Ode to Uncle Lyle

While I have been out of town for the past couple of weeks for work, I have been thinking of ideas for new blogs once field season is done and I'm back in town a little more. I came up with a few good ideas today on the drive back into Lander. However, the question of what to write was answered for me when I got home. The answering maching was blinking, which usually means a message from my girlfriend or from a telemarketer. This time, it was the message no one likes to get. The message was from my dad, telling me that my Uncle Lyle had passed away on Tuesday. Uncle Lyle has had colon cancer for quite a few years now and has been in and out of the hospital. When I saw him in May, he looked very frail and was down to a meager 108 pounds, nearly half of his weight in his prime. So I guess you could say that his passing was expected. But it is always a shock to hear that a loved one has died. Uncle Lyle was the type of uncle you loved to have. He treated all of his newphews and nieces as if they were his own children. He and his wife adopted two children of their own. He was fun to talk with, and he always had a joke to tell.

The funeral is Monday, October 25. I will be one of the pall bearers. I only hope I can show him as much respect at his funeral as he has shown me over the years. It will be a sad day for the Rieger family. Good bye Uncle Lyle.

The Unveiling of a Mountain Man

Picture what I look like. Now, picture what I look like with a beard. Kind of hard, eh? I am trying a new experiment. I figured that since I am roaming around the mountains this time of year for work and Wyoming weather can be brutal in October, I might as well act the part of a mountain man. Therefore, the beard is in its development. I have never grown a full beard before, and many of you are trying painfully to envision it now. I must say though, after one full week, I think it looks pretty good! No, I'm not going to grow one of those big, bushy beards that look goofy. I will take care of it and try to keep it at least somewhat stylish. I am calling it my "field season beard", so it will likely come off at the end of October, unless it makes me look like Tom Cruise or something. If I ever figure out how to post a picture on my blog, I'll see if I can post one of me and my new furry face. There is one final test of approval... my girlfriend. She has not seen the one-week growth and is somewhat skeptical. However, when she sees that Tom Cruise look-a-like walk through the door, she'll forget what a clean shaven face looks like.