Category Archives: Riley’s Ramblings

July What Am I update (winner). Sarah Sahlstrom is the winner. She has 48 hours (from Tuesday night) to reply to my email and claim her prize. So far, she has not replied. After that, I will choose another winner. The mystery item is “(red) onion (slices).” I accepted any of the words, even justContinue reading “Hello, Fort Apache!”

See more Riley’s Ramblings ➡️ August 15, 1878, Fort Laramie, Wyoming Territory After three letters in as many as three weeks from Mama, Pa finally sent a telegram (which costs a lot!), pretty much reminding me that my time working with the horses and living on my own at Fort Laramie is fast coming toContinue reading “Goodbye, Fort Laramie”

See more Riley’s Ramblings ➡️ May 1878, Fort Laramie, Wyoming I no sooner got settled here at Fort Laramie in Wyoming Territory, and the Army has decided to transfer Pa down to Arizona. Fort Apache to be specific. The only good thing I can say about this move is that maybe . . . justContinue reading “Off to Fort Apache–or Not?”

See more Riley’s Ramblings ➡️ April 1878, Fort Laramie, Wyoming Life at Fort Laramie has not been quite the same since last October, when Aunt Sophie died. For a couple of months, Mama helped Uncle Joseph with Baby Sarah. There were no recent new mothers in town, at least none who willing to take onContinue reading “A Day in My Life at Fort Laramie”

See more Riley’s Ramblings ➡️ This is the back story from “Riley, Proud Papa” in Yosemite at Last, when he is worried about Andi after she has Jared. He tells her a brief sentence or two about his Aunt Sophie. Here is the full story. October 1877, Fort Laramie, Wyoming One month ago, I gotContinue reading “A Sad, Scary Day”

Read more Riley’s Ramblings >> Whoops! Sorry! I just saw that this was supposed to be scheduled for AM and it accidentally got scheduled for PM. We were driving for three days and just got back to California so I wasn’t keeping up with the blog schedules. Note: This Riley’s Ramblings is out of orderContinue reading “A Cactus Christmas”

See more Riley’s Ramblings ➡️ September 1877, Fort Laramie, Wyoming The most exciting, stupendous thing has happened to me! I’ve been at Fort Laramie for only three months, and today, Major Bedford called me into his office. After I gulped and wondered what mischief Randy McGuire and I had gotten ourselves into to warrant aContinue reading “Riley: Horse Boy”

See more Riley’s Ramblings ➡️ July 1877, Fort Laramie, Wyoming My new friend, Randy, is a fountain of information about anything war or Indian related. His pa, First Sergeant Ralph McGuire, no doubt relates every bloody detail about any of his father’s encounters with the “enemy,” as Randy calls them. I can’t help it. IContinue reading “The Indian Wars”

See more Riley’s Ramblings ➡️ June 1878, Fort Laramie, Wyoming It wasn’t until we were at Fort Laramie a full year that Pa finally told me that Mama was completely cured with what had been ailing her all those years when I stayed with Uncle Sid on the Circle C ranch. Pa said Mama hadContinue reading “Mama Is Sick”

See more Riley’s Ramblings ➡️ June 1877, Fort Laramie, Wyoming The first thing I did when we got to the fort (after helping Mama and Pa unpack, that is), was hightail it to the stables and mount Midnight. I wanted to get a view of the fort from across the river. It’s the Laramie River,Continue reading “First Days at Fort Laramie”