Byron News: Welcome to newcomers Jace and Dylan Stott

It is exciting to see a family moving in. I stopped by the home on the hill on Big Horn that for years was the home of former Byron mayor Milt Meier. Jace and Dylan Stott along with their two children Blake, 2, and Paden, 4, have chosen to make Byron home.

Jace works for the BLM as a wild horse and burro specialist. They have lived in several places around the state, most recently in Billings. Jace served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia. When he and Dylan met in college, she was working on her MBA.

Dylan is a Nebraska native. They are happy to be out of the city and are enjoying the area. We are happy to welcome them to our community.

*    *    *

Monday, I attended a tribute program to the veterans from our communities. The students K-12 did a wonderful job performing several patriotic songs. The music brings on feelings of nostalgia and memories of stories I have learned of so many of our young men saying goodbye and not returning home, the men who did return home and are still returning home with stories some can never share.

Kudos to the organizers of this event. It was well done. We are fortunate to have school systems who allow the Pledge of Allegiance and respect for our nation and flag. It was touching to see the veterans from each branch of the military stand as their respective music was played. With the recent election and the variety of positions from ecstatic to miserable, it was great to see folks put aside personal feelings to celebrate our veterans who put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms. God bless America and those currently deployed as well as those soon to be deployed from our area. 

*    *    *

I am still walking on crunchy leaves in the yard. We have a Catalpa tree that has leaves as large as a dinner plate. This very tall tree got its start from a seed pod my dad brought back from a visit to family in California. I don’t know how many he planted, but one grew and has been here for at least 70 years. In the summer it is covered with beautiful cream blossoms that look kind of like a snapdragon, and then it makes a mess with the falling blossoms and long slender seedpods. This time of year, it sheds those large leaves.

We keep looking up for signs it is done shedding. Don’t want to waste energy raking twice. This morning it dropped its last leaf and is a bare skeleton of a tree. Time to get out the rake or wait for a good wind.