September 30, 2026

Wednesday Word . . . Brown and Gold

Have you ever wondered about the official colors of Wyoming? Why are the WYDOT signs brown and gold? Why are the colors of the University of Wyoming brown and gold? As a newcomer to the state, I've wondered that multiple times. It seems to me that a better color scheme could have been chosen, as brown and gold just seem kind of . . . blah.

Joelene and I went to Cody last weekend for the funeral of Bishop Bob Jones. Bishop Jones served Wyoming from 1977 – 1996, after which he became dean of St. George’s College in the Diocese of Jerusalem and, later, became assisting bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf.

We all know this part of the country has been experiencing drought-like conditions, and this year in particular has been difficult with hardly any rain and no snow pack to speak of. But we are now moving into fall. We've had some rain, and temperatures are starting to drop, especially at night where, at least a my house, we are seeing overnight temperatures in the mid-40's. And if you haven't noticed, leaves are beginning to change.

On the drive over to Cody, and again on the drive home, every so often we'd round a corner to be met with a shock of gold in the midst of a grove of trees. Not all of them had turned, just a small copse surrounded by the larger grove. I remember seeing one particular set of trees framed by the brown rocks and dirt of the mountainside that really caught my attention. We drove on, but I thought about that particular view and then it hit me . . . THAT's why the official colors of Wyoming are brown and gold. Instead of being a strange choice of colors, they reflect the beauty of Wyoming in autumn.

People can be the same way. Sometimes we can't see a person's true colors until we happen to catch them in a particular situation. Sometimes it takes us a little while to see why those colors are the way they are. But if we keep our eyes open, we just might find beauty where we missed it before.

Blessings,

Todd+