As I sit down to write this column, it's with a twinge of sadness. This particular feeling of melancholy is not entirely to blame on the untimely death of our hen Black Bart, who upon jumping the neighbor's fence, was promptly set upon by one of said neighbor's dogs.Don't get me wrong — I'm extremely sad about our dearly departed feathered friend, but a country girl can only grieve so long for a chicken.Instead, the blue mood is brought on by the knowledge that this is my last week at the Powell Tribune.I'm leaving of my own accord — no explosive family feuds or anything of that nature (though that would have made for a good story.) I'll be the first to admit that the daily commute from Cody to Powell, and back again, over miles of torn-up road (which is, ironically, now paved) was getting really old, especially with a 3-year-old. But, instead, it was another job that lured me away. On Monday, I begin training to take the reins as the new director of Northwest Wyoming Family Planning, and I'm beyond excited about the new challenge (and maybe just a little bit nervous, as well.) So, in my mind, I am truly leaving for greener pastures and new adventures. The decision came only after a lot of thought and discussion with my family. Without a doubt, the hardest part of that decision was the thought of leaving my co-workers here at the Trib. From the famous fair food eating contests (for the record, I never won), to the endless puns and embarrassingly irreverent sense of humor that pervades the back office, I've never spent so much time laughing at work. The free-for-all joke-fest has made what can be a really stressful and demanding job much easier and more enjoyable. Not to worry, Kara Bacon has generously offered to “pipe me in” via Google Chat or something if I have sick joke withdrawals. And let me tell you, I may need it.More than that, though, I'll miss the friendships I've made at the Trib. It's been gratifying to work with a group of really smart, talented and capable people — the humor has truly just been icing on the cake. However, you won't get rid of me that easily — I'll continue to contribute a column from time to time, just to fill you in on the crazy goings-on in our neck of the woods. While I can't predict the frequency of them — it depends on the demands of a new job and on my little child continuing to provide endless fodder — I'll keep them coming. So, in the style of our managing editor, “Boomerang” Tessa Schweigert, who has written more “farewell” columns than can be counted on one hand, on Friday I'll say not goodbye, but “until next time.”

As I sit down to write this column, it's with a twinge of sadness. This particular feeling of melancholy is not entirely to blame on the untimely death of our hen Black Bart, who upon jumping the neighbor's fence, was promptly set upon by one of said neighbor's dogs.

Don't get me wrong — I'm extremely sad about our dearly departed feathered friend, but a country girl can only grieve so long for a chicken.

Instead, the blue mood is brought on by the knowledge that this is my last week at the Powell Tribune.

I'm leaving of my own accord — no explosive family feuds or anything of that nature (though that would have made for a good story.) I'll be the first to admit that the daily commute from Cody to Powell, and back again, over miles of torn-up road (which is, ironically, now paved) was getting really old, especially with a 3-year-old.

But, instead, it was another job that lured me away. On Monday, I begin training to take the reins as the new director of Northwest Wyoming Family Planning, and I'm beyond excited about the new challenge (and maybe just a little bit nervous, as well.) So, in my mind, I am truly leaving for greener pastures and new adventures.

The decision came only after a lot of thought and discussion with my family. Without a doubt, the hardest part of that decision was the thought of leaving my co-workers here at the Trib. From the famous fair food eating contests (for the record, I never won), to the endless puns and embarrassingly irreverent sense of humor that pervades the back office, I've never spent so much time laughing at work. The free-for-all joke-fest has made what can be a really stressful and demanding job much easier and more enjoyable. Not to worry, Kara Bacon has generously offered to “pipe me in” via Google Chat or something if I have sick joke withdrawals. And let me tell you, I may need it.

More than that, though, I'll miss the friendships I've made at the Trib. It's been gratifying to work with a group of really smart, talented and capable people — the humor has truly just been icing on the cake.

However, you won't get rid of me that easily — I'll continue to contribute a column from time to time, just to fill you in on the crazy goings-on in our neck of the woods. While I can't predict the frequency of them — it depends on the demands of a new job and on my little child continuing to provide endless fodder — I'll keep them coming.

So, in the style of our managing editor, “Boomerang” Tessa Schweigert, who has written more “farewell” columns than can be counted on one hand, on Friday I'll say not goodbye, but “until next time.”