy the music throughout. (Afterwards, Dan suggested this may be the way to go for the future … )
“Teacher” Megan O’Brien waited to welcome visitors to the schoolhouse cabin, also hoping for the best. Staffing the cabins outside the Museum with knowledgeable guides has been a popular feature for Museum Days in recent years.
Museum Day opened at 11 AM, as announced. At 11:15, we noticed that the rain had stopped. Here, Forest Service volunteers demonstrate use of a crosscut saw.
Local artist Gary Keimig auctioned one of his famous “quick-draw” paintings.
As Museum Day ended and we finished cleaning up, the sun came out. Tallies later showed that we had more visitors than previous years, made more revenues than last year, and got more in donations. The end.
I am a retired science journalist, devoted to enjoying and recording the many pleasures of life in the Wyoming's Upper Wind River Valley.
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