Planet JH 04.29.15 by Planet Jackson Hole

JACKSON HOLE'S ALTERNATIVE VOICE | PLANETJH.COM | APRIL 29 - MAY 5, 2015

Life Appraised

Michael Pruett’s miracle on Millward Street By Jake Nichols

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JACKSON HOLE'S ALTERNATIVE VOICE

VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 17 | APRIL 29 - MAY 5, 2015

ON THE COVER

Michael Pruett’s new book delves into his near-death disaster. Photo by Sargent Schutt 4 9 12 13 17 18 23

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Weird winter wonderland What can we blame this winter’s weather on? By Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey

Name blame

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According to their recent paper published by the American Geophysical Union, the University of Washington scientists found that The Blob’s origins are related to, “a persistent high-pressure ridge that caused a calmer ocean during the past two winters, so less heat was lost to cold air above. The warmer temperatures we see now aren’t due to more heating, but less winter cooling.” In other words, the ocean never cooled down this past fall and winter, like it usually does, and high-pressure stayed put, creating a blocking pattern in the Pacific that would not go away.

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Blocking highs When big, tall, warm ridges of high-pressure form in the atmosphere they tend to persist, and that is exactly what occurred this winter. That big ridge essentially cut the western U.S. off from the flow of Pacific moisture and left us in a warmer and drier weather regime, with only a few brief storm periods. Those big ridges in the atmosphere are like a standing wave in a river, usually caused by a big boulder that disrupts the normal flow. Just downstream of that big, tall wave is a big eddy, or trough. That is what the eastern U.S. was under most of last winter, a large, cold trough of low-pressure. And what did we name that weather monster? The “Polar Vortex.” Not a new concept, just a catchier name. This standing wave weather pattern – ridge to the west and trough to the east – was hard to break, and persisted for much of January, February, and March 2015. Coincidentally, when The Blob was at its peak. The next time somebody asks you why this past winter was so weird you can tell them it was The Blob. Let’s just hope the Pacific Ocean continues to cool and we don’t have to endure watching The Blob 2 next winter. Jim is the chief meteorologist at mountainweather.com and has been forecasting the weather in Jackson Hole and the Teton Mountains for over 20 years.

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Anytime we experience unusual weather we like to blame it on something. It makes it easier if we can blame it on something with a catchy nickname, like “El Nino” or “La Nina.” We couldn’t do that this year, as the sea-surface temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific remained neutral until very late in the winter season. If it wasn’t El Nino, then what was it? Besides El Nino, there are a number of other ocean and atmospheric interactions that can alter the “normal” weather patterns. One possible explanation is the Pacific Decadal Oscillation or PDO, which has to do with sea-surface temperatures in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. The PDO usually runs on a 20 to 30 year cycle of either warmer or colder than normal. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s it was in a warm phase. Then, there was a marked trend of cooling temps in the north Pacific between 2007 and 2013. By early 2014 the ocean was warming again, reaching a peak in December and January 2014-15, and temps were still above normal by a couple degrees through March 2015. I thought maybe we could blame this past winter’s weather pattern disruption on the PDO. Then I came across a study done by the Atmospheric Science Department at the University of Washington. They described a slightly different phenomenon, which one of their climate scientists, Nick Bond, called, “The Blob.” The Blob sounds more like science fiction than it does science, however, the technical name for it is the North Pacific Mode (NPM). The NPM is similar, but a separate phenomena to the PDO. In short, the NPM (a.k.a. The Blob) is a large area of very warm ocean temperatures that extend up along the West Coast and across the Gulf of Alaska in a horseshoe pattern. That warm water also extends down into the sea 300 feet deep.

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lmost everyone probably agrees that we had a weird winter, not just here in Jackson Hole, but across the entire United States. Characterized by warmer and drier than normal conditions in the Western United States and Alaska, contrasted by unusually cold and record breaking snow in the Eastern United States. Even though the Winter of 2014-15 is behind us, people are still asking, “Why was our winter so weird? More to the point, what can we blame that on? Let me attempt to explain the phenomena that affected our winter’s weather and why weather patterns were so disrupted across the U.S.

Elizabeth Kingwill,

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THE BUZZ Waiting for Jack White Surprise performance at Pink Garter doses fans with indelible all-day experience BY JEREMY WEISS @fievel99

he official announcement arrived 8 a.m., Thursday morning via Facebook and Twitter, sending a chorus of cheers through the 80 or so people already hunkered down in camp chairs on Broadway and Glenwood. Ten days earlier, Jack White had announced on his website that after his headlining slots at Coachella, he would embark on a short acoustic tour, visiting the five states he had never played in before. But there was a twist: The locations and dates would not be announced until 8 a.m. the day of the show; tickets would go on sale at noon, limit one per person, and they would cost just $3 dollars. Among the states that had just won the Jack White lottery were Alaska, Idaho, the Dakotas and Wyoming. The news immediately spun the Jackson Hole rumor mill, and soon people all over town were speculating the likelihood that Jackson might be White’s Wyo. pick. Couple this with another rumor that Pink Garter Theatre had a “secret show” planned for Thursday, April 23, and some people began wiping their schedules clean preparing for an entire day waiting in line. I happened to be one of those people, No. 43 to be exact. I’ve been a Jack White fan since just before I moved from Michigan to Jackson in 2001. As a suburban Detroit resident and music nerd, I listened to the Detroit born and bred White Stripes, but never had the chance to see them live. The band’s rise to national fame coincided with my move to Wyoming, and their music was a connection to home and the vibrant music scene I abandoned. In those early years when I was feeling homesick, I would cue up White Blood Cells or De Stijl and ponder if I could really make a home in Jackson. So in 2007 when a White Stripes show was announced at Snow King, I immediately bought tickets, only to have the band break up shortly before their scheduled Jackson date. White continued on with The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, and finally a solo career, winning 11 Grammys along the way, but throughout that time, he never made it to Jackson. Now fast forward to 2015. On April 23, when the alarm went off at 6:30 a.m., the impulse to hit snooze was overwhelming. It had been a late night at work, and sleep never comes quickly after a restaurant shift. But the nagging voice in the back of my mind reminded me that I had something important to do, so I fed the dogs, brushed my teeth, and drove to the town square. I posted up at 7:15 in a line that had already stretched beyond Jackson Hole Roasters placing me squarely in front of The Boardroom. I staked my claim and looked around, quickly realizing I knew everyone in line, and that everyone in line knew everyone else in line. This is Jackson in the off-season. A

common topic of conversation included the last time anyone had stood in line for a concert. The answer being, “I can’t remember.” Only a powder day, or Jack White, apparently, could invoke this type of early morning vehemence in Jackson. We were all impatiently awaiting the announcement of the show, when the curveball came: White would indeed be playing at the Pink Garter, but there would be two shows, one at 4 p.m. with tickets on sale at noon, and one at 9 p.m. with tickets on sale at 4 p.m. The line quickly restructured itself, with the early show people stretching towards Glenwood, and the later show crew – which eventually garnered fans who drove from other parts of Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Montana – creeping out towards Cache. Once territories had been established, the whole scene seemed like a normal night out in Jackson, except it was a drizzly afternoon on Broadway. The guys from Dustcutter Lemonade passed out free samples, which became mixers for whatever spirits happened to be on hand. With a lawn chair as a placeholder, people freely mingled with each other, took bathroom breaks, went on bagel runs, or nipped over to The Wort for a quick Pako’s. And since this is Jackson Hole, everyone brought his or her dog to the party. The celebratory atmosphere endured until tickets finally went on sale at noon. We were ushered up the Pink Garter stairs five at a time into The Rose to hand over our three dollars and receive a wristband. Wristbands affixed, our group decided to start the line for entrance, so we’d be ready to commandeer prime seats when the doors opened. The next three hours were a blur of mimosas, Cards Against Humanity, bacon, NBA Jams on Sega Genesis, Pinky G’s pizza, wristband Instagram selfies, oh, and figuring out who was going to open my restaurant that night.

JACK WHITE (ABOVE), STRUMS WITH SINCERITY AT THE PINK GARTER. PHOTO: DAVID JAMES SWANSON. FANS (BELOW), MANAGED TO MAKE USE OF THEIR WAIT TIME. PHOTO: LINDSAY COOK After a total of eight hours, we were finally allowed in. Anointed with a shot of whiskey from a bartender at The Rose, we sprinted up the stairs and down to the front row. Since 2010, The Pink Garter Theatre has been sowing a reputation as the premier spot in Wyoming for world-class music. In recent years it has hosted a roster of renowned names such as De La Soul, Band of Horses, T.V. on the Radio, Public Enemy, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Dilated Peoples, and Talib Kweli. Owner Dom Gagliardi is the music mastermind of the Garter. Most nights he remains behind the scenes, but from the shadows you can often detect a glimmer in his eye as he proudly watches these acts, that might never have visited Wyoming otherwise, light up the Garter’s stage. When asked how he’s managed to secure musical majors in a small town like Jackson, Gagliardi pointed to a few factors. “All shows are ultimately dictated by the artist, but the Pink Garter has done a good job being a consistent venue, actively putting on 60 or more

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shows a year. The support of our locals allows the Pink Garter to pursue bigger and bigger acts,” he said. “We’re trying to take this from being a little town to a legit market; it’s our job as a venue and as a community to make that happen.” Gagliardi acknowledged that attracting a performer of White’s level is a historical feat for both the music scene in Jackson and the Garter. “Jack White is as real as it gets,” he said. “It’s over- the-top special to experience something of this caliber.” As I settled into my seat in the front row, it finally sunk in. One of the biggest musicians in the world, and arguably the greatest guitarist in the last 30 years, had chosen Jackson for one of five intimate seated concerts. According to White’s website, after these shows, “he will be taking a break from performing live for a long period of time,” which I personally suspect will be forever. As this dawned on me, the house lights dimmed, and a blue hue painted the stage, blue being White’s color of choice since he embarked on his solo career, even requiring band members to dress in blue. White’s tour manager, the sharply dressed Lalo Medina, appeared on stage first, requesting one thing from the audience: that they remain as engaged as the musicians that were about to take the stage. This meant, he explained, putting cell phones and cameras away and enjoying the moment instead of trying to document it. Medina directed fan’s to White’s website, where they could download free photos from the evening’s performance. A few minutes later Fats Kaplin (dobro), Dominic Davis (upright bass), and Lillie Mae Rische (fiddle) emerged from backstage, followed by White, donned in a blue suit, his hair slicked back in a Johnny Cash bouffant and a faint smile across his pale face. The group spent the next 70 minutes tearing through songs from all stages of White’s career. The set list included “Blunderbuss,” “Temporary Ground,” “Hotel Yorba,” “A Martyr for My Love for You,” and a Hank Williams cover, all played closer to bluegrass in style than White’s usual, guitar driven music. Through it all, a normally rowdy Jackson crowd remained silent, focused, reverent even, which, according to Gagliardi, was not the case at other venues on this short tour. Only when it was time for an encore did the audience grow appropriately boisterous, tapping their feet and clapping their hands in unison, pleading for White and company to return to the stage. The encore concluded with a heartrending rendition of the Lead Belly classic “Goodnight Irene,” which left more than a few tear streaked faces in my row. And with that, the band bowed, the blue lights faded, the house lights rose, and we stumbled outside to a dreary, surreal April afternoon with the shared understanding that, together, we had just experienced a historic moment in Jackson Hole. PJH

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PROPS & DISSES

Opinion by JAKE NICHOLS

@theplanetjh

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The decision by county commissioners to grant the Snake River Ranch the right to host up to 23 special events per year on their property was a tough call. Is it a “prop” or a “diss?” It might be a little of both, but to take a definitive stance, let’s go with “prop.” In the “diss” category, there is the wishy-washy precedent set with the permit. It will pave the way for other large landowners to ask that their shindigs be allowed, potentially transforming Jackson Hole from a cattle-based home of the western cowboy to a Disney Land party spot. But wait, isn’t that already the case? Cows stopped paying the bills a century ago when the JY and Bar BC started pushing dudes under the moniker “Dudes winter better than cattle.” In fact, dude ranches are now becoming exclusive subdivisions for affluent ranchette buyers. Still, allowing SRR to get their party on can’t sit well with people like Robin Siegfried, whose party planning got shut down in 2012 — a decision that has prompted him to put his property on Fish Creek up for sale. And what of the neighbors of SRR? They bought into an agricultural setting only to see it turned into Coachella. Instead of crickets and the lowing of bovine to fall asleep to they get the Beatles and Beyonce. Finally, some people harbor resentment toward the Resor family — that they seem to get whatever they want when others don’t. The SRA Teton Village master plan, while somewhat arduous, appeared a forgone conclusion at times. The resulting Shooting Star expansion development hit very few snags as well. The Resor family also came off a bit harsh, in this columnist’s opinion, declaraing that without live events they couldn’t pay the bills and might be forced to sell out to developers. It sounded more like a threat than a balance sheet circumstance. But in the end, preserving open ranch space in Jackson Hole — however unconventional and inventive that might take shape — is preferable to dividing 1,300 acres into even more gated communities. If putting up with eight weddings a summer (23 annual events, total) is the deal, our advice is to invest in some noise-canceling headphones or ask for an invite.

Pathway of least resistance: Making a ‘federal case’ of it

Moving with freedom and dexterity is not something one would ordinarily associate with the federal government. Yet, this past week, evidence was presented that showed the feds can and did react quicker to public demands than local government. The Jackson Town Council waited too long to have a discussion about lifting the winter overnight parking ban — in effect from November 1 to April 15. The ban creates a four-hour window (from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m.) for crews to snowplow town streets. Unseasonably warm late winter/early spring conditions have made the ordinance look cumbersome. But flexibility is not exactly big government’s strong suit. It’s not even in small government’s vocabulary, either. Councilors eventually decided not to move forward with any changes to the town’s law books. Bob Lenz, for one, wanted to see more historical weather data. Really? Is it necessary to have Jim Woodmencey give testimony to our esteemed leaders? Why can’t the ordinance simply read: Winter parking ban in effect whenever the signs say so? Let Mother Nature call the shots rather than impose a hard-and-fast timeframe. That’s exactly what U.S. Fish and Wildlife authorities did when they extended the use of the bike and pedestrian pathway on Highway 89, adjacent to the Elk Refuge, last fall. Managers allowed the path to remain open during mild weather conditions since no elk were migrating into the refuge at that time. Similarly, Refuge managers applied criteria trigger points for an early opening – 2,500 head of elk or less would allow the pathway to open before the hard date of May 1. After a count of 1,300 elk on April 21, USFW managers said they would open the pathway eight days earlier than normal. The winter closure came under immediate fire after completion of the pathway. Many residents could not understand how their presence on the pathway could possibly spook elk when heavy traffic in the same vicinity doesn’t. At the very least, mild weather at the change of seasons should prompt refuge managers to allow the path to stay open. Bike and pedestrian traffic differs from vehicle or even horse-drawn sleighs, refuge managers have assured us. Wildlife managers wish to preserve a natural instinct in the herd that is heavily hunted each fall. USFW reps also stressed their “wildlife first” mission and asked the public to be patient while they studied the situation. Kudos to them for adjusting the timeframe.

Park floats all boats

A new National Park Service report shows that $421 million was spent in Yellowstone gateway communities in 2014. The cumulative benefit to the local economy was in the neighborhood of $543.7 million. U.S. Geological Survey economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Christopher Huber, along with National Park Service economist Lynne Koontz, conducted the peer-reviewed report. It’s welcome news for Teton County. PJH

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THEM ON US

Opinion by JAKE NICHOLS

@theplanetjh

Devil in the details

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Many online junkies fell for the “Photoshopped” cloud formation over Devils Tower recently. The photo features Wyoming’s iconic bucking horse and rider logo drifting lazily over the state’s equally iconic tourist attraction. It was too good to believe. We traced the photo back to a member (e2e4) of WunderPhotos (www.wunderground. com). The user posted the shot on April 1, 2010. That should be a clue. He or she also posted a shot of the Devils Tower sky prior to “digital pixel herding.”

Another hot pocket secret under YNP

Didn’t we just do this? A new report from researchers with the University of Utah states the magma chamber underneath Yellowstone is larger than previously thought. The news follows similar findings last year, but this is different — and bigger. The new area lies 12 miles underground, below the shallower, well-known magma chamber. The study’s coauthor, Robert Smith, used a geologic CT scan to discover the new reservoir. It is reportedly filled with “a mass of hot porous rock, rather than the typical magma.” He says the new finding solves a puzzle of the Yellowstone volcano system. The deeper porous rock chamber feeds the magma reservoir which in turn fuels the surface geysers, mudpots and hot springs we see every day in the park. Smith further assured the giant reservoir still does not indicate any more imminent threat of the “big one.”

The right Stripes lead to Jack(son)

Casper Star-Tribune reporter Brendan Meyer is a lousy gambler. Anyone with half a brain should have made the educated guess that Jackson would be the place in Wyoming that Jack White would perform his “unannounced” instate acoustic show. Meyer’s April 26 piece began with his quest to score tickets to White’s concert series that involved $3 acoustic shows in states where he’s never played. White played Anchorage, Alaska and Boise, Idaho, last Monday and Wednesday. With Wyoming likely up next, Meyer seemed well positioned, geographically, to be able to hop in the car and get a jump on the expected line for tickets. “Maybe it would be Laramie,” Meyer wrote. “Boise and Anchorage are college towns, so maybe White was doing the college circuit. Jackson? It’s a popular tourist destination. Casper? Right in the middle of the state. Or what about Gillette or Sheridan, towns he could play before a possible visit to the Dakotas?” News flash, Meyer: No way on earth it was ever going to be Casper. Gillette would draw too many roughnecks and a Sheridan show would have to be outdoors — it’s calving season. Laramie, maybe, but a betting man would have bee-lined straight for Jackson. Meyers made the show but not after ratting out JHMR lifty Anna Larson who ditched work to stand in line.

Sad movies are fattening

Food Network’s disclosure that moviegoers eat more during a sad movie than, say, a comedy probably comes as no surprise to comfort eaters. Lab tests pitting the comedy “Sweet Home Alabama” against tearjerker “Love Story” found the latter viewers consumed 28 percent more popcorn than the former. In actual theatres, evidence points to double that disparity. The story had local interest only in the fact that Jackson Hole nutritionist Mary Ryan, RD was featured as the “smart snacking” expert.

Down on (or with) Wyoming?

Pulptastic’s “17 Reasons Why You Should Never Visit Wyoming” was eye-catching. We caught it being shared on Facebook by some locals. It took a while to figure out whether it was Wyoming Tourism Office’s biggest campaign fail, or an ingenious plot to ease the housing shortage in Jackson Hole. Among the highlights: The locals are ill-tempered and agitated; If you’re looking for stress, you’ll find it in Cody, Wyoming; There’s honestly nothing to do; Sheridan: where the 10-gallon hats are about five gallons short; Grand Targhee slopes are no place for ski-lovers; Devil’s Tower is U.G.L.Y.; and, finally, this is where mother nature went to throw up.

Thirst quenching news

The Chicago Tribune ran a story about a story in Crains Chicago Business, which was quoting research by CareerBuilder.com. We admit not reading enough into the piece to get the general gist of it but we did learn something interesting. Jackson has one of the highest bartender-to-boozer ratios in the nation with 8.3 mixologists per 1,000 residents. Key West was the highest at 13.3. PJH

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Life Appraised Michael Pruett’s miracle on Millward Street By Jake Nichols

APRIL 29 , 2015 | 9

PJH: And the crash? MP: From what I can piece together after the fact, from the police report and what my friends told me, I was going down Millward. There was a truck coming up Millward. He didn’t see me. He turned in to go to the Brew Pub and there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t swerve around him. I couldn’t stop in time. The only thing I could do was drop the bike. I ended up underneath his truck and got drug for a while. I was knocked unconscious. There were EMTs at the Brew Pub at the time who were on me within minutes. PJH: Tyler Dunn was one of the first responders. He said you kept calling out for your wife.

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ride. We jumped on the bike and went through the park on a four and a half hour ride. I got a call while we were in the park to show a property. We came back home and I dropped my wife off. There was this big, awkward moment when she got off the bike and I said, “goodbye.” There was this kind of uneasiness. PJH: Why was that? How was it different from any other time you left Dawn to go to work? MP: I don’t know for sure. I can’t explain it other than it was uneasiness. My wife had it and noticed it as well. It was a normal goodbye. “I’ll be back shortly,” I said. The showing went great. I remember pulling out and heading down Millward. That is the last I remember.

Planet Jackson Hole: What was your life like in the weeks and months leading up to the crash? Michael Pruett: I didn’t see it then but looking back I saw things culminating to this event. I was struggling, financially. I was having difficulty in our family with the girls. I would say I was going through some pretty tough times. I had written Dawn [Pruett’s wife] an email earlier that summer that I had a feeling that something was coming up that summer that was going to challenge our marriage and challenge our relationship. PJH: Take us through that fateful day. MP: [My wife and I] went to a church picnic that morning. It was a beautiful bluebird Jackson Hole summer day. We wanted to go out for a motorcycle

When his real estate business faltered, Pruett’s faith in his own abilities was shaken. When problems in his family life began taking root, doubts again nagged him. Still, Pruett was humming along to the popular bluegrass song: “I Ain’t Broke But I’m Badly Bent.” Broken came on July 15, 2012 — the day he says he should have died. A motorcycle accident left him lying in the road with a broken back, a broken neck and a broken ankle. His skull was cut wide open. Statistically speaking, the unconscious real estate broker shouldn’t have ever opened his eyes again. He certainly couldn’t expect to ever walk again should he even pull through, doctors told his wife. But some mysterious circumstances were seemingly at play. Why were EMTs taking lunch at the Brew Pub when the horrific crashed occurred just outside? Why was a Wilson-based ambulance fueling up at that moment just a few blocks away? For the next 10 days Pruett would lay in a hospital bed helpless to save himself. Ten days of surrender for which Pruett admits he cannot take credit for.

hristian folks call it “being broken.” It’s a state of arriving at the end of oneself, of coming to an epiphany that commands people to surrender the throne of their lives to a higher power. The principle is themed throughout the Bible in scriptures like: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth” and “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” In popular culture, the attitude can be found in song (“Jesus, Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood) and on bumper stickers (Let go and let God). But regardless of your religious leanings, many of us can identify with a humbling experience that reminds us of our powerlessness, our fleeting existence. Michael Pruett believed in God. He said his prayers. He went to church on Sundays at River Crossing. But he also remained prideful. He trusted in his own abilities. In the summer of 2012, Pruett finally surrendered during a horrific accident that saved his life by almost killing him. His experience moved him enough to write a book about what happened. The Hard Road: What if Almost Dying Was the Very Thing That Saved Your Life? came out Tuesday. “During most of my adult life, my success defined me,” Pruett admitted. “My value as a person, and especially as a man, was reliant upon my financial ability and triumph as a businessman.”

COURTESY PHOTO

RIGHT: PRUETT AND DAWN PAXTON-PRUETT ENJOY TIME TOGETHER DURING THE AUTHOR’S RECUPERATION.

COURTESY PHOTO

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ABOVE: MICHAEL PRUETT BEING PREPPED FOR SURGERY LESS THAN 48 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

MP: I don’t remember but Tyler told me later on that I was saying, “My wife, my wife, where’s my wife?” I call my wife, “Lover.” I kept asking for her, probably thinking my last memory, that was she was on the bike with me. PJH: Any glimpses of the afterlife? Were you brought into heaven and told your time is not yet up, or something like that? MP: No, I didn’t have any of those experiences at all. PJH: Well, the $64,000 question is: Why do you think this happened to you? MP: That is a question I’m still asking myself. PJH: You strike me as a guy who was always the rescuer but never the rescued. For once in your life you were truly helpless. MP: I think that’s a pretty accurate statement. The outpouring of this community was humbling. I’ve seen it. I’ve been on the other end. I’ve been here 20-plus years and I’ve been on the other side where we do fundraisers

for people in need. This community pulls together like something I’ve never seen anywhere else. This was my first experience on the side of having it happen to me. My company has been outstanding. During that time they were amazing. They stood by me, helped out where they could. There were certain people like Richard and Edie Lewis and their team that took over my business and did all my showings. David Neville did the same thing. My business didn’t miss a beat when I was gone. I had four real estate closings in one day while I lay helpless in the hospital. I was dumbfounded. I hadn’t ever had that many closings so close together! And I had nothing to do with it. I take no credit for it whatsoever. I can’t. I was out. PJH: And your takeaway? MP: This taught me a lot of lessons. For me, personally, it’s taught me that I was not in control of a lot of things. Things can change instantly and dramatically in this life. It really made me question: What am I living for? What are my priorities? What’s really important in my life? I think the things I thought were big in life are no longer as important as I thought they were. And I think the small things in life [are] much more meaningful. It’s little things. Relationships, the moments you have with people. My faith has grown from this. My priorities were messed up. I will very humbly tell you that my finances had become an idol for me. [Money] gave me self-worth. It gave me confidence. It gave me security. It made me rely on myself. This lesson has taught me that my focus and attention should be my faith and my God. PJH: Others have come to a similar awakening after a near-death experience — this new lease on life insight. Yours includes a decidedly spiritual aspect. You could have easily treated this second chance as a reason to live life to the fullest now. But you are giving your testimony. You are praising Jesus. That’s courageous. Are you worried about putting some people off sharing your faith so openly? MP: I want to give credit where credit is due. And credit is not due to me. I want to give credit back to God, for what he’s done in my life and other people’s lives around me. I’ve had several people come to me and tell me certain things about their faith or what this has done for them. I don’t know how this will impact people’s faith. That’s really up to them. I hope this story can relate to people on a very real level and a very spiritual level as well. Maybe at some point they will ask themselves the same very important questions: What am I living for? What do I believe in? PJH: You were inspired enough to write a book. MP: What sparked me to write this book is, during my recovery I’d be walking around town and people would stop me — I mean four or five times a day — in the grocery store or the post office. They would say something genuinely kind about being so glad about my recovery. But then, instantly, they would share a story about something that happened to them, or their spouse, or child, or someone close to them. I heard story upon story upon story about other people. What I found out within a couple of months is this is not my story. My story is happening all over. It also made me realize that God is interacting in people’s lives on a daily basis. This is the God of the universe, and he’s taking the time to be involved in the details of our lives. That in itself is miraculous to me. And I think

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one time. I’ll say that. It was exciting. It was fun to reenact. KGB Productions did the video. They did an outstanding job. I remember one scene where Sam Pope took that one shot of me on the ground and he pulled back and said, “Wow, that is so realistic. That’s almost creepy realistic.” I didn’t want to see that shot until it came out as a completed product. When I did finally see it, it did take me back. It’s a very traumatic and dramatic shot. PJH: The shot of the crash scene on the cover of the book is obviously not Millward. It probably better fits most people’s impression of Jackson Hole, though. MP: Exactly, and it was more practical. We couldn’t stop traffic on Millward in the middle of the day. So we went up to the end of Fish Creek Road and did it during late fall. We did take a little creative license on the location. PJH: Just for the heck of it, what ever happened with the bike? Do you still have the motorcycle? Ever ride it again? MP: The bike got repaired to almost new condition. I toyed with the idea of keeping it but I ended up selling it. I did ride it again a little but just to get back on. When you get knocked off a horse you want to get back on sort of a thing. But I had a helmet on this time. PJH: Answer this: What if you had survived but were paralyzed for life? Dr. Meic Schmidt, the University of Utah neurosurgeon who operated on you, said 80 to 90 percent of patients he’s seen with your injuries never walk again. Would that have been less of a miracle? MP: That’s a great question. I have asked myself that very question a thousand times. The answer is I hope that I’d be saying the same thing — that was miraculous that I had survived, and all the lessons I have learned I still learned. I hope that I would be saying the exact same things as I’m saying now. PJH

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that people are hungry for God in today’s world. To see him, to know him, and know he exists. And this is my small effort to share that God does love everyone and is involved in your life. All you have to do is open your eyes and look for him. PJH: So you thought you had a story to tell. That’s still a long way from being a published author. MP: I had written down pages and pages of notes. Quite frankly I didn’t know if other people would feel this was a story worth telling. I met with a team from Red Arrow Media led by the book’s ghostwriter Vanessa Chandler. After she heard all the events that we went through, she agreed this was a pretty miraculous event and felt it was a story worth telling. A story that people would not only be able to relate to but be able to share in their own lives. I wanted this story to come from an objective viewpoint so Vanessa started interviewing all the people who were involved in this — from my wife and children, to my close friends, to my doctor, EMTs and medical professionals to get their perspectives. That way it tells the story from a lot of different angles and you’ll see that in the book. PJH: Was there ever a time in the writing process where your objectives or vision was compromised by Vanessa or Red Arrow? Specifically, were you pressured to tone down the religious angle? MP: Very little. We really were on the same page. When I went to write this book, I think the goal was to reach a lot of people and touch a lot of people. But to be realistic about the fact that faith does play a part in this story and to show that. PJH: Promotional stills and videos were made for the book. In one of them you are lying bloodied on a road, reenacting the crash scene. Was that a little freaky? MP: It was a lot of emotions at

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| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

12 | APRIL 29, 2015

THIS WEEK: APRIL 29 -MAY 5, 2015 WEDNESDAY 4.29 MUSIC

Karaoke, 9 p.m. at the Virginian Saloon. Free. 739-9891. n Metales M5, 7 p.m. at Pinedale Auditorium in Pinedale. Mexican brass quintet. $15/adults, $7/students in advance, $2 extra at the door. PinedaleFineArts.com.

FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY

For all MEETING AGENDAS AND MINUTES WEEKLY CALENDAR JOB OPENINGS SOLICITATIONS FOR BIDS PUBLIC NOTICES AND OTHER VALUABLE INFORMATION

Visit our website

TetonWyo.org The public meeting agendas and minutes for the Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission can also be found in the Public Notices section of the JH News and Guide.

4th Annual Jackson Hole Photography Competition Exhibit, at Art Association Gallery. A showcase of sixty new and exciting photographs will be exhibited from selected photographs in four competitive categories ranging from wildlife to abstract. Free. artassociation.org.

COMMUNITY

Oral History Month: Recording your Stories of Jackson, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum. JHHSM staff are dedicating the entire month of April to catching up on recording and preserving Jackson’s most important and fragile resource – the memories of its long term residents. Free. Reserve your time to share your histories, stories or photographs with Steve Roberts at 733-2414. n Bingo, 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Elks Lodge. Games start at 7 p.m. elks.org. n Jackson Community Blood Drive, 12:30 p.m to 6:00 p.m at Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church. Give the gift of life. Walkins are welcome, or visit bloodhereo.com to schedule an appointment. Trivia Night with Crazy Tom, 7 p.m. at Town Square Tavern. Show off your trivia knowledge and win prizes. Free. townsquaretavern.com. n How to Face the World’s Challenges and Make a Difference, 7:30 p.m. in The Center Theater at The Center for the Arts. An evening with Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn,explore a revolution underway in giving, focused on measurements, results, and innovation, with

Compiled by Aaron Davis and Jeana plenty of examples to show what any family can do to make the world a better place. $25 includes Vending fee, free for students. IC21.org.

County/Jackson Recreation Center. For ages 5 and younger. Drop-in rate. tetonsparksandrec. org.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Tech Tutoring One on One, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Teton County Library. One on one computer and technology tutoring on topics of your choice including help with devices such as iPads, smart phones and e-book readers. Free. Reserve a spot at 733-2164x1. tclib.org. n Using Census Date in Nonprofit Grant Writing, 8:30 a.m. to noon at Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. Participants will be introduced to the importance of 2010 census data and American Community Survey. Preregistration and pre-payment required. $20 or $10 for Wyoming Nonprofit Network members. Contact Adrienne 739-1026. n Semi-Private Painting and Drawing, 4:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. at the Art Association. Small group lessons from grades 3-8. $25 drop-in, $20 for members. artassociation.org. Glazed Them Pots, 6:00 p.m yo 9:00 p.m. at the Art Association. Techniques cover stages of clay, from leather hard to the glazed/unglazed surface to post-fired ware. $155, $130 for members. artassociation.org. n Lost Wax Bronze Casting, 6:00 to 9:00 pm. at the Art Association. Introduction to metal casting. $300, $250 for members. artassociation.org.

KIDS & FAMILIES

Curious Kids, 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. at Jackson Hole Children’s Museum. For children ages 3-5 and their caregivers. Play with paint, mud, clay, water, soap and recycled materials. jhchildrensmuseum.org. n Fables, Feathers, and Fur, 10:30a.m. at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Exciting opportunity for young visitors to engage with the art. Free. wildlife art.org. n Toddler Swim, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Teton

Intro to Life Coaching, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Christie Watts Coaching Office. Talk about your goals, relationships and family issues. Free. christiewatts.com. n Free Guided Meditation, 6 to 7 p.m. at Spirit. Mediations will be led by Samantha Eddy. Call 733-3382 to reserve your space. Free. spiritjh. com n Yoga Ropes Class, 4:45 to 5:15 p.m. at Teton Yoga Shala. Use ropes on the wall to do yoga. $10-19. tetonyoga.com. n Sunrise Yoga Flow, 7 to 8 a.m. at Studio Excel. Start your day with an energetic yoga flow. Free. studioxjackson.com. n Morning Yoga, 6:30 to 7:40 a.m. at Teton Sports Club. Morning yoga with Lisa Laurie. $12, free for members. tetonsportsclub.com. n Oneness Deeksha Meditation, 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. at Akasha Yoga. Experience Deeksha, a gentle meditation using a hands-on energy transmission to physically shift the brain toward a Oneness state of consciousness. Donations appreciated. onenessjacksonhole.com. n Crystal Sound Bowl Session, 5 to 6 p.m. at Intencions. Relax and rebalance to sound frequencies, aromatherapy and good vibes. Walk-ins welcome. $10. intencions.com. n DW Fitness and Dance classes, 8:30 a.m to 6:30 pm. at Dancer’s Workshop. Classes included Pilates, Zumba Fitness, Yoga, Booty Barre and Intermediate Modern. $16 for dropin. Check current schedule online dwjh.org. n Yoga taught in Spanish, 6:30 p.m. at Studio Excel. Taught in Spanish. $12. studioxjackson. com. nIntroductory Talk on Transcendental Meditation, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at 350 E. Broadway. Reduce stress, increase health,

MUSIC BOX

RABBIT ROW REPAIR WE SERVICE THEM ALL …

4 2 8 0 W. L E E P E R • W I L S O N • 3 0 7 - 7 3 3 - 4 3 3 1

BY MATT HERRON

Take away a woman’s right to choose and she’s left to take matters into her own hands.

IT’S PRO-CHOICE OR NO-CHOICE. Paid for by the KCR Coalition for Pro-Choice Kristyne Crane Rupert | www.naral.org.

APRIL 29, 2015 | 13

Tonight (Wednesday), 7 p.m. at the Pinedale Fine Arts Center. All ages. $15, $7 for students.

Choice

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

Metales M5 Mexican Brass Band

Please support keeping abortion safe and legal.

his time of year in Jackson affords the opportunity to explore new food, new books and especially new music. Aside from the occasional pop-up Jack White show, Jackson tends to go quiet in April and May so the dedicated live music fans need to break out of their comfort zones and let new musical ideas flood their ears. As is the case this evening at the Pinedale Fine Arts center. The Metales M5 Mexican Brass Band will prove that you don’t have to travel far in Wyoming to hear something new and even feel the warmth of Mexico. Formed in 2005, this band of talented horn players has been dazzling audiences around the world with Latin-inspired chamber music that flawlessly transitions between Banda (traditional Mexican brass arrangements) and Bach’s preludes and fugues, to name a few of its many influences. Comprised of five horn players, a tuba, two trumpets, French horn and trombone, Metales proves that chamber music isn’t a dying form but something that is capable of being reinvented for contemporary audiences. For this rea-

son, Metales has played at the Kennedy Center in New York, and has been an intricate part of introducing younger audiences to its brand of chamber music. In fact, the musicians have performed for 25,000 students across Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. While their musicianship is world class, capable of keeping even the youngest of audiences captivated, a Metales M5 show is also an interactive experience, more musical theater than a sitdown listening affair. Costume changes, audience participation, and what they call, “inimitable Latin American charm,” keeps audiences on their feet and guessing what they may encounter around the next bend. In one instance, the band can play Bach’s “Contrapunctus,” dressed in period costumes, and then move to “St. James Infirmary Blues,” dawning fedoras and sports jackets. After that, it’s anyone’s guess. With a robust lineup of summer festivals and outdoor concerts in Jackson, it’s always refreshing to change things up and explore what other music lays in the shallows of the off-season. Who knows? You might even stumble across a world class Mexican brass band ready to change your opinion on what chamber music is, and what it can be. PJH

Mexican brass heats up off-season

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Muy caliente

METALES M5 MEXICAN BRASS BAND BRINGS ITS LATIN LACED CHAMBER MUSIC TO PINEDALE.

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| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

14 | APRIL 29, 2015

CALENDAR happiness and creativity. Contact Lucinda Abbe at 690-5727 or labbe@tm.org to signup. Free.

SPORTS & RECREATION

Sunrise yoga flow, 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. at Studio Excel. Start your day with an energetic yoga flow. Free. studioxjackson.com.

THURSDAY 4.30 FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY

WELL, THAT HAPPENED When you own the world An egotistical ‘Tidal’ wave of

failure care of music’s biggest players BY ANDREW MUNZ

@AndrewMunz

THEATER

Performance of Theresa Rebeck’s “Mauritius” at 7:00pm to 10:00 pm at the Old Wilson School House. Two half-sisters deal with the aftermath of their mother’s death. $15 adults, $12 students and seniors. riotactinc.org.

COMMUNITY

Oral History Month: Recording your Stories of Jackson, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum. JHHSM staff are dedicating the entire month of April to catching up on recording and preserving Jackson’s most important and fragile resource – the memories of its long term residents. Free. Reserve your time to share your histories, stories or photographs with Steve Roberts at 733-2414. nJackson Community Blood Drive, 8:00 p.m to noon at Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church. Give the gift of life. Walkins are welcome, or visit bloodhereo.com to schedule an appointment. n 22 in 21: The State of Our Health, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Spring Creek Resort. Speakers and break-out sessions hosted by Charter Institue and St. John’s. $25. 21in22.com. n Snake River Sporting Club Chamber Mixer, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Snake River Sporting Club. Meet other Jackson professionals and network in a casual setting. Free. Contact Events Coordinator, Renee Leone at 2012309.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Stories of Wyoming Class, 6 to 8 p.m. at CWC Jackson. This course will investigate the diversity of experience found in Wyoming through the voices of two of the state’s great contemporary fiction writers and will present cultural and historical context relevant to the themes and topics within the stories. Class meets every Tuesday and Thursday through May 5. $100. 733-7425 or jackson.cwc.edu. n Tech Tutoring One on One, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Teton County Library. One on one computer and technology tutoring on topics of your choice including help with devices such as iPads, smart phones and e-book readers. Free. Reserve a spot at 733-2164x1. tclib.org. n Knit Nite, 6 to 8 p.m. at Knit on Pearl. A weekly social for knitters and crocheters. Free. knitonpearl.com. n Beginning Throwing, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Art Association. Beginning Throwing. $155, $130 for members. artassociation.org. n Teton Toastmasters, Noon at Teton County

CALENDAR continues on page 15

n a highly produced video released at the end of March, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Daft Punk, Kanye West, Madonna, Rhianna, Beyoncé and what seems like 20 other famous musicians gather in a room. Set up like some sort of United Nations diplomatic intervention, each artist is given a microphone at the circular table. As a viewer, I was instantly enthralled. “Have we cured cancer?” I wondered. “Is world hunger over?” Even Jay-Z states: “We are changing the course of history.” Oh man, this must be good! We’re alive at such an amazing moment! And by the next frame, I realize how wrong I was. Instead of these multi-millionaires pooling their resources for a noble global cause, they are coming together for a musical purpose. And it ain’t no AIDS benefit concert, folks. If you are one of the 37 million people who stream music through services like Spotify and Pandora, you are on Jay-Z’s shit list. That’s right. You are taking advantage of an artist’s musical mastery and using a service that only gets them $0.006 per stream. As of the writing of this column, Beyoncé’s single “Drunk in Love” has had a total of 129,840,971 plays on Spotify since November 2014. So in six months at a rate of $0.006 per play, Beyoncé only grossed a measly $779,045.83 on one of her songs. ONE SONG. It’s clear the system is truly cheating these struggling artists. “This collaboration feels so egoless,” Beyoncé sighed in the video. To battle this musical Armageddon, all of these icons have come together to create Tidal, described as “the first ever artistowned global music entertainment platform.” Yes, with Tidal these artists are able to put their music on the Internet and earn way more money than Spotify would pay them. The artists claim that music should be purchased and valued and not discredited through various streaming services.

MEET THE CRY BABIES BEHIND ‘TIDAL.’

Ugh. I can’t feel bad for millionaires, guys. I really can’t. Even with all the anti-Spotify and anti-Pandora propaganda Tidal has been spewing, subscriptions for those two platforms are up and Tidal is failing at a catastrophic rate. When the Tidal app officially debuted in March, it barely broke the Top 20 downloads in the iTunes Store. It has now fallen bellow the 700 mark. Pandora and Spotify are currently at the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively. There is nothing about Tidal that I find particularly interesting or innovative. To put it into perspective, if my favorite authors opened a bookstore, it does not mean I would stop frequenting the local bookstore I’ve patronized for years. In this case, Spotify is an incredibly reliable program and the company has never fallen back on its product. To this day, I maintain that Spotify’s premium service is the best $9.99 I spend every month. Not only does it introduce me to new music constantly, but also I am always playing and replaying my favorite songs. If these artists really believe they’re getting gypped out of a fair share of cash, then they need to take it up with their own record labels and keep the consumer out of the fray. It is so frustrating that these idiots are belittling fans for streaming albums rather than purchasing them. It puts into question whether these “artists” are really in it for the increased exposure of what they’re creating, or if they’re more concerned about slipping off the Forbes World’s Billionaires list. Whatever it is, despite what they claim, it sure isn’t about the music. I shall enjoy watching Tidal dry up in the sand. An “egoless” collaboration... my ass. PJH

THE ARTS Skeletal scenes

Commissioners Chambers. Improve your communication and leadership skills, guests welcome. Free. tetonwyo.org/bcc. n Intermediate Bike Maintenance Class, 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. at Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center. Register at the rec center for noon April 29. $60. tetonparksandrec.org.

KIDS & FAMILIES

Curious Kids, 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. at Jackson Hole Children’s Museum. For children ages 3-5 and their caregivers. Play with paint, mud, clay, water, soap and recycled materials. jhchildrensmuseum.org. nToddler Swim, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center. For ages 5 and younger. Drop-in rate. tetonsparksandrec.org. n Toddler Time, 10:05 to 11:59 p.m. at Teton County Library. For ages 3 and younger. Free. tclib.org/kids. n Story time, 10:30 to 11:59 p.m. at Teton County Library. Story time for ages 4-6. Free. tclib.org/kids.

Dusting off bones to see a different view of the West BY KELSEY DAYTON

MIND BODY & SPIRIT

SPORTS & RECREATION

Aikido Sessions, 7:30 p.m. at Inversion Yoga. Free. inversionyoga.com. n Basketball, noon to 2 p.m. at the Rec. Center. Stop by to share in a game of basketball, pickup play. Drop-in rate. tetonparksandrec.org. n REFIT, at 5:15 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. at First Baptist Church. Cardio fitness class. Free. refitrev.com/instructors/tbartlee/.

ART

Exhibition Sneak Peak, 11:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Museum Curators will introduce the exhibit and explain the narratives and art history references Shelley Reed includes in her murals. Free! wildlifeart.org.

THEATER

DANCE

New Dances New Choreographers: Set in

CALENDAR continues on page 15

APRIL 29, 2015 | 15

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

Jazz Night, 7 to 10 p.m. in The Granary at Spring Creek Ranch. Keith Phillips on piano, Bill Plummer on bass, and Mike Calabrese on drums. Free. 733-8833.

FRIDAY 5.1 MUSIC

example of this fresh voice coming out of the West. She’s very authentic. She’s not doing it to be clever. It just interests her to work in this way.” Halpin, 29, has a graphic style. She spent much of her youth in Wyoming and has continued a close relationship with the land, whether out snowboarding or climbing. Her work explores life cycles found in nature. “There are bones and skulls and skeletons and themes of renewal in her paintings,” Daly said. “She looks at what it means to live in touch with those cycles.” Halpin is known for her surrealist take on biology, astronomy and quirky characters she finds in everyday objects and animals. Her acrylic paintings on board in the exhibit are created using her signature illustrative style. Bold-colored backgrounds feature a bear skull, a sheep skeleton and various other ‘BISON BLUE’ (ABOVE), BY REBECCA MORTENSEN. animal bones. Artist Bronwyn Minton’s work com- ‘BEAR SKULL ON GREEN‘ (BELOW), BY KELLY HALPIN pliments the pieces by Halpin and Mortensen. Minton, who is the associlend the show dimension and the entire ate curator of art and research at the exhibit poses a very different perspective National Museum of Wildlife Art, and of the romanticized presentations often whose most recent work includes the pub- seen of the West. The work is also affordlic art installation “The Cairn Project” at able, ranging from $200 to $800. PJH the Center for the Arts, will show older work she created years ago. Her abstract “Bones, Antlers, Skulls,” featuring work black and white photographs of bones by Kelly Halpin, Rebecca Mortensen and shrouded in shadows seemed a great fit Bronwyn Minton. Artist reception 5 to 8 to add to the exhibit, Daly said. In view- p.m., Friday. Show hangs Friday through ing the photographs it’s hard to tell what May 30 at Daly Projects, 125 East Pearl. you are looking at — a tooth, a joint, a part of a spine. The images, Daly explained,

Yoga Basics, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Teton Yoga Shala. Learn basic posture, meditation, breathing and the philosophy of yoga. tetonyoga.com n Therapeutic Yoga, 6 to 7:15 p.m. at Teton Yoga Shala. Slower vinyasa-style yoga class. $10 to $19. tetonyoga.com. n Crystal Sound Bowl Session, Noon to 1 p.m. at Intencions. Relax and rebalance to sound frequencies, aromatherapy and good vibes. Walk-ins welcome. $10. intencions.com. nIntroductory Talk on Transcendental Meditation, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at 350 E. Broadway. Reduce stress, increase health, happiness and creativity. Contact Lucinda Abbe at 690-5727 or labbe@tm.org to signup. Free.

| PLANETJH.COM |

hen Rebecca Mortensen took an interest in drawing and painting, her uncle, Jackson sculptor John Mortensen, gave her some advice. Start with the bones and work from there so you get the structure right. The bones are the base of everything, he told her. Mortensen, 23, took his advice in her artwork, which at the time featured mostly her passion — horses. But while at school at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, her art teachers encouraged her to think beyond her classic horse paintings and drawings. In her efforts to dig deeper she thought back to her days growing up on the edge of Grand Teton National Park, and the antlers, bones and carcasses she’d find while out riding. She also remembered her uncle’s advice. And soon her work evolved into featuring bones, not as an underlying layer in work, but as the featured image. “They are so symmetrical and oddly perfect, which is why I’m enticed,” Mortensen said. A show called “Bones, Antlers, Skulls,” featuring Mortensen’s work, along with art by Kelly Halpin, opens Friday at Daly Projects. Artist Bronwyn Minton also will have work in the exhibition. The show was a natural fit because of the subject matter Mortensen and Halpin tackle, said Meg Daly, owner of the gallery. The exhibit theme was built around their work and meant to showcase their unique perspective of the West. Both women have a fresh and hip approach to art and are inspired by the skulls, antlers and bones found in the Western landscape. Yet both artists, who Daly represents, have distinctive styles and approaches. Mortensen’s work feels architectural in design and, working in ink and oils, she features skulls and antlers of animals found in the area. She uses a muted palette of grays and browns with an occasional pop of turquoise. Her work in the show features ink on canvas renderings of bighorn sheep, owl, deer and bison skulls and other antler paintings. “It feels like this interesting and really contemporary deconstruction of these iconic images in our area,” Daly said. “She grew up here and had a very Western upbringing, yet has this contemporary approach to art and imagery. She’s a great

CALENDAR

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| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

16 | APRIL 29, 2015

Motion, 6:00p.m. and 8:00p.m. at Dancer’s Workshop Studio I. Junior Repertory Company will showcase their annual event. $10 - $15. dwjh.org.

FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY

WYOBass DJs, 10 p.m. at Town Square Tavern. Free. 733-3886.

DANCE

New Dances New Choreographers: Set in Motion, 4:00p.m. and 6:00p.m. at Dancer’s Workshop Studio I. Junior Repertory Company will showcase their annual event. $10 - $15. dwjh.org.

COMMUNITY

Oral History Month: Recording your Stories of Jackson, 10 - 4 p.m. at Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum. JHHSM staff are dedicating the entire month of April to catching up on recording and preserving Jackson’s most important and fragile resource – the memories of its long term residents. Free. Reserve your time to share your histories, stories or photographs with Steve Roberts at 733-2414. n Cinco de Mayo Party. 8:30p.m to 12:30a.m. at Pink Garter Theatre. Celebrating the diversity of Jackson with Latin music and dancing. $20 $25. jhcinco.com.

KIDS & FAMILIES

Toddler Gym, 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center. Play in a large space with great toys and games. Drop-in rate. tetonparksandrec.org n Toddler Club, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm.m at Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center. Play time. Drop-in rate. tetonparksandrec.org. n Advanced youth open studio. 4:00 to 5:45 p.m. at the Art Association. Work on hand building and throwing clay. $20, $15 for members. artassociation.org.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Wilderness First Responder Recertification & CPR for the Professional Rescuer, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Central Wyoming College in Jackson. This recertification course is for anyone who would like to maintain their WFR Certification without retaking the full WFR course. $265. jackson.cwc.edu. n Bent Willow Furniture, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Art Association. Learn bentwood furniture building to make a chair or loveseat. Chair $250, loveseat $325. artassociation.org.

GOOD EATS

Wine Tasting, 4 to 7 p.m. at the Jackson Whole Grocer. Free. 733-0450. n Wine Tasting, 4 to 7 p.m. at The Liquor Store & Wine Loft. Five wines will be showcased from a featured region each week. Free. 733-4466.

MIND BODY & SPIRIT

Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Inversion Yoga. Make your Friday night fabulous with a perfect combination … yoga, good food and drinks, and friends. Be a part of the happiest happy hour in town. Two great classes to choose from at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Food provided by Ariel Mann and JH Wellness, drinks provided by Inversion. $10. inversionyoga.com.

SENIOR EVENTS

At the Senior Center, 8:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Senior Center of Jackson. Leslie’s fitness 9 and 10:30 a.m, poker 12:45 p.m. Fitness classes $2. senorcenterjh.org.

OUTDOORS

Stargazing Wyoming, 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. on the lawn at Center for the Arts. Explore the skies of Wyoming through Dobsonian Telescope. Free.

GET OUT

SATURDAY 5.2 MUSIC

ELIZABETH KOUTRELAKOS

CALENDAR

wyomingstargazing.org.

THEATER

FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY

COMMUNITY

Oral History Month: Recording your Stories of Jackson, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum. JHHSM staff are dedicating the entire month of April to catching up on recording and preserving Jackson’s most important and fragile resource – the memories of its long term residents. Free. Reserve your time to share your histories, stories or photographs with Steve Roberts at 733-2414. n Tie One On Banquet and Auction, 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at Hotel Terra. Do you love fishing in Wyoming? Then please join Wyoming Trout Unlimited and Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited for an incredible night filled with fun, prizes, and good company to benefit cold water fisheries. $100. wyomingtu.org/events. n Reusable Canvas Bag Giveaway, 9:30 a.m. to noon at Jackson Whole Grocer. 500 bags decorated for k-12 students will be distributed to customers. Free. jacksonwholegrocer.com. n Kayak Swap, 9:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m at Rendezvous River Sports. Drop off used boats, boards and gear Friday May 1. jacksonholekayak. com. n Celebrating 20 years on the water, 6:30 p.m at Pink Garter Theatre. Rendezvous River Sports and Jackson Hole Kayak School are turning 20! Sneak Pete and the Secret Weapons start at 10:00 pm. Tickets $5 at swap, $10 at the door. jacksonholekayak.com.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Bent Willow Furniture, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Art Association. Learn bentwood furniture building to make a chair or loveseat. Chair $250, loveseat $325. artassociation.org.

OUTDOORS & NATURE

Introduction to Horsemanship Mini Camp, 12 to 3:30 p.m. at Heritage Arena. Introduce your children to horses with basic lessons including learning balance, and horsemanship. $85. harmonioushorses.com.

SPORTS & RECREATION

Jackson Hole Spring Runoff 5k, 7:45 to 11:59 a.m. at North Park Picnic Shelter. Categories for walkers and runners. $10 before day of. Enter online at tetonparskandrec.org. Volunteers wanted.

Open trails May means more ways to explore before June traffic arrives BY ELIZABETH KOUTRELAKOS @theplanetjh

he coming month marks the true beginning of the change of seasons. May Day. Some folks think of dancing around poles with ribbons while others honor it for the greater known International Workers’ Day. Throughout history, this month has marked change from the hanging of flower baskets to the monumental protests of workers. The first day of this month means something different to the bubble we know as Jackson, however. Closures will be lifted on trails and roads, which may signify freedom for some, or a lack thereof for others. If you enjoy biking the Teton Park Road, it may be best to soak up the solitude this week. There is really nothing that compares to watching critters clatter across a frozen lake in the silence of a spring day. This seemingly endless road will soon be filled with vehicles driving in and out. There is no need to fret though, because the opening of the park road also signifies quicker access to snow. While it seems the snowline is barely holding on from town, a 30-minute drive north will tell you a different story. It’s also that much easier to escape town for a spur of the moment sunset at the String Lake Bridge. The alpenglow is often very dramatic at this time of year with the abundant snow and ice that can be seen on the North Face of Mount Owen. For a short day trip, take a one-mile jaunt to Leigh Lake. It’s simple enough with snowshoes that I can take a book and a chair to watch the mountains from a distance in the heat of the afternoon. Even if the snow gets soft during the day, I am OK with postholing for such a short distance. And keeping off of the lakes this time of year means I will not take an unexpected and icy swim. The first of the month also means more

things open in the Bridger Teton National Forest. The Gros Ventre and Shadow Mountain roads may open up. If the roads are still muddy, it’s always a good idea to stay off of them so that they will be in good shape throughout the summer. However, these roads, if dry, can be glorious for an evening cruise providing spectacular views from an angle that many humans may not have seen for a good six months. My favorite part of this time of year is the access to trails in town. You no longer need to brave the icy boot pack or patchy skin track on Snow King to get a workout. The game of bloody knuckles can soon come to an end. Life extends beyond the confines of Cache Creek and Snow King. Put your shorts on during these fantastically warm days and enjoy the excellently groomed Forest Service trails. Major trail openings in town include Josie’s Ridge and slopes above the Putt Putt trail. It seems like a lot of trails are drier than usual this season. Though I cannot confirm the condition of north facing slopes, the sunny sides have little snow at lower elevations in the valley. I cannot speak on behalf of all citizens when I say May 1 leads to an increase in levels of happiness, but I see many pluses for the opening of in-town trails. Especially in the off-season, there are fewer people on the bike trails and fewer dogs. This enables me to run, hike or bike with ease. In general, I find that there is way more to do. While running laps on High School Butte and playing basketball was quite fun, there are much longer loops and more widespread activities available with trail openings. Some people derive joy in collecting antlers while others may want to take out their ATVs and dirt bikes. Whatever your wish, the possibilities are endless. It has been a long time since Jackson has had such a dry spring. I wish I could ensure these sun-filled, 65-degree days for the rest of the spring, but who knows how the weather could change in the coming weeks. Until then, enjoy the freedom of the road and trail openings. If the rain, sleet or snow decides to come, I will continue my search for other wonderful activities in the Teton area, while remembering the sunshine that I enjoyed this spring. PJH

THE FOODIE FILES Standing on morel ground Practical tips on procuring your favorite fungus BY ANNIE FENN, MD @jacksonholefoodie

Dinner Nightly at 5:30pm Happy Hour 5:30-6:30pm at the bar 45 S. Glenwood Available for private events & catering For reservations please call 734-8038

Lunch 11:30am Mon-Sat Dinner 5:30pm Nightly

HAPPY HOUR Daily 4-6:00pm

307.201.1717 LOCALJH.COM ON THE TOWN SQUARE

APRIL 29, 2015 | 17

After delivering babies and practicing gynecology for 20 years in Jackson, Annie traded her life as a doctor to pursue her passion writing about food, health, sustainability and the local food scene. Follow her snippets of mountain life, with recipes, on jacksonholefoodie. com, or on Instagram @jacksonholefoodie.

Local is a modern American steakhouse and bar located on Jackson’s historic town square. Serving locally raised beef and, regional game, fresh seafood and seasonally inspired food, Local offers the perfect setting for lunch, drinks or dinner.

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

Development has definitely put a squeeze on the morel habitat in Jackson Hole. When I first moved to Jackson, there were a lot more morels and fewer people foraging. Now that morel hunting is a sport that’s almost as popular as cycling in the spring, following basic etiquette is even more important. Good luck hunting, friends, and please send me pictures of your morels. (I promise not to share.) PJH

THE AUTHOR HAS HAD A FEW INTIMATE MOREL EXPERIENCES.

Trio is located just off the town square in downtown Jackson, and is owned & operated by local chefs with a passion for good food. Our menu features contemporary American dishes inspired by classic bistro cuisine. Daily specials feature wild game, fish and meats. Enjoy a glass of wine at the bar in front of the wood-burning oven and watch the chefs perform in the open kitchen.

| PLANETJH.COM |

root system intact. Don’t wipe out an entire patch; a good rule of thumb is to leave onethird of the morels intact so they will continue to disperse their spores. And don’t trample the wildflowers all around. The site should look exactly like you found it, albeit with fewer morels. Share. Hyperseasonal and highly perishable, morels are meant to be shared. Morel hunters may be a secretive lot, but once their larders are full for the season, they are known to be extremely generous. If you are sitting on a pile of morels, give some away to friends and neighbors, especially if they are too busy to forage. If you are the recipient of a gift of morels, thank your mushroom hunting friend (and know that he or she really likes you) but don’t broadcast your good fortune. Your friend may not want to draw attention to him or herself as someone who hauled in morels. He or she may not want to advertise the fact that morels are “going off.” In other words, thank them in person, not on Facebook. To post or not to post. Mushroom hunters are often torn between keeping their finds secret and boasting about their successes by posting pictures all over the internet. Do you post? It depends. At the beginning of the morel season, most foragers will not post photos on Facebook or Instagram that could spur a frenzy of hunting. After all, there is only a finite amount of morel hunting ground. Once the season is winding down, however, you’ll see lots of morel pictures on social media as people proudly display their bounty and their best morel dishes. The bottom line: if you’re seeing a lot of posting, the season is probably over.

ANNIE FENN

s it too early to be thinking about morel mushrooms? I think not. All we need is a nice wet spring with a little sunshine and a lot of luck. But before you charge into the woods in a frenzy of foraging, I’d like to set a few things straight. There are rules of conduct when hunting morels. These rules are largely unwritten — a code that most foragers learn by hanging out with more seasoned foragers. I probably broke a few of these rules back in the day when I was learning to forage, about 20 years ago. Believe me, there are repercussions. Mushroom hunting etiquette is serious business, people. So, just for you newbies, I’ve taken a crack at writing down the unwritten rules. Take them to heart and you will be welcomed into the morel hunting community with open arms. Ignore them and you will surely nettle enough foragers to invoke bad hunting karma. Don’t ask, don’t tell. If you ask a morel hunter to tell you where he or she finds mushrooms, don’t expect a straight answer. It can take years to find a great morel spot and foragers who have put in the due diligence deserve to keep those honey holes to themselves. They aren’t being rude, but you will be if you ask them directly. It’s far better to ask more general questions about morel habitat and figure out how to find your own secret patch. If a morel hunter takes you to his or her site, don’t tell other people about it or go there without them. They are letting you in on a secret, and revealing that secret to others is considered betrayal. If you come upon another mushroom hunter in the woods, give him or her a wide berth. You wouldn’t infringe on another fisherman’s section of river, right? Get far enough away from him that you can’t see if he is finding mushrooms. Respect private land. Plenty of residents sit on prime morel hunting ground but could care less about foraging for themselves. It’s OK to hunt on their property if you have permission. You do have to ask. If they are agreeable, offer to share the morels with them or drop off a token of your appreciation in the form of a nice bottle of wine. Sneaking around on private land without permission is definitely bad etiquette. If you come to a cluster of morels (yippee!), pinch the mushrooms off just above the base of the stem and leave the

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Featuring dining destinations from buffets and rooms with a view to mom and pop joints, chic cuisine and some of our dining critic’s faves! ASIAN & CHINESE TETON THAI

Serving the world’s most exciting cuisine. Teton Thai offers a splendid array of flavors: sweet, hot, sour, salt and bitter. All balanced and blended perfectly, satisfying the most discriminating palate. Open daily. 7432 Granite Loop Road in Teton Village, (307) 733-0022 and in Driggs, (208) 787-8424, tetonthai.com.

Classic Cocktails Open nightly 5:30 p.m. • 165 N. Center St. 307-733-4111 • www.theindianjh.com

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THE BLUE LION

Mangy Moose Restaurant, with locally sourced, seasonally FRESH FOOD at reasonable prices, is a always a FUN PLACE to go with family or friends for a unique dining experience. The personable staff will make you feel RIGHT AT HOME and the funky western decor will keep you entertained throughout your entire visit. Reservations at (307) 733-4913 3295 Village Drive • Teton Village, WY

www.mangymoose.com

| PLANETJH.COM |

Colonial Indian Cuisine

A Jackson Hole favorite for 36 years. Join us in the charming atmosphere of a historic home. Ask a local about our rack of lamb. Serving fresh fish, elk, poultry, steaks, and vegetarian entrées. Live acoustic guitar music most nights. Open nightly at 5:30 p.m., closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome. Off Season Special: Two-for-one entrees, good all night (must mention ad). 160 N. Millward, (307) 733-3912, bluelionrestaurant.com

CAFE GENEVIEVE

Serving inspired home cooked classics in a historic log cabin. Enjoy brunch daily at 8 a.m., dinner on Fridays through Tuesdays beginning at 5 p.m., and happy hour Fridays through Tuesdays, 3 to 5:30 p.m. featuring $5 glasses of wine, $5 specialty drinks, $3 bottled beer. 135 E. Broadway, (307) 732-1910, genevievejh. com .

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DORNAN’S PIZZA & PASTA COMPANY

Gourmet pizzas, homemade soups, pasta, sandwiches and salads. Enjoy a relaxing lunch while sitting along the Snake River enjoying the fabulous view of the Tetons. Twelve miles north of Jackson in Grand Teton National Park at Moose, (307) 733-2415, dornans.com

ELEANOR’S Thanks for making Chinatown your favorite Chinese restaurant in Jackson Hole!

CHINATOWN RESTAURANT OPEN 7 DAYS/WK • LUNCHEON SPECIALS & DINNERS DAILY 850 W. Broadway • Call 733-8856 for take out

Enjoy all the perks of fine dining, minus the dress code at Eleanor’s, serving rich, saucy dishes in a warm and friendly setting. Eleanor’s is a primo brunch spot on Sunday afternoons. Its bar alone is an attraction, thanks to reasonably priced drinks and a loyal crowd. Come get a belly-full of our two-time gold medal wings. Open daily 11a.m. to close. 832 W. Broadway inside Plaza Liquors, (307) 733-7901.

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The deli that’ll rock your belly. Jackson’s newest sub shop serves steamed subs, reubens, gyros, delicious all beef hot dogs, soups and salads. We offer Chicago style hot dogs done just the way they do in the windy city. Open daily from11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Located just a short block north of the Town Square at 180 N. Center Street, (307) 733-3448.

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Featuring dining destinations from buffets and rooms with a view to mom and pop joints, chic cuisine and some of our dining critic’s faves!

PIZZAS, PASTAS & MORE

Best ski food in the area! Korean and American style, from breakfast sandwiches, burgers, chicken tenders, Philly cheese steaks to rice bowls and noodles. Something for everyone! Open Tuesday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. At base of Summit Lift between the ski patrol room and the ice rink. 100 E. Snow King Ave. Order ahead (307) 200-6544, facebook.com/ Kimscornercafe.

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Two for One Entrees. Serving organic, freshlymade world cuisine while catering to all eating styles. Endless organic and natural meat, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices. Offering super smoothies, fresh extracted juices, espresso and tea. Full bar and house-infused botanical spirits. Serving breakfast and lunch Sunday thorough Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner at 9 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. 145 N. Glenwood St., (307) 734-0882, tetonlotuscafe.com.

MANGY MOOSE

Mangy Moose Restaurant, with locally sourced, seasonally fresh food at reasonable prices, is a always a fun place to go with family or friends for a unique dining experience. The personable staff will make you feel right at home and the funky western decor will keep you entertained throughout your entire visit. Reservations at (307) 733-4913, mangymoose.com.

1110 W. Broadway • Jackson, WY Open daily 5:00am to midnight • Free Wi-Fi

APRIL 29, 2015 | 19

385 W. Broadway, Jackson Authentic Mexican Cuisine (307) 733-1207 OPEN 7 DAYS 11am-10pm

HOME OF THE ORIGINAL JUMBO MARGARITA

20 W Broadway

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

LARGE SELECTION OF MEXICAN BEERS LUNCHEON COMBINATION Mon-Fri 11am-3pm NIGHTLY DINNER SPECIALS

Local, a modern American steakhouse and bar, is located on Jackson’s historic town square. Our menu features both classic and specialty cuts of locally-ranched meats and wild game alongside fresh seafood, shellfish, house-ground burgers, and seasonally-inspired food. We offer an extensive wine list and an abundance of locally-sourced products. Offering a casual and vibrant bar atmosphere with 12 beers on tap as well as a relaxed dining room, Local is the perfect spot to grab a burger for lunch or to have drinks and dinner with friends. 55 North Cache, (307) 201-1717, localjh.com.

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(307) 733-0330 520 S. Hwy. 89 • Jackson, WY

LOCAL

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Liberty burger features 11 different burger, including the standard liberty burger of just mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle onion. There are six different meat selections along with our custom beef blend. Sides include skinny fries, sweet fries and onion rings. Two salads are on the menu along with two sandwiches. Milkshakes, root beer floats, adult milkshakes, beer, wine and spirits are available. Open at 11 a.m. daily. 160 N. Cache, (307) 200-6071.

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| PLANETJH.COM |

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Just north of the Town Square on Cache (307) 733-2966

SNAKE RIVER BREWERY& RESTAURANT

America’s most award-winning microbrewery is serving lunch and dinner. Take in the atmosphere while enjoying wood-fired pizzas, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts. $8 lunch menu from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Happy hours 4 to 6 p.m., including tasty hot wings. The freshest beer in the valley, right from the source! Free WiFi. Open 11:30 a.m. to midnight. 265 S. Millward. (307) 739-2337, snakeriverbrewing.com.

SWEETWATER

Satisfying locals for lunch and dinner for over 36 years with deliciously affordable comfort food. Extensive local and regional beer list. Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. features blackened trout salad, elk melt, wild west chili and vegetarian specialties. Dinner 5:30 to 9 p.m. including potato-crusted trout, 16 ounce ribeye, vegan and wild game. Reservations at (307) 733-3553. sweetwaterjackson.com.

TRIO

| PLANETJH.COM |

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

20 | APRIL 29, 2015

ITALIAN

Owned and operated by Chefs with a passion for good food, Trio is located right off the Town square in downtown Jackson. Featuring a variety of cuisines in a relaxed atmosphere, Trio is famous for its wood-oven pizzas, specialty cocktails and waffle fries with bleu cheese fondue. Dinner nightly at 5:30 p.m. Reserve at (307) 734-8038 or bistrotrio.com.

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The Indian is themed after a British officer’s club, The Indian serves Colonial Indian cuisine and classic cocktails. Enjoy a variety of dishes including butter chicken, lamb vindaloo and many other vegan and gluten free options. Open for dinner nightly at 5:30. 165 N. Center St., reservations at (307) 7334111.

CALICO

A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965, the Calico continues to be one of the most popular restaurants in the Valley. The Calico offers the right combination of really good food, (much of which is grown in our own gardens in the summer), friendly staff; a reasonably priced menu and a large selection of wine. Our bar scene is eclectic with a welcoming vibe. Open nightly at 5 p.m. 2560 Moose Wilson Rd., (307) 733-2460.

MEXICAN EL ABUELITO

Serving authentic Mexican cuisine and appetizers in a unique Mexican atmosphere. Home of the original Jumbo Margarita. Featuring a full bar with a large selection of authentic Mexican beers. Lunch served weekdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nightly dinner specials. Open seven days, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 385 W. Broadway, (307) 733-1207.

THE MERRY PIGLETS

Voted Best Salsa! Jackson’s oldest authentic Mexican restaurant and a local favorite. Choose from over 10 unique and different salsas and sauces, Tex-Mex plates, including mesquite-grilled fajitas, wraps and fire-roasted chicken. Huge margs in 10 flavors plus “Big Pig Marg,” a 32 ounce original. 160 N. Cache, (307) 733-2966.

PIZZA ARTISAN PIZZA

Blue Collar Restaurant Groups Italain style restaurant and pizza serves fresh salads, apps, Neapolitan inspired pizza and housemade classic pasta dish’s. All entrees come with soup or salad and house made garlic bread. Veggie and gluten free options available. Happy Hour in the bar Monday to Friday from 5 - 6 p.m. features $6 pizzas, 2 for 1 wine by the glass and well drinks, and $1 off all beer. Open Monday through Saturday at 5 p.m. Located in the 690 building on highway 89 next to Motel 6, (307) 724-1970.

Rob Brezsny’s FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

WINDSHIELDS

Week of April 29, 2015 freewillastrology.com

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Chris Moneymaker was employed as an accountant in Tennessee. On a whim, he paid $39 to enter an online poker tournament. Although he knew a lot about the game, he had never competed professionally. Nevertheless, he won the tournament. As his award, he received no money, but rather an invitation to participate in the annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Can you guess the storybook ending? The rookie triumphed over 838 pros, taking home $2.5 million. I don’t foresee anything quite as spectacular for you, Aries, but there may be similar elements in your saga. For example, a modest investment on your part could make you eligible for a chance to earn much more. Here’s another possible pot twist: You could generate luck for yourself by ramping up a skill that has until now been a hobby.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) I was in the checkout line at Whole Foods. The shopper ahead me had piled her groceries on the conveyor belt, and it was her turn to be rung up. “How are you doing?” she said cheerfully to the cashier, a crabby-looking hipster whom I happened to know is a Cancerian poet and lead singer in a local rock band. “Oh, I am living my dream,” he replied. I guessed he was being sarcastic, although I didn’t know for sure. In any case, I had a flash of intuition that his answer should be your mantra in the coming weeks. It’s time to redouble your commitment to living your dream! Say it 20 times in a row right now: “I am living my dream.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) When Aquarian media mogul Oprah Winfrey was born, “Oprah” was not what she was called. Her birth certificate says she is “Orpah,” a name her aunt borrowed from a character who appears in the biblical Book of Ruth. As Oprah grew up, her friends and relatives had trouble pronouncing “Orpah,” and often turned it into “Oprah.” The distorted form eventually stuck. But if I were her, I would consider revisiting that old twist sometime soon, maybe even restoring “Orpah.” For you Aquarians, it’s a favorable time to investigate original intentions or explore primal meanings or play around with the earliest archetypes.

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) What I propose is that you scan your memories and identify everyone who has ever tried to limit your options or dampen your enthusiasm or crush your freedom. Take a piece of paper and write down a list of the times someone insinuated that you will forever be stuck in a shrunken possibility, or made a prediction about what you will supposedly never be capable of, or said you had a problem that was permanently beyond your ability to solve. Once you’ve compiled all the constricting ideas about yourself that other people have tried to saddle you with, burn that piece of paper and declare yourself exempt from their curses. In the days after you do this ritual, all of life will conspire with you to expand your freedom.

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| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Don’t calm down. Don’t retreat into your sanctuary and relax into protective comfort. If you have faith and remain committed to the messy experiment you have stirred up, the stress and agitation you’re dealing with will ripen into vitality and excitement. I’m not exaggerating, my dear explorer. You’re on the verge of tapping into the catalytic beauty and rejuvenating truth that lurk beneath the frustration. You’re close to unlocking the deeper ambitions that are trapped inside the surface-level wishes.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) I’ve got a tough assignment for you. It won’t be easy, but I think you’re ready to do a good job. Here it is: Learn to be totally at home with your body. Figure out what you need to do to feel unconditional love for your physical form. To get started on this noble and sacred task, practice feeling compassion for your so-called imperfections. I also suggest you cast a love spell on yourself every night, using a red candle, a mirror, and your favorite creamy beverage. It may also help to go down to the playground and swing on the swings, make loud animal sounds, or engage in unusually uninhibited sex. Do you have any other ideas?

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) As I awoke this morning, I remembered the dream I’d just had. In the dream, I had written a horoscope for you. Here’s what it said: “The Kentucky Derby is a famous horse race that takes place on the first Saturday of every May. It’s called ‘The Run for the Roses’ because one of the prizes that goes to the winning horse and jockey is a garland of 554 roses. I suspect that your life may soon bring you an odd treasure like that, Leo. Will it be a good thing, or too much of a good thing? Will it be useful or just kind of weird? Beautiful or a bit ridiculous? The answers to those questions may depend in part on your willingness to adjust your expectations.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “An escalator can never break,” mused comedian Mitch Hedberg. “It can only become stairs. You should never see an ‘Escalator Temporarily Out of Order’ sign, just ‘Escalator Is Temporarily Stairs.’” I think a similar principle applies to you, Sagittarius. If we were to try to evaluate your current situation with conventional wisdom, we might say that part of your usual array of capacities is not functioning at its usual level. But if we adopted a perspective like Hedberg’s, we could rightly say that this part of you is simply serving its purpose in a different way.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Poetically speaking, it’s time to purify your world of all insanities, profanities and inanities. It’s a perfect moment for that once-in-a-blue-moon Scour-a-Thon, when you have a mandate to purge all clunkiness, junkiness and gunkiness from your midst. And as you flush away the unease of your hypocrisies and discrepancies, as you dispense with any tendency you might have to make way too much sense, remember that evil is allergic to laughter. Humor is one of the most effective psychospiritual cleansers ever.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) In her book A Natural History of the Senses, Diane Ackerman describes a medieval knight who asked his lady for a strand of her pubic hair: a symbol of her life force. The lady agreed. He placed the talisman in a locket that he wore around his neck, confident that it would protect him and consecrate him in the course of the rough adventures ahead. I recommend that you consider a similar tack in the coming weeks, Scorpio. As you head toward your turning point, arm yourself with a personal blessing from someone you love. Success is most likely if you tincture your fierce determination with magical tenderness.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20) eBay is a multi-billion-dollar e-commerce business that has been around for almost 20 years. But it had an inauspicious beginning. The first item ever sold on the service was a broken laser pointer. Even though the laser pointer didn’t work, and the seller informed the buyer it didn’t work, it brought in $14.83. This story might be a useful metaphor for your imminent future, Taurus. While I have faith in the vigor of the long-term trends you are or will soon be setting in motion, your initial steps may be a bit iffy.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) American author Stephen Crane wrote his celebrated Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage in 10 days. Composer George Frideric Handel polished off his famous oratorio Messiah in a mere 24 days, and Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky produced his novel The Gambler in 16 days. On the other hand, Junot Díaz, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, needed 10 years to finish it. As for you, Libra, I think this is—and should be!—a phase more like Díaz’s than the other three creators’. Go slowly. Be superextra-thorough. What you’re working on can’t be rushed.

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| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

22 | APRIL 29, 2015

L.A.TIMES

COSMIC Café

SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015

with Carol Mann

Q: How can I ‘spring clean’ my pysche?

The energy of spring always brings with it the excitement of renewal and fresh possibilities, coupled with the urge to lighten up, get rid of excess and feel freer. For some, the energy of spring might mean a new haircut, putting away the winter clothing, cleaning the house and clearing out excess stuff from closets, garages, offices and yards. All of these actions set the stage to welcome in the new. Clutter of any kind blocks the flow of energy and creates stagnation. On the most obvious level, the yearly ritual of spring cleaning is about clearing out the excess of stuff we have and don’t need or use in our houses, closets, garages, offices and cars. Spring is a time to feel lighter. It’s also an opportunity to create space for new possibilities in our own psyche by taking a look at personal habits, attitudes and behaviors, which create psychic clutter. If you’d also like to declutter your psyche this spring and create the space for new possibilities in your life, reflecting on the clutter around you can lead the way. So, before you throw out, reorganize your physical spaces. Take some paper and write your answer to some questions until you have no more to say on each topic.

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down — it is about a chance to grow. As you review what you wrote, some of what you want to clear out will call for a plan for reorganizing and/or removing physical clutter. Other insights might also inspire you to upgrade the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of your life. How exciting to purge that and be free of old emotional baggage, which, like all clutter, prevents new things from showing up. There are many integrative health practices offering professional support to help dismantle old patterns, which no longer serve you. Once you engage in doing this work on yourself, you are on the way to being who you really are and who you intend to be. If you would like information on local resources, send me an email. Enjoy this springtime energy of renewal to make room in your life for the upgrades you want. PJH

Here are two questions for self-reflection: • If your environment (house, room, office, desk or car) is a reflection of what’s going on in your life, what would it be saying? • When you look at the clutter, how does it make you feel? Write down what spontaneously pops into your mind. Those answers will give you a window into what’s really going on, how you are feeling and what you might choose to upgrade. Be open to surprising insights in your answers. It’s not about criticizing, analyzing or putting yourself Carol Mann is a longtime Jackson resident, radio personality, former Grand Targhee Resort owner, author, and cliarvoyant. Got a Cosmic Question? Email carol@yourcosmiccafe.com

ACROSS 01 It puts the blue in blue cheese 05 Lit up 010 High muck-a-muck 015 Shell occupant 019 Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Estelle Parsons in 2014 020 Took turns? 021 Lawrence partner 022 Fast-moving mammal 023 Bedsheet material 024 Bored by it all 025 Puff up 026 Composer Stravinsky 027 Outstanding building manager? 029 Truck at the end of the convoy? 031 Source of inspiration 032 Scatter 036 Ridicule 037 Like some partners 040 Big name in small trucks 041 Nursery supply 042 Genre of the band Jawbreaker 043 Ordinary hero? 047 Co. leaders 050 Hazy 053 Tiered snack 054 French bean? 055 It may be blank 057 It’s a turnoff 059 How many vacations are taken 060 Hapless sort 061 Shut down 062 Pressure line 064 Sacher creations 065 All-in-one printer option 067 One auditing highway department supplies? 070 Jazzman Fountain 071 Prepared 073 Least available 074 More respectable 076 1940 DC Comics debut 077 Bogged down 078 Held firm 081 Literary __ 082 Flow with force 083 Northern terminus of I-79 085 Spots for dips 086 WWII venue 087 Golfer with an array of trick shots? 090 Routine letters 091 Brandy letters 093 Black cats, perhaps 094 Conservative portfolio investments 097 Not so demanding 0100 Banish 0102 In 0103 Rate goose feathers? 0105 Well-rehearsed swindle? 0110 Get to 0111 Begins 0113 Prime minister between two Ehuds 0114 With two exceptions, NFL Pro Bowl locale since 1980 0115 Canadian gas brand 0116 Contradict 0117 Distress 0118 Lowly laborer 0119 They’re often in hot water 0120 Sanction 0121 Game of chance 0122 Calligrapher’s supplies

DOWN 01 Challenging locks 02 Departure notice? 03 Succotash bean 04 “Goodness!” 05 Fiddles with 06 Wine, with “the” 07 Valuable vein 08 Like some soap opera plot elements 09 Abandon bachelorhood 010 ’60s-’80s Brit. sports car 011 Pocahontas’ spouse 012 Range setting 013 “Project Runway Canada” host 014 Find work 015 Carpentry tool 016 Pub order 017 Pizzeria attraction 018 Reason for a raise 028 Daily power source 030 Molokai memento 033 Chinese leader? 034 2 Tone revival music genre 035 Wedding day rental 037 Two-time Masters champ Ballesteros 038 It gives you the big picture 039 Spock’s memoir? 040 Protective covering 041 Litigant 044 “Love Is Strange” actress 045 Prepare to serve, as wine 046 Kick off 047 Chess champion’s blog entry? 048 Extend a hand to 049 Short 051 Whisk, for one 052 Notable time 055 __-pitch 056 Quiznos offering 058 Part of TA: Abbr. 059 Reacted to a bad call 062 How homes may be measured 063 Cork alternative 064 The Magi, e.g. 065 Military nickname 066 Pull

068 Curmudgeonly comment 069 Keypad key 072 Objective 075 Rights reader 077 Auto ad no. 078 Samples, in a way 079 Water-storing plant 080 An oz. has six 083 “Did you __?” 084 Cheap way to live 087 City on the Guadalquivir River 088 “If you ask me,” to texters 089 Cassio’s commander 091 They may be seen in streams 092 Go out with 095 Diarist Anaïs 096 Well-armed swimmers? 097 Blue heron kin 098 Originate 099 Dip with zip 0100 “Fain would I __ on form”: Juliet 0101 Film composer Morricone 0102 Update 0104 German auto 0106 Former Italian capital 0107 Battle of Normandy city 0108 “Hmm ... I guess that’s all right” 0109 Sisters 0112 Seam, say 0113 BOLO equivalent

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| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

meric tonic shots with cardamom and Himalayan salt with a scantly-attired blonde vegan hovering around him hoping for a fix of kale cucumber juice. Her body is wasted from years of organic juice and a cold thing hits my gut like an ice latté on a hot day. “Pull back the yoga instructors from Lucky’s,” I tell Sammy. “What if I don’t?” he sneers. “I’ll have Mad Dog send his boys at Hoback Nation to shop at Lucky’s,” I say. “You can’t do that! If the store’s filled with Hobackers no one will think Lucky’s is cool and we won’t be able to charge as much!” “That’s the plan,” I snort. “You win this one Thornhill,” Sammy says. “But I’ll be back.” A warm feeling hits me. Kids and families will be able to buy their supplies of organic Chinese cabbage and ginseng without worrying if they’re at the store currently in vogue. I step up to the juice bar and a dame with curves that would make the Snow King mountain-coaster dizzy asks, “What’ll you have?” “A cucumber, fennel, kale shot.” I say. “Make it a double.” “I’m off in an hour,” she says. “Want to buy me a celery, ginger and coconut water after work?” “Sure, doll,” I say. And then night falls and the town is at peace, at least for now. PJH

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looked up from the paper as Sheriff Whalen walked into my office. He’s hated my guts ever since I busted a smuggling ring that was trafficking pure wasabi in false bottom snowboards, cutting it with horseradish and selling it to street contacts with connections to sushi shops. Zimmer looked the other way and in return got kickbacks of sustainably-harvested bluefin tuna. I exposed the swindle when a Nikai customer hired me to look into an unpleasant experience with a salmon cucumber roll topped with spicy scallops and Thai coconut. Zimmer lost his sweet deal with the bluefin and Whalen tries his best to make my life miserable. “We got a problem,” he tells me. “Fat Ski Sammy Gambino has teamed up with Lucky’s.” He doesn’t need to say anything else. Whole Grocer has paid off the Banono clan for years. Benny “Big Bagel” Banono supplies Hog Island rednecks to bored Teton Pines housewives. In return he demands they shop at Whole Grocer, giving the store a chic, upscale A-list clientele base that blends nicely with the chic, upscale A-list prices. Now with Lucky’s in the game it seems Sammy wants a piece of the action. Sammy controls the valley’s supply of “Namaste” bumper stickers. One word from Sammy and local yoga instructors will be lined up to buy their Moroccan Chamomile essential oil at Lucky’s faster than you can say, “Downward dog.” It would be yoga instructors against Pines housewives. People won’t know which store is the coolest to see and be seen in while shopping and the streets will run red with organic beet juice. Sammy’s gang hangs out at a dive called Healthy Being Juicery. I stop by. He’s in the corner pounding tur-

APRIL 29, 2015 | 23

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24 | APRIL 29, 2015

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