Dyann: My name is Dyann Durst. I have been the Lavender Witch since 1996. It was my first summer here. And it was by accident. They were short, the Lavender Witch, and it was four days before. The woman who always got all the witches, came over to her neighbor and said, “I don't have a Lavender Witch.” 

I had gone over and gotten free flowers from her. And she said, “She might do it for you.” So they called and I had no clue. I'd never been up here. Never gotten [to]. It was always in the paper the day after. I'd never had a chance as a child to come up here and, and they'd been doing the storytelling forever.

I came up, they gave me a costume to wear. It has grown to be something that I love so much that I would never miss it. So in all of the years, I've never missed Crimson Dawn. This [will] be the 30th, not the 30th year, but the 30th time that I've been the Lavender Witch 

We have some really wonderful people that are here. We all help to clean [and to] make sure that each one of the shrines is set up and ready to go. I decorate my own because I want to. [I want to] put my own lavender flowers up. Over the time we have grown [close] within the group. They're able to actually go out and earn money. We've done some fundraising, whereas before, I had to take money [out of] savings to help pay for Crimson Dawn and Midsummers Eve. Now I have like $19,000 in my checking account for Crimson Dawn. That's the difference in just having people [care]. 

Aubrey: I'm hearing you talk about the community of folks that are involved. Can you talk a little bit about that? Does it feel like a family? 

Dyann: [It does].  It's been a lot of the same people, like me, who [have] been here for such a long time, and one who already is here and wants to be the Lavender Witch. So if I ever decide to quit, she wants to change jobs. The community we have as a group is wonderful. You always have those that are hesitant, but I like to see people that get along and that love each other and, and will take care of the place. 

It's important to take care of this. [The] Parks Department is supposed to, but they don't always do the best job because I'm sure their funds are limited too. But Michelle comes up and puts, puts little fire[s], you know, little twinkly lights out and, and plants flowers, and turns this into a home. When people come up, they get quite the tour. When you get somebody who really, really loves this place, it gives 'em a different vibe to it when they come to see it. 

Aubrey: Why is it important that this place is taken care of? 

Dyann: When it boils down to it, if we do not continue to have the June celebration on the 21st, [as]  it's written in the will, all the lands will revert to the family. Now, not that they want it back, but, that's the way the will is written. So it keeps us going because we know we have to do it. It is something that we can hang on to so that the public has use of the park.

If you've noticed the red that's on the hillsides. All of the flowers that bloom, it's just a gorgeous place. I like to come up and before everybody is up here cleaning and carrying on because there's such serenity in this place, such a quiet attitude and, and it's just a wonderful place to be. Not that I get to spend a whole lot of time, but for every minute that I'm here, it's peaceful and wonderful. So I don't even bring people with me. I guess I wanna be here by myself.

Aubrey: Are you from Casper? 

Dyann: Yes, I was born in Casper. I went to all [the] schools here. I taught school: Eastern High, Centennial, and Casper College in the mathematics department until 2001, when my dad died and mom needed care. I retired at that point.

Aubrey: I love hearing you talk about community and I'm curious, I mentioned when I first met you that folks in Wyoming don't know about this and you said, “Well, folks in Casper do.” Why do you think this?

Dyann: This event and this tradition is important to this Casper community. I think [we] probably [have] gotten better at advertising. Lavender Witch gets [written about] a lot of times because I'm closer to the road. They don't have so far to walk. I'm pretty sure that's probably what it is. 

There's two characters in Lavender Land. One is Vermillion and several people have played Vermillion over time, but he's a bumbling, stumbly man who never says much of anything, but he counts the hairs on people's heads and he counts different leaves and paints the leaves and he has these things that he says are porcupine, but they're actually from the quill of a bird. But they look like they're porcupine quills and he will give them to the kids and he'll say, “Now, if you take this and you go three miles that way and then plant it, next year we'll have another porcupine. And the kids just go right along with it.” 

Aubrey: Why do you [think people keep] coming back? 

Dyann: I think people come because we don't charge anything and it's a wonderful family thing to do, and especially if it falls on a weekend like this one today. It may be totally packed because people can come up here [and] they don't have to pay anything. They can donate if they want to, and they can follow if they want to. Or some just go out and read the stories as they are printed on each one of the shrines. Then they can have cookies and hot chocolate at the end before they head home. The only disadvantage is we don't have any way to transport them. So they park a long, long way. It’s mostly young people and. I've seen kids grow up [since] they came to me back in 1996.

Now they have kids of their own and, and their kids are coming up. I've had people give me a bag of all of the [flowers I’ve given over the years.] They brought me all the different kinds that I've used over the years [because] you can't get the same thing every year.

So I've gotten their collections from them too. Some of them still wear the ones from the year before or they take [them] home and save [them] and then years later, they're bringing their kids up. I've had pictures taken with a lot of second generation children.

Aubrey: How does that feel? 

Dyann: I just think it's wonderful. Once you come up as a child, you continue to come. And especially when it’s something that your children might like. It doesn't cost them anything except sore feet.

Aubrey: Can you talk a little bit about the land?

Dyann: I think it's because it's one of the most beautiful places on the mountain because of the colors. Crimson Dawn is not just a name, but because it reflects the colors. We have all that redness and you don't necessarily find that everywhere on the mountain. As a matter of fact, as you come over the top from Casper, you're not gonna find that coloration [if you came from] the other direction.

It's kind of the first thing you see that's really red and beautiful. To have the Butte out there, that we can go and have a fire [on], it overlooks all of this gorgeous land that we have. So that's why I think it's a wonderful place to be.

Aubrey: Any kind of final words coming from the perspective of the Lavender Witch or the work the Lavender Witch does?

Dyann: The Lavender Witch is a lot, a lot of times favorite of the kids because of my color. Doesn't have anything to do with me. Last year I found out [that] I was the second favorite witch because the little girls told me that the year before she liked lavender, and this year she liked pink. It's a lot of fun for me to be with the little kids. 

Aubrey: Why? 

Dyann: Well, I didn't ever get to teach little kids and I only had one daughter. So being around these little kids is just a riot. They crawl up on my fence so they can get their lavender flower. It's the reason that I've stayed with it, you know, not the adults but the kids.

Note: The transcript above has been condensed from its original audio recording to improve the flow and readability of the story.