The Rio Blanco County Fair has started and I am not ready. It’s a time change thing. It is not as if I have any real reason to complain, as my only role is to attend. It has always been an end-of summer tradition. The annual event signaled the conclusion[Read More…]
Tag: Loose Ends
A closer look
“Same old, same old” and “It is what it is” may be two of the most annoying phrases that have seeped unnoticed into our daily conversations. So many of our exchanges with family and friends have become laced with cliches, idioms, or all sorts of space fillers. It is an[Read More…]
Loose Ends: A closer look
Babies and puppies are a number one draw at any parade. Our community’s Fourth of July celebration offered so many examples once again, as a huge crowd of visitors and residents alike took advantage of the great weather. Most of them staked a claim to the few shady spots by[Read More…]
Range Call reflections
The physical work it takes to clean-up after Meeker’s annual Range Call never changes. The preparations for next year’s Fourth of July festivities begin soon after our Fourth of July extravaganza. Judging from the large number of people in attendance, as well as the positive comments from them as well,[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Keeping Traditions
Rio Blanco Range Call Days are fast approaching. It is a tradition for most everyone in our community to get involved in some way. It doesn’t matter if you are a long-term resident or recently moved here, everyone’s help is needed. Year after year, an amazing volunteer workforce turns out[Read More…]
Loose Ends: A brief spell
Summer is finally here. Some of us refuse to believe it and get ready for the next 40-degree-drop before our overlapping spring/summer season has a few last gasps. These early days of summer reflect the kind of life we have year-round, really. Yet, for those among us, whose busy seasons[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Enough
Enough is one word that I need to say aloud more often. I do say that word often to close family and friends when I have been pushed beyond my limits. I also said it often throughout the more than 30 years that I was charged with the care of[Read More…]
Go forth …
Graduation speakers fill their speeches each May and June with words of wisdom that they hope the listeners will carry forward to all of the opportunities and changes that await them. If they are successful, the graduating class for which these words were originally written will recall them. Some of[Read More…]
Hidden in the Cloud
It has taken a long time for me to get used to conducting daily business in this digital world. Many of us are moving steadily forward, but some of us continue to flounder around. I am one of those who remain baffled when a problem arises with my smartphone or[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Volunteer spirit
Volunteers are the lifeblood of every community. In small towns like ours, there is an especially visible presence, as so many people of all ages dedicate their spare time to help others. Men and women, as well as youth, pitch in to help and sometimes dedicate even more time and[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Cats
Most every neighborhood has one — the house that is crawling with cats. A single occupant can be spotted carrying feeding bowls out to a porch or front step and if the legend or label fits, a “Crazy Cat Lady” appears. An endless stream of felines come out from hiding[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Apprenticeships
This past week I read an article in The Colorado Sun, a great online newspaper, that led with a breaking news article about our state government’s new financial support of apprenticeship programs. The investigative reporters at this relatively new endeavor can be counted on to research their subjects and report[Read More…]


