One local merchant explained the sale of a one-of-a-kind item with “She just had to have it.”

Doesn’t everyone love a good ghost story? This is the season for unexplainable phenomena and whether one believes that houses can be haunted or not, the stories of spirits coming back and unnerving the current residents of some historic residents continue to appeal to many.

No pining for the past. There are no signs posted on Main Street on the old fashioned street lights, not many plaques commemorating historic events.

Stories from the one room schoolhouses still abound in this area, and so the “when I was a youngster” tales passed down from grandparents are dramatic and vivid.

Anyone who moves here from somewhere else often resorts to trying to describe the long distances between towns but comes up empty handed.

Every so often, you’ll find yourself in a conversation with someone who remembers the life of the working cowboy. The common theme is usually built around the strength of character, about how a man’s word was more important than his signature on a piece of paper.

The fall start of “school days, school days, good old golden rule days” has always meant gathering school supplies for “opening day” in the fall, yet one Axial Basin family’s fall tradition differed a bit from families nowadays hurrying around to gather the required school supplies.

MEEKER — A recent trip to the emergency room and a ride in the ambulance made me grateful for the hospital and the wonderful care provided by the Pioneers hospital staff. It also made me realize how easy it is to take local health care services for granted.

MEEKER — After reading my recent “whatever happened to the Rio Theater?” historical column, Bernie Gantt had an answer.

RBC — Meeker and Rangley pioneer Fred Nichols’ oral history in the Rio Blanco Historical Society’s “This Is What I Remember,” Vol. I recalls the days when the settlers and Indians interacted.

MEEKER — “I thanked one of the Ute elders for coming back to Meeker, and it turned out he was Colorow’s great-grandson.” “It was such a nice thing to see all the Meeker people dancing right along with everyone else.”